Movie Review: ‘A Family Affair’

Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood, Zac Efron as Chris Cole and Joey King as Zara Ford in 'A Family Affair'.

Launching on Netflix on June 28th, ‘A Family Affair’ continues the trend –– aside from most famous recent example ‘Anyone But You‘ –– of the rom-com movie finding a more a natural home on streaming than in theaters.

And while this latest instance of the genre doesn’t come across as particularly outstanding, it does at least have enough laughs to sustain it, while also handling a slightly refreshing premise without diving too far into schmalzy cheese.

Will ‘A Family Affair’ Make You Fall For It?

Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood and Zac Efron as Chris Cole in 'A Family Affair'.

The premise of romance across an age divide is not exactly new, but the fact that Kidman’s character is the older woman falling for a younger man is far less frequently explored. Add to that the wrinkle of the King character’s reactions/connections to the new relationship and you have the building blocks for a solid rom-com.

Not everything about the movie works –– some of its portrayals of a Hollywood hotshot also being a nervy, demanding diva also come across as tired and facile, but those are simply one layer to this story, which fortunately has more to say.

Script and Direction

Carrie Solomon makes her feature writing debut with the movie, partially channeling her own experiences working as an assistant on movies and for a Broadway theatre performer (who, she has been at pains to say, was nothing the spoiled, immature character she concocted and who is brought to life by Zac Efron in the movie).

The screenplay for ‘A Family Affair’ is surprisingly funnier than trailers made it out to be, letting the slapsticky early act’s wackiness fade into the background for a slightly more nuanced look at love’s impact on a tight-knit family. It does enough work to have you empathise with the main trio, with even the Efron character showing that he’s more than just a preening actor.

It’s all clearly inspired by the likes of Nora Ephron, but never reaches that very high watermark.

As for director Richard Lagravenese, the visual style is not much to write home about, but it does the job of providing a decent enough setting for the characters and script to do their work. There’s some small amount of flare when Efron’s character takes Nicole Kidman’s on a late-night tour of a studio lot, and lights it up for her, while scenes set at a Christmas-decorated Big Bear house are suitably snowy (even though the movie was shot in Atlanta).

Performances

Boasting the typically starry cast that Netflix’s deep coffers can provide, you might find yourself wondering why people of this level agreed to make this particular movie, but their roles are meaty and satisfying enough that you can ultimately see the appeal.

Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood

Despite Kidman’s storied career seemingly putting her past making movies like this, she clearly felt like a change of gear (and she did, after all, agree to show up briefly for the ‘Aquaman’ sequel, so not every choice is a winner, even for someone with her taste and ability to choose). Naturally, she brings movie star charm to the role, seemingly ageless and yet totally comfortable playing a woman overcoming heartbreak and finding love in an unexpected place.

Her chemistry with her co-stars is clear (Efron, of course, has been her on-screen love interest before, in ‘The Paperboy’ –– this is at least less embarrassing than that) and she acquits herself well.

Zac Efron as Chris Cole

When we meet him, Cole is your typical mock-Hollywood superstar –– he’s appearing in a giant movie franchise, has a beautiful house (more than one) and someone to cater to his every need, but still whines that he can’t go to the grocery store. He can find the world’s smallest violin in aisle six.

Still, that’s just part of his comedy DNA, and Efron gives him the humanity to be more than that, eventually evolving into someone that Kidman’s Brooke might actually find worthy of her time.

Joey King as Zara Ford

Joey King has the most significant role in the film, as Zara, Chris’ harried assistant (whom he’s promised to help train to be a producer) and Brooke’s daughter. You can completely understand why she might freak out upon learning that her mother is sleeping with her boss, and while not every turn in her storyline truly makes sense (would she really keep working for him after the revelation and quitting in spectacular style early on?) King and writer Solomon at least infuse her with some self-awareness so that she doesn’t come across as a whining Gen-Z type.

It’s also that the screenplay makes her well-rounded enough that it doesn’t need to throw in any romantic complications for Zara herself, preferring to focus on her reactions to, an agency about, the situation already giving her enough of a headache.

Kathy Bates as Leila Ford

Kathy Bates is a pro at this sort of scene-stealing elder stateswoman role (witness her recent turn in ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.’) and here, you might initially feel she’s wasted playing Brooke’s former mother-in-law (her son was Brooke’s late husband) and editor for her writing career. But she’s soon enough given some decent scenes to show what she does well –– both as sage counsel and entertaining life and soul.

Final Thoughts

Joey King as Zara Ford and Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood in 'A Family Affair'.

‘A Family Affair’ hardly breaks the rom-com mold but does bend it enough to offer gentle entertainment for those looking for something along the lines of Prime Video’s recent Anne Hathaway romantic drama ‘The Idea of You’.

It’s mild, inoffensive and provides a suitable level of laughs.

‘A Family Affair’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

“A motherf*er of a love story.”

PG-131 hr 53 minJun 28th, 2024

When Zara (Joey King) quits her job as the personal assistant to Hollywood heartthrob Chris Cole (Zac Efron), she unwittingly sets the stage for a chance encounter… Read the Plot

What is the plot of ‘A Family Affair’?

Zara (Joey King), a young woman who works as the personal assistant to self-absorbed Hollywood star Chris Cole (Zac Efron), discovers that her boss is having a secret romantic relationship with her widowed mother (Nicole Kidman).

Who is in the cast of ‘A Family Affair’?

Zac Efron as Chris Cole

Joey King as Zara Ford

Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood

Kathy Bates as Leila Ford

Liza Koshy as Eugenie

(L to R) Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood and Zac Efron as Chris Cole in ‘A Family Affair’. Photo: Aaron Epstein/Netflix © 2024.

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