Don’t let this somewhat chipper collection of hugs and gentle ribbing mislead you: this is going to be the feel-bad story of the holiday season. On the other hand, it’s likely that no matter how awful your family is, they aren’t anywhere near as bad as this band of miserable people.
Oh, and don’t be misled by my snarking: this is a great film with amazing and sometimes surprising performances by everyone involved.
Having had the great privilege of seeing this play on stage, I do hope the film pulls none of its punches. Unlike your typical Hollywood story about a charmingly dysfunctional family, this one is just plain dysfunctional. That doesn’t mean they don’t have hearts; it’s just more rewarding to uncover them under all the layers of nastiness. Tracy Letts is amazing.
I think Little Charles may be the most “normal” person Cumberbatch has been allowed to play since his breakout.