Family | SXSW 2018 Film Review

Walking into SXSW this year, if you would have told me one of my favorite films of the festival would be an R-rated comedy revolving around a self-involved career woman, her bullied niece, and a gaggle of Juggalos, I’d have laughed you out of existence. First up, I didn’t even know what a Juggalo was! But now that I’ve witnessed the sheer joy that is Family, all of what I just mentioned became truth.

Taylor Schilling stars as Kate, a motivated professional with zero time for pleasantries. Her work ethic is almost as devout as her insensitive responses to basic human decency. Kate is not a “bad person”, she simply operates with zero filter, saying things we all ponder yet would never speak out loud. Essentially, she’s a management leader with a minor case of Tourettes. Kate is also despised by her co-workers. With her poorly conceived commentary on their lives (stating one co-worker will not return to work due to pregnancy, and asserting another’s child might be a serial killer), “fitting in” has always alluded her.

Kate is summoned to her brother’s house and learns that his wife’s mother is in hospice and they need to leave immediately. This means they need a caregiver for Kate’s 12 year-old niece, Maddie (Bryn Vale), and they have nowhere else to turn. She despises kids, but ultimately relents and moves into the family home for a few days in an attempt to juggle work and family.

Maddie is a bit of a sulker, and we soon learn that she is a depressed kid whose voice never feels heard. Her mother thinks she loves ballet, when Maddie would rather take karate. And her friends at school tease her because of her size, even taunting her with the shady nickname, “Maddie Beef”. The only person who seems to accept her is a ridiculous teen she stumbles upon at a random gas station who calls himself Baby Joker and incessantly raves about his favorite band, Insane Clown Posse (ICP). Kate sees herself in Maddie’s sadness, and before long the two are bonding, while Kate finally realizes the importance of family.

I have seen enough Orange is the New Black to know Taylor Schilling is a talented dramatic actor. But this is a one-of-a-kind performance that deserves to launch her straight onto the A-list of comedy. Her blunt yet sincere and intelligent delivery – tinged with a hint of naïvete – is complimented with a subtle depth that instantly warmed me over to any shenanigan Kate finds herself stuck in. I try to avoid exclamations such as this, but it damn sure fits: Taylor Schilling is a revelation. Coupled with the delightful Bryn Vale and a solid supporting cast (Allison Tolman, Kate McKinnon), Schilling emerges from Family and SXSW as THE actor to watch in the coming years. Give this woman some solid material!

Laura Steinel directs from her own script and – first feature or not – this is an artist with a skill for making people laugh. She also brilliantly underscores her primary story of family with a radical present-day interpretation of the concept. The Juggalos are the ICP faithful, and as her film concludes with a huge fan event known as “The Gathering”, Steinel deftly illustrates that the family of 2018 lies not solely with blood relatives, it stems from those who accept you for who are, underneath all the muck and mud of everyday life.

This was the most uproarious experience at the SXSW festival which contained a surprising amount of emotional punch, and is easily my favorite comedy in eons. Taylor Schilling’s breakout performance plus Laura Steinel’s rip-roaring script equal a hilariously raunchy Uncle Buck for the modern age. By the time I walked out of Family, I wanted to join the Juggalos myself.