User reviews

I'm surprised at such a low score for this movie! First, please know that I was born, baptized, and raised Catholic. I've since moved to another religion, but not for any "Catholic hate" reasons at all. So I have a STRONG knowledge of Catholicism. It seems MOST of the negative reviews claim it's "Christian/Catholic bashing"... I would wonder how many of those folks actually WATCHED it or just wrote a review based on a presupposed notion. There is NO Christian bashing at all IMO. Just portraying people such as I've known all my life the way they are, and the portrayal isn't bad in any way, as far as I'm concerned.

Overall it's very balanced - yeah there's a few potshots at Catholics ("I don't have to think... I'm Catholic") but overall, the portrayal is VERY accurate to my Catholic upbringing and those in the faith I know today. Sure, hardly ANY nuns still wear the habit - but it's just little things. By and large the portrayal I thought was fair on ALL SIDES, not only for the Catholics but all the other characters.

I'll be honest and say I FULLY EXPECTED a "Christians are stupid knuckle dragging Neanderthals" flick - I expected to shut it off half way through. Instead, I watched the whole thing and rather enjoyed it.

The movie itself actually plays quite well - Kathleen Turner takes a bit of getting used to because of her very deep, manly voice... but overall, it has a nicely done "indie" feel to it in every way.

No, it's NOT an award contender in any way - some of the acting is rather stiff and forced, the plot is predictable, and there are quite a few clichés and stereotypes. But it's VERY watchable, totally held my attention, was touching in places, and ENJOYABLE to watch right up to the end for me.

Give it a shot - don't let the negative reviews implying it's a "Christian bashing" flick deter you.

"I don't have to think, I'm catholic." Eileen Cleary (Turner) has finally been nominated for Catholic Woman Of The Year and wants to win it badly. She will stop at nothing to win which includes trying to cover up her families choices. She then becomes conflicted as to winning or being a supportive mother. I have to start by saying that after the first half hour I was almost ready to turn this off. I'm not saying that it wasn't good but just really slow and seemed to lack emotion. The more I watched the better it got though and I really liked the ending. For a movie like this the ending was perfect. My biggest problem with this movie is that it seemed to lack real emotion and all the performances seemed flat and phoned in. I'm not sure what it was but I just felt like it was missing something to make me feel for the characters. Overall, a movie with a perfect ending that is worth watching but was lacking any real emotion from the actors. I give it a B-.

As a fallen-down Catholic with reservations about the Church, I wasn't prepared for an even-tempered story about a devout mother, Eileen (Kathleen Turner) facing a family at odds with some basic Church doctrines. While I still stay away, I found The Perfect Family wise about the devotion of true believers and wary of extremists.

Eileen has been nominated for Catholic Woman of the Year (disclosure: one of my former wives was elected Vermont Catholic Mother of the Year—a true irony). In order to impress the archbishop, she must show an exemplary family. Not easy, as she discovers a son about to divorce and a daughter marrying a woman and having a child. Modern as these situations are, they are not acceptable to the teachings of the church about the sanctity of marriage and children born of that union. The film gently but assuredly moves Eileen's life along just as you might expect it to go with any contemporary Catholic family facing decisions.

Although the denouement is too pat, it doesn't deviate too much from what might really happen, and with a little surprise accompanying it all. Kathleen Turner provides the right amount of hyper-ventilation when faced with the truth of her children's situations and her formerly alcoholic husband. Richard Chamberlain as Monsignor Murphy shows director Anne Renton's sense of humor using an actor who played a randy prelate in The Thorn Birds. In Catholic town, nothing is as it seems except for my very real indoctrination by the Sisters of Saint Joseph.

Eileen Cleary (Kathleen Turner) is desperate to be the best Catholic in the neighborhood. So it's great news when she's nominated for Catholic Woman of the year. Except her family is a mess of inappropriateness and she needs to be better than all the rest for the award. Her lesbian daughter Shannon (Emily Deschanel) is pregnant. Her son Frank Cleary Jr. (Jason Ritter) left his wife and kids for the beautician next door. Her husband Frank Cleary (Michael McGrady) can't stand her.

This is not anti-Catholic in my opinion. It is much more anti-competition to see who's the best Catholic. It's the competition that's ugly. The central theme is acceptance. After all, she wins the award even when all is revealed. Kathleen Turner's character is too harsh and unlikeable. It's hard to watch sometimes. However, it was nice to watch her character grow.

Kathleen Turner was great as a neurotic and psychopathic mom in Serial Mother. When I watched the trailer of The Perfect Mother, I laughed, and so I expected to find in it the same folly as in John Waters' comedy. Eileen Cleary is a mother and a devout catholic. She happens to be nominated against her best enemy for the award of the catholic woman of the year. If she wins, she will receive the greatest prize : the absolution of her sins. To be elected, she needs to be assiduous at church and in her charity works, but she also needs to have a perfect family. The trouble is, her husband is a former alcoholic, her son has just left his wife and kids for the manicurist next door, and her daughter is gay, and pregnant. The accumulation of clichés as obstacles can be funny in a comedy, but not here. The film – except for some good lines and Turner's acting – is pretty boring. I didn't laugh, I barely smiled. It takes ages to actually start, and when it does, it doesn't go very far. Eileen is in a quandary : she has to choose between her family and her faith. What will she do ? I mean come on, this is a comedy, we all know how it is going to end. The problem is not the end really. The problem is that the scenes that are supposed to illustrate Eileen's conflict with her family, and her own dilemma, are not funny, but they are not sad either, or deep. The film remains on the surface so as not to shock anyone. It remains politically correct, full of good intentions, so of course, it fails as a comedy, and it also fails as a drama. Don't waste your time watching more than the trailer.

