Stuart Saves His Family

Play trailer

Stuart Saves His Family

PG-13

Released Apr 12, 1995

1h 35m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

30%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

53%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

New Age therapist Stuart Smalley (Al Franken) tries to rid his family of substance abuse and co-dependency.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C+

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Joe Leydon

Variety

It isn't good enough, it isn't smart enough, and, doggone it, most people won't like Stuart Saves His Family.

May 14, 2008

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Even if you find Franken hard to bear, as I do, the movie's take on how he functions in the world is both authoritative and compelling, and the movie steadily grows in stature.

May 14, 2008

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Wisely, "Stuart Saves His Family" attempts something tougher than the usual "SNL" movie, painting a fully fleshed-out portrait of seriocomic misery. In a subgenre littered with films worth forgetting, here is one that's good enough and smart enough.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 26, 2015

Full Review

TV Guide

Often funny, darker than you'd expect, and firmly grounded in Franken's extensive experience of the 12-Step worldview.

Rated: 3/4

May 14, 2008

Full Review

Film4

Played unsuccessfully for laughs, it is ploddingly directed. And proudly proclaimed as a Ramis film. After this he should change his name or profession.

Rated: 0/5

May 14, 2008

Full Review

Read all reviews

Diane S

I loved this movie! It’s especially a great movie for 12 step program aficionados. I’ve seen it several times and I laugh every time I see it. Siskel and Ebert got it right as they both gave it a thumbs up. Don’t miss this movie!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/06/24

Full Review

Burt S

It's a great comedy, Franken's a brilliant comic writer and performer and was an even better Senator. Like a number of reviewers here who loved the movie, it's hard to understand why so many others hated it. Sure it's unusual; that's what makes the really good movies really good! There's nothing else like it. Stuart to his sister who has an eating disorder, but is panicking about something and feeling desperate: "Listen -- can you get to a pound cake?" I mean...who else writes like that??

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie is one of my favorite movies and I watch it every holiday season. Funny, incredibly clever, and it makes me feel good and focus on the good things in my life. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Sweet, poignant, funny. Without being vapid or cruel. I thought it did a great job with "balance", as this could easily go too far in one or another direction. It also did a good job with the backstory, which didn't make anything clunky or too trite, even with textbook issues. I loved how he acknowledges his stuff without taking himself too seriously. Maybe you need to really like satire to appreciate it? (Which I do). Many hilarious moments for me, and it's sort of like a little dose of sunshine. One of those movies that would be good to have on the shelf to pull out on occasion.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I was taken aback by this film. It isn't so much a comedy as it is a comedy-drama where Al Franken's titular character is a doggone likeable son of a gun in an endearing plot that deals with the struggles of dysfunctional families.  I commend this film's ambitions to be both light and heavy with a happy heart.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Well written, directed and acted. Truly an under rated flick. Funny with a lot of heart.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Harold Ramis

Director

Al Franken

Stuart Smalley

Laura San Giacomo

Julia

Vincent D'Onofrio

Donnie

Shirley Knight

Mom

Harris Yulin

Dad

The Brady Bunch Movie

64%

47%

The Brady Bunch Movie

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Brady Bunch Movie

Black Sheep

30%

70%

Black Sheep

Watchlist

Ladybugs

14%

43%

Ladybugs

Watchlist

Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult

58%

53%

Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult

A Night at the Roxbury

11%

69%

A Night at the Roxbury

Watchlist

TRAILER

for A Night at the Roxbury

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

New Age therapist Stuart Smalley (Al Franken) tries to rid his family of substance abuse and co-dependency.

Director: Harold Ramis
Producer: Lorne Michaels, Trevor Albert
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Broadway Pictures, Constellation
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 12, 1995, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $718.5K
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Stereo, Surround

Most Popular at Home Now