Cold Turkey

A horrible family holiday season movie. The characters, all of them, are scumbags, i.e. they lie they cheat they steal. Starting with Poppy the father who's is a fired retired prof from Harvard who is an alcoholic and with no good feature. He drinks he lies he cheats on his first wife. There is nothing he won't do with any ethical standard at all. I hated him as much as his family did. HIs son has lost a huge sum gambling in poker, and lies about how he lost money to Poppy directly, Everybody cheats sexually on everybody and hate each other for different reasons, and there is not even a soupçon of humor or life in this mess. I feel badly for the first film director as his piece of crap may sink his budding career. The acting was stilted stupid and lazy with no effort by any actor in the film to resemble a real human being. The perfect ending to this dreck would have been a mass family suicide to rid these people from existing. Otherwise burn the master print and any copies lying around, in a word Ugh!

The is an excellent look into what 'family' can be and so often is! Each child and parent must live behind their facade of likable pleasantness or just spill the facts and suffer the reactions.

Each actor gives a stellar performance as their character and interactions with their siblings and other family members. Poppy - Bogdanovich - is the only member the viewer can clearly understand. All the others are mysterious before tossing their 'skeletons in a closet' to Poppy.

From the beginning we can clearly see that Poppy is a broken and troubled man, but he keeps his misery to himself hiding behind his never ending glass of white wine and ice. While the others continue to present their facade, Poppy knows all.

Then at the Thanksgiving table a sister Nina spills everything and all hell springs loose. The next day everyone resolves they are all in the same boat and this rather fractured family endures.

This is a delightful flick!

Recently watched this movie and didn't really understand the plot. They all start to lose their families and relationships near the end but no follow up afterwards with no solutions. Was hoping it would be good but was unimpressed. Nina mentions how nice Deborah's guacamole was which made me think why couldn't they made that and sell them in jars around town. If others are reading this review, I believe you would all agree with me on this. I am beginning to regret watching it. In my mind I have opinions on what could've happened in movies like this. This or that could be added. It was just terrible.