There might have been a good film project in pairing Kirk Douglas and his son Michael. These two actors have been leaders in their field in more than a half century of movie making. I would have preferred a documentary-style film in which these two legendary performers reminisce about their films, their careers, and their relationship. It is obvious that Michael adores his father. Unfortunately, "It Runs in the Family" was not a showcase for these actors' talents. The film proceeded in fits and starts. Oddly, the storyline was that of a dysfunctional family with many embarrassing scenes, including one jaw-dropper with Kirk and Michael setting a boat ablaze as a funeral pyre with Kirk's dead brother aboard. They flee the scene as the police and fire department arrive. Was this sequence supposed to be funny? The cast is rounded out by such fine performers as Bernadette Peters and Audra McDonald, who are wasted in the film. In their film careers, both Kirk and Michael Douglas consistently showed good taste in their film projects. "It Runs in the Family" was a notable lapse and an unfortunate exercise in self-indulgence.
Review of It Runs in the Family
