A Family Affair (2024 film)

A Family Affair
Release poster
Directed byRichard LaGravenese
Written byCarrie Solomon[1]
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDon Burgess[2]
Edited byMelissa Bretherton
Music bySiddhartha Khosla
Production
company
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • June 28, 2024 (2024-06-28)
Running time
114 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

A Family Affair is a 2024 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard LaGravenese and written by Carrie Solomon. The film stars Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King, Liza Koshy, and Kathy Bates. It was released by Netflix on June 28, 2024. It received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot[edit]

24-year-old Zara is tired of being underappreciated as the personal assistant to self-absorbed Hollywood star Chris Cole.

A short time after Zara quits, Chris arrives at her house to offer her an assistant producer position but only finds Brooke, her mother, as Zara runs errands. As he decides to wait for her, he and Brooke hit it off. By the time Zara returns, she unknowingly walks in on them having sex.

Zara is promised it won't happen again, but Chris invites Brooke to dinner. Before they realize it, Zara's boss is having a secret romantic relationship with her widowed mother.[4][5]

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

On June 14, 2022, Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King were revealed to be cast as the three leads.[4] On August 2, 2022, Kathy Bates and Liza Koshy were reported to join the cast.[6]

It was later disclosed that the film's original title was Motherf—er.[7][8] Joey King's character was inspired by Pamela Abdy, a friend of Richard LaGravenese who is currently co-chair and co-CEO of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group.[9]

Filming[edit]

Filming took place in Atlanta from August to October 2022.[10][11]

During the post-production phase, a reshoot was conducted two weekends in Trancas Country Market in Malibu, California after 2023 WGA strike and 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike to capture the new ending.[12][13]

Release[edit]

A Family Affair was originally scheduled to be released by Netflix on November 17, 2023.[14] However, the release of the film was postponed due to the impact of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike on the film's promotion.[15] It was ultimately rescheduled to be released on June 28, 2024.[16][17][18]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 40% of 73 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Despite Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman's welcome return to rom-com territory, A Family Affair squabbles with its own tonality too much to elevate its litany of clichés"[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 45 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[20]

Tomris Laffly of Variety criticized the film in various aspects, from the acting as "little chemistry there is to be found here between Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron", to the directing as "LaGravenese’s direction is oddly rigid and dull", to the production design as "you’ve probably seen sitcoms with more authentic interiors."[21] William Bibbiani of TheWrap mentioned that "It’s almost worth watching for Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman’s magnetism alone. If by “almost” you mean “not really.”[22] Tania Hussain of Collider noted that the film "struggles to find its footing and unique style without ever standing out like the streamer’s previous originals", it "never finds its authenticity" and it "just never feels natural."[23]

Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter praised the performance of Kidman and Efron as "... [they] share a decently sweet chemistry that’s nothing like the tawdry dynamic they flaunted in The Paperboy".[24] Pete Hammond of Deadline also noted that the highlight of the film was the chemistry between Kidman and Efron and the audiences "instantly believe the chemistry despite the 21-year age difference between the two stars."[25]

Despite noting that the film "is not as fun as the premise initially promises, and no amount of star power can fix that", Mireia Mullor of Digital Spy pointed out that "the scene-stealer of the film, though, is Kathy Bates' Leila, Brooke's mother-in-law, and Zara's grandmother" due to her warmth performance.[26] Coleman Spilde of The Daily Beast, on the one hand, criticized the script as one of the weakest points of the film since "the balance between comedy and drama is not Solomon’s strong suit, and her script bounces between the two with frustrating incompetence." On the other hand, he praised the chemistry between Kidman and Efron.[27]

Karl Quinn of The Sydney Morning Herald rated the film 2½ stars and noted that "In the end, [the film] plays like nothing so much as a better-produced and (mostly) better-acted version of the sort of rom-com the streaming production line has been pumping out in recent years. Cue the sunsets, beaches, candle-lit dinners, and endless costume changes. It’s generic, predictable, mildly enjoyable, and instantly forgettable."[28] Critic Jamie Tram of ABC News said that "[the film] inexplicably makes the prospect of dating a famous actor seem hideously dull. The strategy behind these films seems less concerned with showcasing its acting talent, and more focused on assembling a cast that can look enticing on a thumbnail. Kidman and Efron merely exist to sell the illusion of prestige."[29]

Audience viewership[edit]

