It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

This didn't seem like a movie that bashed on Christians. But how sometimes people can fall for protecting their own reputations, their own pride and ego, and to prove their worth to people. Instead of genuinely moving because of love and affection for each other through Christ. C'mon nobody likes to be hovered over by someone else, especially by people they hardly know. And be judged upon constantly, even with smug and arrogant stares. This movie just seemed to show how it can cause Christians downfall if they have the wrong motives in mind and not Christ-centered. The plot is basically about a Catholic woman that is overly obsessed with her Christian reputation and winning the Catholic woman award at her church. But also having to deal with a lesbian daughter and a son that left his wife that he didn't love for someone else. This is a relatable movie since I met certain Christians that are portrayed in this movie. Especially people that fall for the logo over the symbol that should be stood up for with genuine heart and right motives without judgmental eyes. But overall it just quickly became dull and boring. Sure sometimes a rehash of real life in movie form can be entertaining but just not so much in this case. There just wasn't much emotion or attention grabbing aspect about this movie.4.5/10

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.

Beginners Anne Renton, director, and Paula Goldberg and Claire V. Riley, writers, had a good idea when framing this story about a mother's bigotry hidden under the cloak of Catholicism, and the film could have been extremely pertinent in today's milieu of the President's sanctioning of same sex marriage. The problem is the script is so weak and pasted together that it gives very little weight to the actors to bring off the message that could have been important. Yes, some viewers may rile that the film is anti-Catholic but it is not - it is just anti-prejudice.Eileen Cleary (Kathleen Turner, crippled by a weak script until the very end of the film), a woman who devotes 98 % of her life to tending to her church duties and caring for the elderly who are house bound and other good Christian deeds, has been nominated as Catholic Woman of the year: the other nominee is Agnes Dunn (Sharon Lawrence), an almost equal do- gooder - both nominated by Monsignor Murphy (Richard Chamberlain). Eileen's family must be approved for the award and that is when the balloon of Eileen's glee seems to pop: her husband Frank (Michael McGrady) is an alcoholic who has been sober 15 years and must attend AA meetings; her son Frank, Jr (Jason Ritter) has left his wife and family for a manicurist whom he loves; and her daughter Shannon (Emily Deschanel, a successful 30- something lawyer and 5 months pregnant, is about to marry her girlfriend Angela (Angelique Cabral) in a same sex wedding to be performed by Father Joe (Scott Michael Campbell). Eileen is disturbed that Anglea's parents (Elizabeth Peña and Gregory Zaragoza) approve and will host the wedding. Desperate to win the award, Eileen is conflicted between shame over her family and still desiring to do the right thing by them. Unable to accept any of their choices her family begins to splinter, with even her husband threatening to leave. How it all turns the corner is when Eileen finally reveals a secret of her own she has always had to hide for fear of being judged a bad Catholic. The ending is the best part of the film as it finally shows Eileen to be a more complete human being and things seem to fall in line.The cast tries hard to make this all work and succeed as far as the script will allow. Katheen Turner, looking cosmetically and adipose altered, struggles with her role, but by film's end she seems to succeed in conveying the message of the film. Grady Harp, May 12

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.