It’s only after a certain juncture in Chosen Family that it becomes obvious that Heather Graham’s only notable accomplishment is to have made a film which does not feature any human being who is plausible. As an actress, she has a pretty expansive a comedienne, and even as a dramatist, when called upon to do so. But what exactly did take place here, then, is a riddle, even if towards the end of this movie that is full of paradoxes, it is not exactly one that needs to be resolved. Graham, as the screenwriter of this farce, does not depict a single plausible scenario from the plot, and as its director, she obviously does not know what to do with the discordant tone that follows.
Ann, who is constantly tormented by her family and the devoid love relationships, is a yoga instructor in the film Ann Graham tries a lot to make this character work. It is weird that she wishes for such desolate men and pushes away those who could help her. This concept that Graham plays a professional yoga instructor yet is still unlucky in love does not sit well with most of the audience. Even self assured Graham has some doubts about her initial setup: the way she portrays her character leaves little room for subtlety, as if she knows how ridiculous her character is and is attempting to prove a point.
Alfred (Michael Gross), her father, is a religious fanatic, always preoccupied with his daughter’s soul, and the balance that can be achieved by confessing her sins. Mother Dorothy (Julie Halston), an ex pro singer, who is getting back to her roots by planning to record a random album, was disheartened by marriage and children’s burdens. Her sister called Clio (Julia Stiles) is seen in the first scene of the movie as a drug patient, having been only recently released from a rehab center, and now faced with mere contempt, hope and enthusiasm from the people who should assist her in starting a new life. For some reason, all these people are depicted as broad comic stereotypes even if the real sense of the term should evoke laughing only to the least funny things the horrible music video that Dorothy Shuman directs is expected to be humorous, and in a sarcastic way, by those laugher who consider it art.
Steve, played by actor John Brotherton, gives a rather lukewarm display, which seems expected considering the disarray he finds himself in. But I guess it is better than not being very articulate at all. However, his character is indeed searching for a new lease of life beyond his strained marriage. Steve currently has a wife but the two are not living together. Unfortunately for him, they have a daughter. Lilly, as depicted by actress Ella Grace Helton, appears to have all the makings of pure evil. This continues to not be about a standard ‘movie child’. She makes fun of people, curses at them and even challenges their mothers on dance offs in which little girls are trying to act sexy. Its hard to believe that she was not the star of CB2, the second in the Constant Babe series.
Let’s be clear, there is no feel good factor about this film, but there could have been a time for Graham to sit down somewhere in the movie where a three ‘friend’ troupe (Thomas Lennon, Odessa Rae and Andrea Savage) of Ann appears more understanding and sympathetic. That, however, posits a film where this one’s point isn’t the reason for making this film, which is that Ann is the one person who has put up this massive yoga seminar that ends up getting spoiled with a lot of pointless drama, family revelations, emotional ‘tension’ of Ann trying to come to terms with herself to decide what her relationship with Steve is. That point is not only a lot of deviously sentimental rubbish glancing at our watering cans like some sadistic game. Chosen Family, in the process of managing to be romantic and comical also turn out nasty, bitter and irritatingly detestable.
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