Despite mixed reviews, the film debuted as the #1 Netflix original on the weekend of its release, according to the rankings from Netflix's domestic daily chart published on July 1, 2024.[30] The film garnered 26.8 million views since its launch on June 28, 2024.[31]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "A Family Affair". Writers Guild of America West. November 22, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  2. ^ Cappello, Emily (June 27, 2024). "What You Need To Know About Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron's Unlikely Romance in 'A Family Affair'". Collider. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  3. ^ "A Family Affair (12)". BBFC. June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (June 14, 2022). "Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron And Joey King To Star In New Comedy For Netflix". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Mishra, Shrishty (April 29, 2024). "Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron are Smitten in New 'A Family Affair' Images". Collider. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  6. ^ Chapman, Wilson (August 2, 2022). "Kathy Bates and Liza Koshy Join Untitled Netflix Rom-Com Starring Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and Joey King". Variety. Archived from the original on August 2, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  7. ^ Garner, Glenn (June 29, 2024). "Zac Efron Says 'A Family Affair's Original NSFW Title Put The Script "At The Top Of The Pile"". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 29, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  8. ^ Mandell, Andrea; McArdle, Tommy (June 29, 2024). "Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron Reveal NSFW Original Title of Their New Romcom: 'We Jumped at It!' (Exclusive)". People. Archived from the original on June 29, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  9. ^ Jones, Tamera; Nemiroff, Perri (June 30, 2024). "Danny DeVito's Assistant (the CEO of Warner Bros.) Inspired This Rom-Com". Collider. Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  10. ^ "#1308 07/21" (PDF). Production Weekly. July 7, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  11. ^ Ho, Rodney (October 17, 2022). "What's filming in Georgia in October, 2022?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  12. ^ Ortiz, Andi (June 28, 2024). "'A Family Affair' Director Reveals the Movie's Original Ending". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  13. ^ Ryan, Patrick (June 28, 2024). "'A Family Affair' on Netflix: Breaking down that 'beautiful' supermarket scene". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  14. ^ Remley, Hilary (January 18, 2023). "Joey King Is Caught in 'A Family Affair' in New Image from Netflix Rom-Com". Collider. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  15. ^ Marshall, Carrie (August 1, 2023). "Netflix delays the release of six movies amid the writers' and actors' strike". TechRadar. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  16. ^ Mazzeo, Esme (April 29, 2024). "Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron Rekindle Their Paperboy Spark in A Family Affair: Exclusive First Look". People. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  17. ^ Desk, Web (April 29, 2024). "Zac Efron reflects on being paired with Nicole Kidman in 'A Family Affair'". The News International. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  18. ^ Cooper, Brenna (April 30, 2024). "Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman's Netflix rom-com confirms release date". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  19. ^ "A Family Affair". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  20. ^ "A Family Affair". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  21. ^ Laffly, Tomris (June 27, 2024). "'A Family Affair' Review: Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman's Hollywood-Set Rom-Com Has No Heat". Variety. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  22. ^ Bibbiani, William (June 27, 2024). "'A Family Affair' Review: There's Nothing Funny About Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman's Funny Business". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  23. ^ Hussain, Tania (June 27, 2024). "'A Family Affair' Review: Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron Can't Heat up This Netflix Rom-Com". Collider. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  24. ^ Han, Angie (June 27, 2024). "'A Family Affair' Review: Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron in a Netflix Rom-Com That Charms Despite Missteps". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  25. ^ Hammond, Pete (June 27, 2024). "'A Family Affair' Review: Nicole Kidman & Zac Efron Find Each Other In Smart, Funny Rom-Com Where Age Is Just A Number". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  26. ^ Mullor, Mireia (June 27, 2024). "A Family Affair review: Is Nicole Kidman's Netflix rom-com worth a watch?". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  27. ^ Spilde, Coleman (June 27, 2024). "Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron Are Absurdly Sexy Together in 'A Family Affair'". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  28. ^ Quinn, Karl (July 2, 2024). "Nicole Kidman deserves more than this insipid Netflix romcom". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  29. ^ Tram, Jamie (July 3, 2024). "Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron coming together in A Family Affair sounds like a rom-com home run. But this film fails to have fun with itself". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  30. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (July 1, 2024). "Aussies Rule as Nicole Kidman's 'A Family Affair' Leads Netflix, 'Furiosa' #1 on VOD". IndieWire. Archived from the original on July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  31. ^ White, Peter (July 2, 2024). "'A Family Affair' Takes Top Film Spot On Netflix Charts As 'Supacell' Lands Solid Debut". Deadline. Archived from the original on July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.

External links[edit]

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