The Family Tree (film)

This article is about the 2011 film. For similar uses, see Family tree (disambiguation) § Film and television.

The Family Tree is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Vivi Friedman and written by Mark Lisson. The film stars Dermot Mulroney, Hope Davis, Chi McBride, Max Thieriot, Britt Robertson, Selma Blair, and Christina Hendricks. It was given a limited release in the United States by Entertainment One on August 26, 2011.

The Family Tree
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Vivi Friedman
Written by	Mark Lisson
Produced by	J. Todd Harris Kathy Weiss Mark Lisson Allan Jones
Starring	Dermot Mulroney Hope Davis Chi McBride Max Thieriot Britt Robertson Selma Blair Christina Hendricks
Cinematography	Joplin Wu
Edited by	Patrick Sheffield Justine Halliday Seth Flaum
Music by	Stacey Hersh
Production company	Driving Lessons
Distributed by	Entertainment One
Release date	August 26, 2011 (2011-08-26) (United States)
Running time	87 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$6,035[1]

The music for the film was written by Stacey Hersh. Additionally, Amy Powers and Megan Cavallari co-wrote a song for the film.

Plot

A mother and wife stricken with memory loss allows a dysfunctional family a second chance at harmony and happiness.

Cast

• Dermot Mulroney as Jack Burnett
• Hope Davis as Bunnie Bernett
• Chi McBride as Simon Krebs
• Max Thieriot as Eric Burnett
• Britt Robertson as Kelly Burnett
• Selma Blair as Ms. Delbo
• Keith Carradine as Reverend Diggs
• Christina Hendricks as Alicia Bouche
• Rachael Leigh Cook as Rachel Levy
• Evan Ross as Josh Krebs
• Shad "Bow Wow" Boss as "T-Boy"
• Gabrielle Anwar as Nina Fouts
• Jane Seymour as Grandma Ilene
• Madeline Zima as Mitzy Steinbacher
• Colby French as Coach Sutton
• Jermaine Williams as Trey
• John Patrick Amedori as Paul Stukey
• Jake Richardson as Roy
• Ally Maki as Shauna
• Hannah Hodson as Ashley
• Evan Handler as Harvey "Harv" Drucker

Release

Entertainment One acquired the North American rights to the film in June 2011, and set the release date of August 26, 2011.^[2] The film was given a limited release in the United States.^[3]

Reception

Box office

The film made a total of $6,035 from two theaters in the U.S. during its two-week run.^[1]

Critical response

The film was largely panned by film critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film received a rating of 10%, with a weighted average of 4.2/10, based on 20 reviews indicating "no consensus yet".^[4] Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Director Vivi Friedman's inability to successfully reconcile the film's duality undercuts an eclectic cast gamely committed to Mark Lisson's thematically ambitious, if scattered, script."^[5] Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine also gave a negative review, writing: "Sadly, The Family Tree squanders all [the] promise for the usual trite, bluntly written, and poorly staged testaments to love and family. Who needs that when you have a cast this game? A truly troubled family isn't, at the very least, this deadly dull."^[6] Stephen Holden of The New York Times heavily criticized the film, describing it as a "hyperactive screenplay by Mark Lisson that is so lacking in substance."^[7]