“The Family Stone” is a tale about a dysfunctional family who all get together during Christmas and during the course of events find out about an upcoming tragedy. While I found the film slow at times, it did pick up toward the end. Unfortunately, the movie was rather transparent at times.

Rife with politically correct dialog and confrontations, there is little doubt in how each situation will turn out. In the end, almost all is well but the mark is still missed. For a more touching and uplifting film, go out and rent “Christmas with the Kranks.”