Read my other reviews on http://filmcritiks.wordpress.com/

This movie fell prey to several misconceptions. First.., The Perfect Family was unfortunately categorized (somewhere) as a Comedy. That was a bit of a mistake..; and subsequently.. certain reviewers were disappointed and miffed.., having brought to the film certain expectations, which only got in the way. Once chagrined however, some of these hard-nose reviewers seemed to take pleasure in accusing the film of Catholic bashing. I am not Catholic myself; and I never noticed ANYWHERE that it was supposed to be funny. On the other hand, I do admit to holding a certain amount of anti-Catholic sentiment, and would likely have noticed any significant amount of bashing.., which I did NOT. Ergo, I simply watched the movie.. more-or-less tabula rasa.. and enjoyed it, while having my belief confirmed.. that a wife and children are inevitably more trouble than they're worth.

What I noticed most.. was the irony -- that the hard-line generally taken by mom Cleary.. was reproduced by some of the more negative reviewers.., who seemed quite offended that the movie was not virtually a true-to-life documentary.., especially because of the liberal spin that was given to the alleged family values and Catholic doctrines depicted, while trying to present them nonetheless as if they were still conservative. And, admittedly.. this would be irksome.

Next.., these kind of movie viewers might have a hard time with movies in general.. if they CAN'T accept that Art is NOT obliged to represent reality with total accuracy. So, rather than dissect the plot, or compliment Turner on her acting, or assess the various details of production.. since everyone else has already done so .., I want to remind everyone that when you watch a Hollywood movie, you will be getting a heavy dose of indoctrination or propaganda, mostly designed to further the globalist/liberal/satanistic agenda.., such as has gotten us where we are - here, awaiting our modern-day boxcars.. all, like sheep, wearing ineffective masks for a pandemic which is a total fiction anyway.

The real, un-cinematic Truth here is that most religions will fail us.., since they are fashioned and dominated by corrupt individuals who seek power, money, and self importance. And, all modern Organized Religion is rife with corruption at the top.., while neared the bottom, you can find true, sincere, humble believers, bought with the blood of Jesus Christ.. and many Catholics, who try to serve their church, their family, and their community.. far better than a lot of fundamentalist Protestants I know. (I hereby proclaim next week to be.. Take A Catholic To Lunch Week.., though I would avoid Friday.)

Forgive the aside.., but FOR the one person who might ever read this, and who is a born-again Catholic.., you have a truly great spokesman for Truth in the YouTube channel "Church Militant".. presenting episodes of "The Vortex", a Catholic news show.. which is doing a good job of truthing, while trying not to deeply offend those Catholics who misguidedly think "Mother Teresa" was one of the good guys.., or are oblivious to the pagan roots of Catholicism.. or the fact that the Pope's Audience Hall is deliberately shaped to resemble a snake's head, thereby revealing the Pope's true Luciferian allegiance. (Hear me now, and believe me later.)

All in all.., The Perfect family was moderately enjoyable, with the possible exception of Emily Deschanel, who is the quintessential One Trick Pony. cheers!!😇

One of the worst, most intellectually dishonest and ignorant movies I've ever wasted time on. The "characters" are caricatures, the plot relies on clichés from beginning to end, the ignorance about the Catholic Church borders on bigotry, the ending is so contrived, yet so predictable, and the talents of some very good actors are wasted in this miserable "comedy".

"Enlightened" religion apparently condones adultery, abortion and homosexual relationships. A "Catholic" priest presides at a gay wedding, the Archbishop of Dublin travels to California to present the Catholic mother of the year award and give the winner "absolution" forever - ah come on. What makes this movie especially reprehensible is the portrayal of the mother as morally obtuse, rigid and hypocritical because she herself had an abortion and can't deal with her own guilt. I have known many parents concerned about their children who do not deal with them the way this "Catholic" mother does. But the movie is not concerned with real people: it's interested in a message communicated in stereotypes.

It could have been so much better, had it been much more true-to-life and honest. It's propaganda masquerading as "entertainment".

My wife was watching this today and I thought I will also watch it for a while. Within minutes I was horrified by the stereotypes displayed in perfect ignorance by atheist central a.k.a Hollywood. Catholic/Christian women are barefoot and pregnant in kitchen, slaves of the church and the husband, intolerant, ugly and also pretty much illiterate. On the other hand Lesbian women are pretty, intelligent, sophisticated, educated, eco-conscious, doing high power jobs and of course victimized...boohoo. Way to tow the party line. Icing on the cake is when Kathleen Turner blurts out "I don't have to think I am Catholic". Horrible politically motivated piece of filth.

