Relative
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichael Glover Smith
Written byMichael Glover Smith
Produced byAaron Wertheimer
Clare Cooney
StarringWendy Robie
Francis Guinan
Cameron Scott Roberts
Clare Cooney
Keith D. Gallagher
Emily Lape
Melissa DuPrey
Elizabeth Stam
CinematographyOlivia Aquilina
Edited byEric Marsh
Distributed byNewcity/Chicago Film Project
Release date
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$23,168[1]

Relative is a 2022 American drama/comedy feature film written and directed by Michael Glover Smith. The film is about a family reunion centered on a college graduation party in Chicago.[2] It premiered at the 2022 Gasparilla International Film Festival in Tampa, Florida where actor Cameron Scott Roberts won the Grand Jury award for Best Performance.[3]

Plot

Karen Frank and her husband, David, are retirement-age progressive activists who have lived in the same Victorian home in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood for 30 years. It’s the house in which their four children grew up and where two of their children, adult sons Benji and Rod, still live. On the eve of Benji’s graduation from college, daughters Evonne and Norma return home from out-of-state for a weekend celebration. Evonne brings her daughter, Emma, and newly separated wife, Lucia; Norma arrives alone, with thoughts of wasted potential as she reconsiders her suburban life; Rod, an unemployed burnout, pines for Sarah, the “cam girl” ex who left him years ago; and all Benji wants to do is escape the party to rendezvous with Hekla, a free-spirited actress he met the night prior. As David and Karen announce the potential sale of their home, each member of the Frank family finds their bonds with the others being tested – and strengthened – in surprising ways.[4]

Cast

  • Wendy Robie as Karen Frank
  • Francis Guinan as David Frank
  • Cameron Scott Roberts as Benji Frank
  • Clare Cooney as Evonne Frank
  • Keith D. Gallagher as Rod Frank
  • Emily Lape as Norma Frank
  • Melissa DuPrey as Lucia Aguirre
  • Elizabeth Stam as Hekla

Background and production

It was announced in 2021 that the film was being produced by Newcity/Chicago Film Project and would star Twin Peaks' Wendy Robie and Steppenwolf Theater Ensemble member Francis Guinan.[5]

In an interview with Split-Tooth Media, Smith said, "[A]ll of my films are really about love, which is the only subject that interests me". He noted that the inspiration for Relative was to stretch himself as a writer/director by examining, for the first time, familial relationships, which he claimed "are a lot more complicated than the ones you have with a friend or a romantic partner". Smith also cited, as influences, films such as Arnaud Desplechin's A Christmas Tale, Yasujirō Ozu's Late Spring and John Ford's How Green Was My Valley.[6]

Relative was shot over a span of two weeks in the summer of 2021 in Chicago and the near-north suburbs.[7]

Release

The film received a limited theatrical release beginning on June 8, 2022.[8] It was the 23rd highest grossing movie in the U.S. during its first week in release.[9]

Reception

Relative has received very positive reviews for its writing, acting, and directing. This includes a three-and-a-half (out of four) star review by the Chicago Sun-Times' Richard Roeper who called it "a wickedly funny, occasionally poignant and authentic-to-its-core drama/comedy about three eventful days in the life of a totally relatable extended family",[10] a three (out of four) star review by RogerEbert.com's Matt Zoller Seitz[11] who compared it to the work of British filmmaker Mike Leigh, and a 7.5/10 star review by Ray Lobo at Film Threat.[12] Matt Fagerholm, writing at Indie Outlook, called it "one of the year's best films".[13] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10.[14]

Awards

Year Award Category Result
2022 Gasparilla International Film Festival Jury Award[15] Best Performance (Cameron Scott Roberts) Won
Festival of Cinema NYC Jury Award[16] Best Director Nominated
Best Ensemble Cast Won
Best Narrative Feature Nominated
Full Bloom Film Festival[17] Best Narrative Feature Won
Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival Jury Award[18] Best Feature Nominated
Best Screenplay (Drama) Nominated
Best Ensemble Cast Nominated
Best Supporting Performance (Emily Lape) Nominated
Buffalo International Film Festival Jury Award[19] Best Narrative Feature Won
Midwest Film Festival[20] Best Actor (Francis Guinan) Won
2023 Beloit International Film Festival[21] Best Regional Feature Nominated

References

  1. ↑ "Relative (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Relative | Official Film Site". Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  3. ↑ "2022 WINNERS". Gasparilla Film Fest. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  4. ↑ "Relative | BIFF Year Round Film 5/18/22". BIFF - Beloit International Film Festival. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  5. ↑ Magazine, Screen (2021-10-13). "Brian and Jan Hieggelke and Chicago Film Project Announce Next Feature". Screen Magazine. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  6. ↑ Glace, Bennett (2022-04-18). "Q&A: Michael Glover Smith on Casting and Creating a Film Family for 'Relative'". Split Tooth Media. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  7. ↑ Magazine, Screen (2021-06-29). "That's A Wrap on Chicago Feature Film RELATIVE; Twin Peaks, Steppenwolf Legends Lead Cast". Screen Magazine. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  8. ↑ Magazine, Screen (2022-05-16). "Music Box Theatre and Gene Siskel Film Center to Co-Present World Theatrical Premiere of Michael Glover Smith's 'Relative'". Screen Magazine. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  9. ↑ "Relative". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  10. ↑ "'Relative': Three eventful days shake up a Chicago family in well-written, witty drama". Chicago Sun-Times. 2022-06-07. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  11. ↑ Seitz, Matt Zoller. "Relative movie review & film summary (2022) | Roger Ebert". rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  12. ↑ "Relative | Film Threat". 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  13. ↑ Outlook, Indie (2022-06-03). "Why Michael Glover Smith's "Relative" is One of the Year's Best Films". Indie Outlook. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  14. ↑ "Relative". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  15. ↑ Magazine, Screen (2022-03-16). "Grand Jury Award for Chicago Indie 'Relative' and 'Walking Dead' Star Roberts". Screen Magazine. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  16. ↑ I.Faleye (2022-08-17). "'Black, White and the Greys' Leads Winners of 6th Festival of Cinema NYC Filmmaker Awards". VIMooZ. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  17. ↑ michaelgloversmith (2022-09-12). "RELATIVE wins Best Narrative Feature at Full Bloom!". White City Cinema. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
  18. ↑ LaFave, Alan (2022-09-17). "2022 Jury Announced". Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  19. ↑ "Buffalo Int'l Film Festival | BIFF 2022 | Buffalo International Film Festival". www.buffalofilm.org. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  20. ↑ "Get Tickets". Midwest Film Fest | Chicago. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  21. ↑ "The BIFFY Award Winners for 2022". BIFF - Beloit International Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
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