family-tree

Family Tree Is No Guffman, But At Least It's New Guest

Rich Juzwiak · 05/13/13 11:05AM

Christopher Guest's new TV series Family Tree, which premiered last night on HBO, is similar to but less pointed than his best known works. Starting with 1996's Waiting for Guffman, the director-actor has orchestrated a string of improvised farces in a mostly pseudo-documentary format that roast specific, unexamined cultures: Midwestern community theater geeks (Guffman), dog-show people (Best in Show), folk singers and their groupies (A Mighty Wind) and indie actors with Oscar buzz (For Your Consideration). Repeatedly, you get the feeling that Guest thinks he is smarter than the people that he and his repertory hypothesize, but these characters feel so lived-in that they are endearing regardless. Their doofiness is an asset for everyone involved, at least until they're punished for it in Guest's characteristically dark codas of dashed dreams and ruined lives.

The Sad, Sad Life of the Celebrity Sibling

Brian Moylan · 07/23/09 11:23AM

They walk the red carpet, they are stalked by the paparazzi, but no one knows their names or cares who they are. Yes, here are the lesser-known celebrity siblings—unlucky to not be famous, lucky to share fame's lifestyle.