What's more this movie totally made me lose respect for Emily D who was once one of my favorite actresses.

I gave this 1 star because I can't give a zero. I recommend all Christians to boycott this and also if possible lodge a complaint with the LMN channel.

The movie world hasn't gotten bad enough I guess. I have barely seen a good movie for a long time come out of Hollywood. This one is, to me, just awful and thrown together, not as a story, but a few scenes to push someone's obvious disdain across about something they passionately hate. In this case, this is a person with a tremendous hatred for the Catholic Church....It is one of the worst films to come along in ages. And, by the way, incorrect in every way. The film contains all the usual anti-Catholic prejudice, invented and targeted humor, it touches purposely on all of the areas of concern in society such as premarital sex and homosexuality, abortion theme and some bad language. Just anything an anti-Catholic, anti-intellectual movie company could possibly gather together to make a film...It doesn't fool me though, it didn't change my feeling at all about my church....Shame on this.

It would be nice for Hollywood to recognize that a lot of good Catholics actually go to the movies. It would be nice to have good movies like the Song of Bernadette or The Bells of St. Mary's. But instead we get this insulting, anti-Catholic movie that attacks all aspect of the Church and its mission. Kathleen Turner deserves an "F" for her performance as the ultra-Catholic Mom. Catholic mothers don't kick the Body of Christ under the rug because has fallen from the paten. It is a very pathetic attempt to spread the Catholic haters venom onto the silver screen. When are you going to learn that few people like going to movies that insult any religion? This piece of garbage needs to be taken to Turner's home and thrown in the trash. She use to be a wonderful actress; now she has stooped so low it is pathetic. Anyone associated with this vile piece of movie making should be blacklisted and punished.

I don't see how this film is even called a comedy. The acting is not very convincing at all and the entire premise of the story is old and tired.

Do we really need more movies making religious people look stupid? This movie is essentially a slam on Catholics and not even a good criticism of the faithful. I am not a church-goer and I found this film to be downright offensive. In addition it is a completely immature view of the subject of religious intolerance and "behind closed doors" lives of so'called religious people.

Kathleen Turners voice is unfortunately not very pleasant and downright hoarse. This made the film very hard to listen to...I'm not saying that to be cruel, her voice is just raspy and manlike and hard to take.

The move moves extremely slow and is just boring really. One of the worst movies I have rented in a while.

Despite the reviews that say it's an anti-Catholic movie, it's not. It's a movie about a family, and the mother happens to be Catholic and struggling between her reality and the reality of the church to which she belongs....which happens to be Catholic.

Just sit back and watch the movie - it's got some nice, thought-provoking dialog and if you have to tear a movie down because it makes you ask questions....then maybe you should focus on your own life and stop watching movies!

Mister Ritter is also a treat to watch, so much like his father, who would be proud to see what a nice actor his son has become.

One of the most hate filled anti Catholic movies I have ever seen why!!!!!!! If the offensive stereotype were replaced by an ethnicity, there would be a civil war. "UGLY" best sums it up.

I would love to know who funds these movies? I would love to warn them that people like me who have no concern about whom people are intimate with, are starting to have a problem with this hate filled agendas of people that produce movies like this. Large groups of people, groups, and organizations are banding together in an effort to fight homosexual legislation. For the most part they aren't Catholics, but that is quickly changing thanks to crap like this.

This movie as a whole was worthless and the meaning could be derived from any generic Hallmark card. There is absolutely no conflict resolution, only illogical acceptance. Every possible Catholic stereotype can be seen presented slyly through each scene. At first I couldn't tell which direction the movie would take, by at the abrupt ending that punched me in the face I was left very unsatisfied.

This movie sticks out like a rancid sore thumb among the rest of the Lifetime movies. After looking it up here, we find that it was originally a real movie released to theaters, and made a whopping fourteen thousand. The star of the great movie Serial Mom Kathleen Turner is a fine Catholic woman up for an award that has a prize of lifetime absolution. What a bunch of hateful stereotypical hooey. Absolution is given just for the asking. How such hate at a group of people is allowed in this day and age is mystifying. And the priest from the Thorn Birds again as a priest here? Really?

I disagree with some of the reviewers here. This movie is true to the point for very devout Catholics. I grew up Catholic and saw a lot of prejuidice towards people because of the faith. The practices and beliefs of the Catholic church have hurt many people and this movie points to those. It also is a movie about growth. Not just in everyday relationships, but with yourself, and how one must balance real life and religion. This movie isn't to put down or make fun of Catholicism, rather those that are obsessed with how they are taken by their community. One can have faith (any faith) and still love and accept everyone, this movie teach this.

As a person raised in a strict Catholic community it warmed my heart to see this movie. I wish it was shown at every Catholic church in the world because the acceptance and forgiveness in this movie is more in keeping with the teachings of Christ than the hate that is spewed by the sheep in his name. How anyone could think this is anti-catholic when it is all about what it means to be a real follower of Jesus and about God's love for all his creations. The only unbelievable thing was that the mother would be able to forgive herself and accept her children when the reality is many Catholics will reject and harm their children rather than question their self-serving dogma.