When they are children, petty squabbles among siblings are commonplace, and it’s often up to parents to mediate. As they grow older and become adults, the dynamics between siblings change but unresolved disagreements and resentments can still exist, and they can’t always rely on their parents to keep the peace as they once did. Ongoing conflict isa prevalent theme in family drama films, particularly sibling comedy-drama films where it can be a source of both tension and humor. Eventually, this comes to a head, and it takes some recognition of shortcomings and a realization of an underlying unconditional love, mutual respect, and the importance of familial bonds to work things out.
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Although it may not be as easy or quick as a ninety-minute movie to settle sibling discord in real life, these feel-good sibling comedy-dramas are worth watching together, if not to break the ice and take the first step towards starting a difficult dialogue, then simply to share a hearty laugh.
‘The Family Stone’ (2005)
In this classic festive comedy-drama fromThomas Bezucha(most recently ofLet Him Go), Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) decides to introduce his uptight and conservative new girlfriend, Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker), tohis liberal and free-spirited familyback home in Connecticut for Christmas. Meredith struggles to fit in and every attempt to relate to the Stones turns into a complete and utter failure and increasing hostility. Misunderstandings between sisters, Meredith, and Julie (Claire Danes), who has come to break the tension, and between brothers, Everett, and Ben (Luke Wilson), result in a showdown of shouting, food fights, and wrestling on the kitchen floor.
Everett and Ben fight over Ben’s growing fondness for Meredith, even though Everett himself has taken a liking to Julie. They fight because Everett is unwilling to admit he and Meredith are not a match made in heaven and that she was more of a last-ditch attempt to find himself a partner that his mother and matriarch of the family, Sybil (Diane Keaton), would approve and be reassured of before she gets any sicker (as she has advanced breast cancer). The underlying love the family has for one another, particularly the Stone siblings, is quite touching, especially in the face of great loss. Despite their juvenile antics throughout the film, their strong bond is evident in its conclusion.
‘The Savages’ (2007)
The late greatPhilip Seymour Hoffmanstars as Jon Savage, alongsideLaura Linneyas his sister, Wendy Savage, in seasoned family drama screenwriter/director,Tamara Jenkin’s (Private Life,Slums of Beverly Hills) Oscar-nominated film,The Savages. Touching on a subject familiar to adult children of ailing parents, estranged siblings Jon and Wendy must decide whether they should place their also estranged father, Lenny (PhilipBosco), in an aged-care home when his long-term girlfriend passes away and it is apparent that he has advancing dementia.
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Jon and Wendy share a love of writing but also the scars of their father’s abuse from when they were children. Facing each other after a long period of absence proves difficult in that they are both facing their past pain again after trying to leave it behind. The cause of that pain is someone they still feel a duty of care to, even though he continues to cause them both grief. The crazy antics of their father and the absurdity of their sudden reality bring the laughs. As they work together to rehouse him, the siblings come to understand each other and find mutual respect and healing of a fractured relationship that was never through any fault of their own.
‘Our Idiot Brother’ (2011)
Jesse Peretz(The Shrink Next Door,GLOW), directs this comedy-drama starringPaul Ruddas the titular brother, Ned, inOur Idiot Brother. When happy-go-lucky Ned, an organic vegetable farmer, is caught out by the police selling weed and goes to jail, he ends up crashing the homes of his three sisters, Liz (Emily Mortimer), Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), and Natalie (Zooey Deschanel).
Ned’s zany behavior, which is so divergent from his much more conventional sisters, is the main source of humor in the film and cause of conflict between the siblings. However, his openness and honesty reveal the cracks in his sisters’ romantic relationships which would have otherwise been ignored, and they come to realize and appreciate that he simply wants them to be happy and true to themselves.
‘Your Sister’s Sister’ (2011)
From acclaimed and universally adored writer and director,Lynn Shelton(Little Fires Everywhere), who sadly passed away in 2020, comes the indie darling,Your Sister’s Sister. When Iris (Emily Blunt) invites her long-time friend/potential love interest, Jack (Mark Duplass), to her family cottage to be alone, after his brother dies, Jack is surprised to find Iris’s sister, Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), there drowning her own sorrows after a relationship breakdown. Things get complicated when Iris shows up the next morning.
The awkwardness between the three brings about some just as awkward chuckles. Again, the film’s plot is another case of denying true feelings, and spontaneous, ill-thought actions and misunderstandings getting in the way of harmonious relationships between siblings. Once the hurt is hashed out and the truth is revealed, however, Iris and Hannah come to understand that neither holds malice towards the other and that they both wish for each other’s happiness.
‘Adult Beginners’ (2014)
Comedian,Nick Kroll(Big Mouth), stars as Jake in this funny and heartfelt movie about a tech entrepreneur who must reconnect and move in with his estranged and pregnant sister, Justine (Rose Byrne), her husband, Danny (Bobby Cannavale), and young nephew, Teddy (Matthew PaddockandCaleb Paddock), after his business goes belly up on the eve of its launch and he loses everything. Jake becomes his nephew’s “manny” (male nanny) and starts to appreciate all he has been missing out on in life.
Jake’s new lifestyle leads to many humorous encounters and situations. It’s clear his and Justine’s relationship had become rocky because of Jake’s sole focus on his financial success, but it’s also glaringly obvious that Justine is ignoring the issues within her marriage and not recognizing her self-worth. When the two come together again, they both come to realize where things have become deficient in their lives and just how much they care about and come to depend on each other.
‘The Skeleton Twins’ (2014)
SNLalumsBill HaderandKristen Wiigstar in this moving portrayal of two estranged, but once close, siblings who are both dealing with trauma and decide to end their lives, unsuccessfully. When Maggie (Wiig) is told of her brother, Milo’s (Hader), suicide attempt, she stops her own and rushes to the hospital to be by his side. Again, a down-on-his-luck brother moves in with his sister and her husband, Lance (Luke Wilson), but both must face some hard truths together.
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Despite their underlying trauma, both share a lasting affinity and many joyful moments that not only ease their pain but also help them heal and deal with what they’ve lost. It’s been said before, but it’s worth repeating: Hader and Wiig command some eloquent performances, adept at handling both comedy and drama. Siblings will surely relate to the varying facets of their relationship that highlight how the bond between brothers and sisters is not always perfect but always worth the fight.
‘This Is Where I Leave You’ (2014)
You might have missed this quiet gem from director,Shawn Levy(Stranger Things,The Adam Project), when it was released, but it deserves a viewing. When their father dies, estranged siblings, Judd (Jason Bateman), Wendy (Tina Fey), Paul (Corey Stoll), and Phillip (Adam Driver) are reunited to sit Shiva at their childhood home and face deep-rooted resentments.
Driver is excellent at bringing unexpected comic relief to an otherwise difficult and serious time in the life of the Altman siblings. The end of their estrangement and forced coming together eventually bring catharsis from their shared and troubled past and a newfound love and respect for one another.
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