Python Hyena It Runs in the Family (2003): Dir: Fred Schepisi / Cast: Michael Douglas, Kirk Douglas, Rory Culkin, Bernadette Peters, Cameron Douglas: Wonderful and thought provoking comedy about traits passed down. It stars real life father and son duo Kirk and Michael Douglas. Michael is married and fathers two sons. The oldest is flunking out of college while the youngest takes karate classes to deal with bullies. Michael plays a lawyer who washes dishes at a shelter but he becomes entangled in an affair. Kirk Douglas is dealing with the passing of his wife and the negativity he passed down to his son. Subplots play out effectively with fine directing by Fred Schepisi. It is awesome to see Kirk and Michael on screen together and their chemistry sparks much humour. Bernadette Peters is superb as Michael's wife and it has been a while since she has made her presence available. Her handling of the affair is a classy and amusing role that allows father and son to have a hilarious dog house moment. Rory Culkin and Cameron Douglas portray the two sons, both of which have issues they struggle with. It is interesting to see three generations of the Douglas family on screen together. None of us are perfect and we could all be exposed to more important issues but here is a film with a wonderful message that should be passed down to every member of the household. Score: 10 / 10

life_illusion_same I watched it 2 times, very endearing, each plot if carefully paid attention to can make you either sympathize or laugh or even cry, it's sweet, the father/son/grandson is adorable, funny, witty, and I think it touched my heart during the deaths of Pappys wife and brother.. It's hard to imagine your life partner gone after so long...and then to lose your brother within the same time, I think Michael and Kirk did a wonderful job, and "Asher" was an eye opener to anyone trying to stay as a teenager even when they should have priorities. Culkin was sweet as the conscience yet innocent child, their traditions were upheld, the characters were in depth, making the plots more understandable if you really pay attention and try to enjoy the movie instead of sit and criticize every action they make.

Ryan Ellis I think the only person who's not a member of the Douglas clan in 'It Runs In The Family' is director Fred Schepisi. Okay, I exaggerate, but there are 3 generations PLAYING 3 generations (Kirk, Michael, and Cameron) and Kirk's ex-wife even plays his doting wife in the film. This is the first time that Kirk & Michael have worked together since the son's bit part in dad's '66 war drama 'Cast A Giant Shadow'. Young Cameron makes his film debut here and doesn't embarrass himself while acting with his world-famous elders. Bernadette Peters and Rory Culkin round out the headlining cast as the mother and youngest son of the Gromberg family.This picture received plenty of publicity in spring '03 because it was a rare on-screen appearance by movie god Kirk Douglas. He doesn't stray too far from his own reality as a stroke victim with a loving wife and a successful son. In the movie, the Grombergs are New York lawyers. It must have been an act of will not to make them movie producers or something filmic. The drama is actually mostly melodrama, some of which doesn't work. Mitchell (Kirk) has a complicated relationship with Alex (Michael), who has difficult relations with his own sons. Every character goes through romantic troubles of one kind or another (death of a beloved, first love, infidelity) and the movie deserves credit for managing to be cute, but not cloying. It even ends on the right note of non-finality, which I assume was a contribution by Schepisi (who's good at leaving some realistic loose ends in his films).Kirk probably comes off best here. He does a thing with pillows that just might bust your heart in two. Michael isn't stretching himself (although you can read the reverence for his dad in his eyes) and while Bernadette Peters & Rory Culkin do a nice job, they're merely providing low-key support to the Douglas gang. Kirk's still got it, even if he has to work extra hard to form sentences. The ferocity of 'The Bad And The Beautiful' isn't there anymore (hey, the guy is 88 this year, so the fact that he's working at all is amazing), but Kirk shows some funny facial expressions and double-takes. He's never anything less than compelling, which is the way it's always been in his career.'It Runs In The Family' was in & out of theatres in about 19 minutes last year, which is a shame. While I'm being generous to recommend it, I confess that I enjoyed myself and really grew to like what was going on in this flick. The humour is scatter-shot, but I like that they didn't camp it up and go for cheap gags. Perhaps Michael, Kirk & company have never had a strained relationship the way the Gromberg's do, but they play the pathos in Jesse Wigutow's script well enough to make you care. Am I being so nice because it's such a treat to see a feisty Kirk Douglas working again? Maybe, but I felt good about these characters, warts and all. Perhaps the Douglas' will do something else together and get Catherine Zeta-Jones to join in the fun.

TxMike It didn't cost me anything, the DVD came from my public library. With the cast I had mildly high hopes, but my wife and I kept waiting for something significant to happen in the story. It never came. Much of the situations seemed greatly contrived and then it just sort of ended, after the wife made three demands of the husband -- get our son a good lawyer, get us a good marriage counselor, and do the dishes tomorrow in OUR kitchen. We would not recommend this movie to any of our friends.My following comments contain some SPOILERS so please don't read them if you have not seen the movie. The heart of the husband/wife friction came after she found green panties in her husband's coat pocket. The scene at 15 minutes which got them there was highly implausible, given the people and the setting (a soup kitchen), and when you replay it, and watch how and why she puts the panties in his pocket, it seems even more contrived. But that was what they needed for the story. Then, when husband was confronted, he had to say the wrong things, and conveniently omit telling his wife that nothing happened, for him to end up 'in the doghouse.' There is another 'almost sex' scene with the son and his new girlfriend. Again, it seemed awkward, unrealistic, then he put on his shoes and left, as his grandfather advised, so the girl would come begging for him later. An insult to women, and distasteful for a grandfather giving advice on 'how to score with women' to his grandson. I admire Kirk Douglas for making this movie, still recovering from his stroke. The scenes between the real son and father never rang true for me, nor most of the other family scenes. Maybe it was just a mediocre script. The whole movie was a big letdown for me.