The basic set up will remind you of Uncle Buck, but thankfully the film has more going for it than just that. The acting all around is great. Taylor Schilling does a really good job playing this type of character and was fun seeing other familiar faces pop up in bit roles here and there as well such as Brian Tyree Henry (playing a martial arts instructor which is a interesting turn for him), Kate McKinnon, Allison Tolman, and Natasha Lyonne. The juggalos were mostly portrayed fairly accurately and it was fun seeing the Insane Clown Posse themselves show up towards the end though I wish their scene had been longer or that they played a slightly bigger role I guess (but also understand the main story wasn't really about them). All in all don't overlook this one. Sure the title Family is a little generic for a film but that's really my only negative. The comedy lands really well and is actually fresh and hilarious rather than material that felt recycled. Dialogue especially was a standout.

While it was refreshing to see a film produced by women and the focal point of the narrative the relationship of an aunt and her niece, "Family" failed to make a point about women or even portray the female characters with much dignity.

The focus of the action comes when the workaholic Kate Stone is asked by her brother to step in and care for her niece while the parents attend to a family emergency. This sets the stage for the potential bonding of Auntie Kate with little Maddie.

Unfortunately, the bonding took place in a haphazard and unbelievable way. The turning point was when Kate insisted on Maddie attending a school dance when she knew that child was terrified of the abuse she would receive on the dance floor. At that point in the film, the aunt-niece relationship was shattered beyond repair.

It seemed as though the female filmmakers were interested in formulating a social message about the harmful effects of "fat shaming."' Little Maddie was obese, as well as two of the co-workers of Kate. But the film never took a stand or offered any insights into the fat-shaming theme. It was especially troubling that Maddie was experiencing bullying from the students, yet the school authorities were not responding. Instead, Maddie gets suspended for fighting back!

The good potential for a genuine relationship between Auntie Kate and sweet little Maddie was missed. The grand finale in the "gathering of the juggalos" turned the film into a train wreck. What was the child doing cavorting with a group of knife-wielding weirdoes?

There may have been a breath or two of fresh air provided in the neighborly high jinks of Kate McKinnon's character or the and bravado of the character "Baby Joker." But, overall, "Family" never achieved a coherent comic style, and it completely failed in to deliver any social message other than to offer a sad portrait of family dysfunction in America.