F is for Family

As I mentioned briefly not long ago, my recent review of The Birds got me involved in a conversation with some friends, about "giving up" on a movie or book before the end. I've always had a hard time doing it. Once started, I kind of have to finish it. But I was telling my friends that I wish it was something I could do more easily.

I can now report that I wasn't just talk. I recently gave up on the movie My Family (or Mi Familia) after 50 long minutes. I didn't start watching it for a particularly good reason. While in a discussion with a friend and co-worker about the Galactica spin-off Caprica, he mentioned that he had this decent movie on DVD that was an odd curiosity in that it had both Esai Morales and Edward James Olmos in it. There, they were brothers, where the Galactica universe had ultimately set up one as the father of the other.

I've got to start being more discrimating. It turns out that My Family is an attempt at a generational epic. Narrated by Edward James Olmos (who occasionally appears on screen), we follow the story of his family over sixty years, from when his father first came to the U.S. from Mexico. And the film failed to grab me on any level.

This really is just "the story of my family." There's nothing of particular note to merit why this particular story is being told, as opposed to any other immigrant family in America who I'm sure might have a family history just as interesting. To them. There are a few hardships, challenges, and losses that might serve as grist for the drama mill here, but before any of them gain any traction, the story just moves on. There's no continuing plot of any kind; the movie just hops from sub-story to sub-story every 20 minutes or so.

Though I abandoned the film before all the cast had even put in an appearance (including first-billed star Jimmy Smits), I hadn't come across any good acting among those I'd seen. In fact, Edward James Olmos was pretty terrible in his narration. He recounts the tale in the condescending sing-song of a grandparent reading a storybook to a young child. Authentic, perhaps. But most people's grandparents haven't won an Emmy or been nominated for an Oscar. I expect better here. Deliberately awkward is a stylistic choice, I suppose, but not one I'm interested in watching.

There's nothing to see here. I don't know if it's fair to rate a movie I didn't finish, but I think the fact I didn't want to says it all. If I can rate it, it gets an F.