Coming to digital on April 21, 2025 is the romantic “dramady” (drama/comedy), Chosen Family.
Chosen Family star Heather Graham, Julia Stiles, John Brotherton, Thomas Lennon and Michael Gross. The film was also directed by Heather Graham.
Ann (Graham) is a single yoga instructor. She comes from a dysfunctional family which includes here drug addicted sister, Clio (Stiles), overly religious father Alfred (Gross), and mom Dorothy (played by Julie Halston), who is desperately trying to achieve her dream of being a singing superstar.
Ann also has a group of best friends which include restaurant owners Max (Lennon) and Frances (played by Odessa Ray), and her bestie Roz (played by Andrea Savage).
Ann is single, but not necessarily looking, even though her best friend wants her to put herself back out there, including joining dating websites. Ann goes along with the idea, that is until she meets contractor Steve (Brotherton), a handsome single father.
The pair hit it off immediately. It seems like Ann has found true love, that is until she meets his daughter Lilly (played by Ella Grace Helton), who is hell bent on making sure that her father does not end up in a serious relationship with her father.
Between her dysfunctional family, pressure at work to bring in more clients, and trying to grow her relationship with Steve while dealing with his vindictive daughter, Ann has a lot on her plate.
Will Ann find true love? Will she finally have the successful career she aspired to? To find out, check out the film Chosen Family. Look for it on digital April 21, 2025.
The above is my synopsis of the film. I also like the official synopsis too.
A woman from a dysfunctional family tries to create her own healthy family, but she keeps falling into the same bad patterns in her romantic relationships. Her friends are the most loving people in her life. With their support she learns that she can say no to her family, she does deserve a better boyfriend, and there is a place where she can feel unconditionally loved.
This film is centered around the oceanside of Rhode Island. It’s so beautiful and inviting. Between the gorgeous ocean views and oceanside seafood restaurant featured in the film, I wanted to hop in my car and drive to Rhode Island. They film makers made it so inviting.
I must say that Heather Graham looks great for a women her age. She’s 55 years “young,” and looks fabulous in a bikini. Kudos to her for putting it all out there.
I found that the characters in this film were very relatable and “human.” There wasn’t anything outrageous about any of them and I’m sure viewers will find some similarities with the characters. Take Steve for example. He’s a single father trying to navigate the dating scene while trying to raise his daughter and not upset her when it comes to dating.
There is also her mom. As someone who wishes she had her “moment in the sun,” and regretting not reaching my lifelong dream, I can relate to her (I just wouldn’t be as pushy and obsessive as she was).
Ann is also being forced by her parents to look after her sister Clio. Her parents put the responsibility of dealing with Clio and her problems all on Ann.
Overall I enjoyed the film. It had a slow and relaxed pace, but that was fine with me. I was enjoying all the cinematography.
Some aspects of this film might be predictable, but I never anticipated the ending. That really threw me for a loop and caught me by surprise. I thought I had the ending figured out, but I was way off.
The moral of this film is that “blood’ doesn’t make you family. Sometimes it’s other people you hold close around you that are more like your family than the one you were born into.
There is some sex scenes, but nothing raunchy.
This film has a run time of 84 minutes. I’m not sure of the rating, but I’d say it would be PG-13 or R.
You can also find this film on Hulu (with subscription), Google, Apple TV, Fandango at Home and Disney+ (with subscription).
Chosen Family is released by Plaion Pictures UK. Be sure to check them out for update on new releases. You can also follow them on social media (all links found on the bottom of their website).
Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.
Kimberly
*I received a free screener link in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
