Family

decent timewaster
This is my first attempt to review a film that's not horror, or a documentary. This falls under the thriller category, or maybe even film noir. I do know that it's hard to describe much in the plot without giving away twists, and maybe that's a good thing, because this film is worth your time to watch.

We start out with Jean (Renee Humphrey), a small time crook, on the run from the cops. She makes her getaway, but her vehicle breaks down, leaving her to hitchhike and hope for the best in the heat. She finds luck in Eldon (Boyd Kestner) and his son Cody (Tanner Richie). They are traveling across country to see "The Real America", and they pick up Jean to ride to wherever she decides she wants to go.

We find out some things about Eldon. He is an ex-cop, a seemingly ex-husband, and for some unknown reason he clings to his newly found friend Jean. All is not what it seems on any front at all. The twists and turns are many, and the cat and mouse mind games are fun to...

Suspenseful & Intriguing
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! Watched it on a rainy day and it was the perfect movie for the mood. The performances were excellent and it was totally entertaining. Would definitely recommend.

Quality core turned bland and dull by poor execution
Judge Daryl Loomis, DVD Verdict-- Family is an intriguing concept, but a pretty terrible movie. What amazes me most, though, is that it was made in 2006 and not 1996. The only thing that distinguishes it from a 20th Century movie is the kid playing with a PSP instead of a Gameboy. Otherwise, everything appears as it would have for a B-movie from the 1990s, and that's not pretty. It appears to have premiered on the Lifetime Movie Network, which makes plenty of sense, given its TV-friendly aspect ratio and generally cruddy look. Confirmation of this is difficult, though, considering that any online searches for the movie reveal mostly lists for the best family films available and, clearly, this is not what I'm looking for. By all indications, however, Family was made for television and comes with all the poor production that entails.

In its core concept, Family could easily have worked. The story of a criminal forced to do good in the face of greater evil, a kid in peril, a...

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