Reel Review: Chosen Family Falls Flat in the Rom-Com Genre

Heather Graham has entered the world of directing in her newest rom-com Chosen Family; and while the message was bittersweet, the execution of the story falls a bit flat.

Aside from directing, Graham also stars as our lead Ann, a struggling yoga teacher whose life is quite dysfunctional in every aspect. From a drug-addicted sister to the insufferable men she finds herself dating, Ann can never catch a break. When she finally opens herself up to another date, she finds that Steve (John Brotherton) is a genuine guy, but unfortunately comes with a manipulative young daughter who stands in the way of their relationship.

Ann is a people pleaser and finds herself in this constant cycle of putting others before herself; especially when it comes to her parents, her sister Clio, and now Steve. In a similar way, Steve is a doormat dad who never tells his kid no, which in turn creates a spoiled brat. When the two characters who are both easily walked-on meet, the fate of their relationship becomes even more of a hard watch.

While the film length is brief with an hour and 20 minutes, the plot itself proved to be slow and quite repetitive. In a tiring loop, Ann was constantly rescuing her sister, fighting with her overbearing parents, and then trying to make things work with Steve and his bratty daughter. Each actor did a good job at telling the story, though it was Julia Stiles performance that had the biggest impact.

Playing Ann’s troublemaker sister Clio, Julia Stiles perfectly portrays a struggling addict and what it feels like to be the black sheep of the family. This family’s dynamic is nothing short of dysfunctional, but Stiles keeps the act up and showcases some great scenes between herself and Graham’s character. Together, the two play an almost believable sister duo.

In a cliche turn of events, Ann ultimately learns that family is not always blood and that she is able to take control of her own life. After finally saying no to her family and closing the book on her and Steve’s relationship, she finds that her family is who she chooses. Leaning on her three friends that have supported her the whole time, the film has a beautiful turnaround in the end as Ann appears finally free and happy with her life. 

The themes of found family and portraying a realistic family dynamic had so much potential in this film, yet so much time was wasted on unnecessary comedy that did not land and side-stories that were not followed through with. Overall, while Chosen Family didn’t stand out in the rom-com genre for us, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an audience out there that won’t enjoy it! 

Chosen Family is available for digital download starting April 21st.