All Happy Families Review

The opening scene of this heartwarming American indie gives a hint as to which sort of ‘unhappy family’ is going to be the subject of this story. It starts with a close-up looking at some dying water pipes. Aspiring actor-writer Graham (Josh Radnor) is trying to work out why his basement flooded, and the plumber informs him that replacements will cost upwards of 10 grand. That’s his day on the downfall.

The house belongs to failing actor and scriptwriter Graham Landry (Josh Radnor); more accurately, it actually belongs to his successful older brother Will (Rob Huebel), the star of an outrageously awful hit TV series. It was their childhood home, bought by Will from their parents. Now, still sleeping in his childhood bedroom, only Graham lives in the house, until the whole family is under the same roof for a couple of days. Will has been accused of misconduct on the set of his show; their mum Sue (Becky Ann Baker) is groped by her boss at her retirement party, while dad Roy (John Ashton) is starting to gamble.

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When looking at the cast list, it was exciting to see Josh Radnor leading the ensemble, someone who was best known as Ted Mosby in ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ and he plays his role of Graham like he’s at ease and makes you as a watcher believe his character. The most exciting part of the story is the sibling rivalry and their parents and the family dynamic that the film brings. All Happy Families works well as a drama story about a family with some deep-down issues to sort out and ever-growing new ones to handle.

The film has many themes crammed into its short runtime that could have been cut to a few or something that works better for a small limited series. The themes all have some importance to the storyline or are good to talk about but not one stands out as the main one and All Happy Families ends up feeling a little incomplete, as if there was more of the story to tell, leaving the audience wanting or waiting for more to come.

One scene in particular is lovely when Baker as a wonderful mum Sue talks to Will’s teenage daughter (Ivy O’Brien), who has just come out as trans. In the end, the film’s message is perhaps more subtle,and quiet but truthful than you may expect. It portrays a family that is both happy and unhappy at the same time and how it is ‘normal’ to not always be happy. Which is heartwarming and a sweet way to end the film.