This film is based on a true story of a dysfunctional family. It tells the story of the physical, sexual and mental abuse that was rampant in this family and of the now-adult children's attempts to overcome their experiences and regain control of their lives. Some of them consider doing this by going to court, even though their father is a respected public figure.
It sounds like a recipe for hype, but the performances are good and are restrained, allowing the drama and complexity of the subject matter to speak for itself.
This is definitely not a film to watch with your kids, as it portrays several episodes of abuse through flashbacks and descriptions. I was surprised at the frank (though not particularly graphic) depiction of this abuse. It has a very serious approach to the subject.
One thing I really liked--and I thought it was well-written and well-acted, avoiding melodrama--was that the characters' positions change as things unfold. As they talk with each other and think about things, as memories are unearthed, they realize that what they went through as a family had a different effect on each child, and that things are not as black-and-white, cut-and-dried as they at first seemed. Also, it does not have a completely happy ending; some issues remain unresolved. I appreciated the filmmakers' refusal to simplify the issues and characters just so they could wrap it up between commercials.
