40
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickMake no mistake, though: The Perfect Family is Kathleen Turner's show. And when a series of crises forces Eileen to re-examine her values and beliefs, Turner rises magnificently to the occasion.
- 65MovielineMichelle OrangeMovielineMichelle OrangeIt's still a kick to watch Kathleen Turner don a housedress and trade soothing pieties with Richard Chamberlain. The Perfect Family feels like it could have been more than that, but I suppose counting its blessings is the more Christian thing to do.
- 60VarietyRonnie ScheibVarietyRonnie ScheibWatching a consummate pro like Turner navigate an uneven script, veering from farcical determination, her cheeks puffed like those of a demented chipmunk, to utter devastation, can be immensely entertaining, particularly when she's backed by an able cast, as she is here.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThis debut feature by Anne Renton doesn't quite find the proper tone to convey its heartfelt message.
- Turner's interactions with Deschanel are so much weightier than the rest of the film that the other storylines seem extraneous.
- 40Time OutTime OutTurner seems stifled by the joyless role of a woman whose only purpose is to be taught the error of her sanctimonious ways.
- 40New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanWhile they have all the materials needed for a sharp satire, they're too timid to arrive at any real revelations.
- 40The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThe dialogue in the film, directed by Anne Renton from a screenplay by Claire V. Riley and Paula Goldberg, has the loud, mechanical clicketyclack of a 40-year-old episode of "All in the Family."
- 30Village VoiceErnest HardyVillage VoiceErnest HardyRenton's competing tones and intentions result in a film at odds with itself and its lead performance.
- 25Slant MagazineDiego SemereneSlant MagazineDiego SemereneHaving the far from goody-goody Kathleen Turner play a holier-than-thou mother bent on winning a devout church title is an inherently hilarious premise.