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Stuart Saves His Family Photos

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Movie Info

New Age therapist Stuart Smalley (Al Franken) tries to rid his family of substance abuse and co-dependency.

Rating:

PG-13
Genre:

comedy
Original Language:

English
Director:

Harold Ramis
Producer:

Lorne Michaels, Trevor Albert
Release Date (Streaming):

Jan 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA):

$718.5K
Runtime:

1h 35m
Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Broadway Pictures, Constellation
Sound Mix:

Stereo, Surround

Cast & Crew

Al Franken
Stuart Smalley

Laura San Giacomo
Julia

Vincent D'Onofrio
Donnie

Shirley Knight
Mom

Harris Yulin
Dad

Lesley Boone
Jodie

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Stuart Saves His Family

All Critics (27) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (8) | Rotten (19)

Quote not available.

September 7, 2011 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
It isn't good enough, it isn't smart enough, and, doggone it, most people won't like Stuart Saves His Family.

May 14, 2008

Joe Leydon
Variety
Even if you find Franken hard to bear, as I do, the movie's take on how he functions in the world is both authoritative and compelling, and the movie steadily grows in stature.

May 14, 2008 | Full Review…

Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
Those familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous' 12-step recovery programme may bond in sympathy. The sentimentality, however, doesn't play.

June 24, 2006 | Full Review…

Time Out
The plotting is surprisingly banal, involving even talk of a property easement and turning Stuart into the executor of a relative's estate. And the relatives' problems are taken semi-seriously, which is more than this lightweight film can handle.

May 20, 2003 | Rating: 2/5

Janet Maslin
New York Times
It was much funnier when we didn't see Stuart's family. And, if we have to see them, it would have been much funnier if they were strait-laced '50s sitcom types.

February 13, 2001 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Peter Rainer
Los Angeles Times
Wisely, "Stuart Saves His Family" attempts something tougher than the usual "SNL" movie, painting a fully fleshed-out portrait of seriocomic misery. In a subgenre littered with films worth forgetting, here is one that's good enough and smart enough.

February 26, 2015 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Nick Rogers
The Film Yap
Often funny, darker than you'd expect, and firmly grounded in Franken's extensive experience of the 12-Step worldview.

May 14, 2008 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

TV Guide
Played unsuccessfully for laughs, it is ploddingly directed. And proudly proclaimed as a Ramis film. After this he should change his name or profession.

May 14, 2008 | Rating: 0/5 | Full Review…

Film4
I prepared myself for yet another "one joke" Saturday Night Live movie here, but what I got was an enjoyable little film that actually touched upon some interesting issues...

June 24, 2006 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review…

JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Network
Quote not available.

October 9, 2005 | Rating: 2/5

Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily
Quote not available.

July 19, 2005 | Rating: 2/5

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

View All Critic Reviews (27)

Audience Reviews for Stuart Saves His Family

Nov 21, 2007

I liked the Stuart Skit on Saturday Night Live; it's a funny premise of self-help addiction. The movie wasn't too bad, but the characters got a bit annoying.

Lafe F Super Reviewer
Nov 04, 2007

I'm not a fantatic of the Stuart character. This film directed by Harold Ramis was hilarious! I enjoyed watching the entire movie.

Leo L Super Reviewer
Oct 12, 2007

Another SNL skit that sucked as a movie!

Ida K Super Reviewer
Feb 05, 2007

Wow . . . who woulda thunk it? Stuart Smalley is a memorable character from Al Franken's SNL days. I'm not sure I actually mean "memorable" in a good way here, but Smalley is not easliy forgotten. The SNL episode with Michael Jordan leaps to mind. Here's an impromptu scale for movies that deal with addiction: Ray Milland in Lost Weekend on the heavy end, Jeff Bridges in Big Lebowski on the light end. Franken manages to deal with the problem of addiction in a way that's tipped to the Milland end: very serious, almost too serious, for what would appear to be a comedy. Vincent D'Onofrio . . . may actually be the best job he's done. I'm no fan. Really, flixster friends, not a bad movie at all. Love the picture in front of the Hollywood sign.

Lanning : Super Reviewer