what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Blistering performances.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

For those you who don't know that Al Franken became a political author/congressional candidate, he was a funny comedian who had entertained "Saturday Night Live" audiences since the 70's, and into the 1990's (off-and-on). His most famous character was a self-help, for lack of a better word, addict; i.e., his character was addicted to self-help groups, sponsors, 12 step meetings, etc., because he lacked or was coming to terms with his low self-confidence everyday and was trying to spreading self-esteem to others through a fictional cable access show on SNL called "Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley." He would say things like "Doggone it, people like me." Okay, that's a lousy summation of an SNL character made into a film, but if I told you about two blues singing brothers who were wanted by all of Chicago ... of two rock n' roll delinquents who had their own cable show ... or two party guys whose heads moved when they heard "What is Love ..." ... would you know what the hell the fess is about in every case? If you want to look up Stuart on YouTube, or DVD feel free. He was funny, at times. But for this movie, know that it is both funny and sad (in a dark humor way) as we see a child of alcoholics and food addicts overcome his past, this film is a pretty damn good one. Directed by Harold Ramis, it doesn't go for any real forced SNL-inspired laughs, even though there are a lot in there if you want to look. The laughs basically occur because they come from pain, comedy's actual twin. There is a both sad and happy ending (or is it happy and sad?) from this film, but its never forced because Ramis, Franken, Vincent D'Onofrio, Juila Sweeny, and Laura San Giacomo know how to play the tightrope between pain and humor. It's not perfect, but its easily one of the best SNL character movies ever made, and one of the best about family alcoholism.

This is one of best comedies of all times. The psychology of the main character is very incisive and realistic. However it is put in a grotesque context. Other characters are also very true to life or rather caricatures of certain types of people. The brother and the father of the main character seem to bring up the politically correct goofiness and dorkines of Al Franken. The Mother cuts also a very real and yet exaggerated person. The plot flows well and the whole dysfunctional family is funny and sad at the same time. The friends of Al Franken are also funny in their pseudo psychological babble and pretense. I find this film to be so good that I have bought the DVD.

A lot of users compared this to other SNL movies, which is reasonable since it's based on an SNL sketch, but in some respects is totally unfair. The SNL sketch was played for laughs. This is a DRAMA, not a comedy (despite having lots of funny scenes). The focus is on Stuart's (Al Franken) dysfunctional family, which dysfunction stems from his father's (Harris Yulin) alcoholism, which cows Stuart's mother into submission, drives his sister to overeating, and is gradually turning his brother (the always-great Vincent D'Onofrio) into a copy of his father. All of this has turned Stuart into the self-help addict we see on SNL. The other key character is Stuart's friend and self-help partner Laura San Giacomo (also turning in a great performance), who shares a wonderful platonic relationship with Stuart based on mutual empathy. The scene where San Giacomo describes her meeting with her biological father almost brought tears to my eyes. I give this an 8 because it loses some points for inconsistency by trying too hard to be a comedy during the first half of the movie. But once the real drama kicks in during the second half, it becomes brilliantly poignant. Less even than "American Beauty," (its closest analog) but just as good at depicting family dysfunction. Highly recommended.

I don't know how funny this movie is to people who aren't involved in 12-step programs or don't know anyone who is. But to this 12-stepper, the movie is hilarious. Al Franken and crew seem to walk the narrow line between poking fun at the 12-step movement while also appreciating its good points. Lots of in-jokes here, and some very funny ones. I bought the home video version and have watched it several times. Al Franken, Laura San Giacomo, Shirley Knight, Julia Sweeney are all very good.