DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

The Perfect Family.  These words consistently evoke a snicker when I am asked the title of my film in conversation, which I really love.  The truth is we can probably all relate to the imperfections, struggles and triumphs that define our “not so perfect” perfect families.  The story I have chosen to tell is a messy slice of life comedy-drama about ordinary people struggling to connect.  We have the opportunity to take a dive into their lives, laugh and cry with them and hold compassion for the tightly held external façade unraveling right before our main character’s eyes.  Sometimes we may even see ourselves in one of them.

I wanted a film with strong emotions, solid characters and a relatable story.  Kathleen Turner embraced the role of the protagonist, Eileen Cleary with great depth and an exquisite attention to detail.  It was a dream to work with her.  We were equally fortunate with the rest of the incredibly talented cast that came on board the project.  The filmmaking journey can be a deeply personal one for the director and actors and luckily on this film it proved to also be an extremely collaborative effort.  I am grateful to all the actors, crew and supporters who saw this film to the end.  My producers held such a supportive space and played an integral part in the creation of this film.  It could not have happened without them.  In a sense everyone involved in the film became “the little family that could” together, proving yet again there are many definitions of family.

My hope is that The Perfect Family encourages us to glance at our own imperfections and judgments for a moment and acknowledge differences among us as a phenomenon to embrace rather than to reject.   This is often easier said than done particularly when someone individuates and begins expressing a truth that doesn’t vibe so much with the family unit or with the views and beliefs of the more global community.

Many of us have been there.  I sure have.  It’s scary, enlightening, unraveling and empowering.  Unfortunately, often all at the same time!  As a famous philosopher succinctly said “To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.”