There are quite a few people who would pay good money to watch the Douglas family's home movies. And you know what? Such rare, unguarded footage would probably make for better viewing than "It Runs in the Family."
Correction: It would make much better viewing than this leaden comedy-drama, which apparently thinks it can get by on the charm of its cast, which includes three generations of Douglases (Kirk, Michael and Michael's son, Cameron Douglas).
That's not the most faulty bit of reasoning. In fact, the only reason the movie is even watchable is because of at least two of those Douglases.
But the thought that this could be the final film to star the great Kirk Douglas, and that it is burdened with a flatulence gag and a fair amount of sexual material, is disheartening to say the least.
The family of the title refers to the Grombergs, proud Jewish-Americans who are led by patriarch Mitchell (Kirk). Though he's tried to be good father, Mitchell has wound up estranged from his son Alex (Michael), who resents Mitchell's constant criticisms.
As a result, Alex has overcompensated with his own family. What he doesn't realize is that he's also become estranged from his sons Asher (Cameron) and Eli (Rory Culkin), both of whom are dealing with their own troubles.
However, all of the squabbling Grombergs are forced to come together when they're confronted with a family tragedy. Of course, that still doesn't mean they can stand being together in the same room.
As derivative as this material is (yes, there are "On Golden Pond" moments), it probably wouldn't be this bad if it hadn't been completely bungled by director Fred Schepisi. Thanks to him, the comedy seems strident and the drama seems schmaltzy.
Still, it is nice to see the Douglases together. In fact, the few really good scenes in the film consist of exchanges between Kirk and Michael. Too bad the entire film didn't revolve around them.
As for the supporting cast, Bernadette Peters is stuck in the thankless role of Alex's long-suffering wife, while Cameron (Michael's son) makes a less than impressive debut as — what else? — his son.
"It Runs in the Family" is rated PG-13 for scattered use of strong profanity (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), crude sex talk and use of sexual slang terms, drug content (including usage of marijuana), a brief sex scene, glimpses of nude artwork and use of some ethnic slurs. Running time: 109 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com