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The Family Stone

FILM · 2005 · USA

The Family Stone

19 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026

  • The Family Stone — production image

19 Interesting Facts About The Family Stone

Interesting Facts (15)

  1. #001

    Thomas Bezucha put the nine actors playing the Stones through several weeks of rehearsal so they could bond well enough to convincingly portray a family off camera. Because the script required the eight characters to use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with Thaddeus or interpret for him, the early rehearsals included a crash course in ASL. The actors and some critics noted that their ASL was below average, but it was a realistic depiction of a hearing family's use of ASL, which is usually perfunctory at best.

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  2. #002

    The photo of the pregnant young Sybil that Meredith gives to all the family members is actually a photo of a young Diane Keaton. Keaton, however, had never been pregnant, and the photo was altered to make her appear so.

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  3. #003

    Just before the credits, Amy hangs the same Christmas tree ornament her mother hung at the beginning of the film.

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  4. #004

    While Luke Wilson tells Meredith about Everett's allergy, Sarah Jessica Parker shouted "I DIDN'T KNOW" as a joke during the continuous take. You can tell Luke Wilson is genuinely laughing.

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  5. #005

    In the final scene, which takes place a year later, Amy is wearing Sybil's large ring.

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  6. #006

    Dermot Mulroney found it difficult to play a seemingly overachieving, obedient character and commented: "Everett starts off very uptight and narrow-minded, but by the end of the story he returns to his true personality. Really just like the rest of the Stone family: loose and kind of bohemian."

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  7. #007

    Rachel McAdams said she felt affected by "the dramatic event Amy goes through and that ultimately brings her full circle. She sees herself as honest rather than malicious, and she expresses her uncensored bluntness with sarcastic wit."

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  8. #008

    Diane Keaton and Sarah Jessica Parker were both in The First Wives Club.

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  9. #009

    This is one of two films starring Sarah Jessica Parker that also features Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), which starred Judy Garland. The other is Sex and the City (2008).

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  10. #010

    Diane Keaton also played the family matriarch in Love the Coopers (2015), a Christmas film about a highly dysfunctional family.

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  11. #011

    The family's father wears a hat from the Irish golf course at Ballybunion, Co. Kerry, while talking with his son in the snow beside the school bleachers.

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  12. #012

    Jean Smart has joined the cast of the sequel to the 2005 holiday classic The Family Stone. The actor, known for the series Hacks, will appear in the sequel being made by Searchlight alongside Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney and Sarah Jessica Parker, as well as other returning cast members.

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  13. #013

    The sequel's cast includes names returning from the original film. No information was shared about which role Jean Smart will take on. No other details about the film's shooting schedule, release date or stage of production were announced either.

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  14. #014

    The Family Stone, released in 2005, told a family story set during the holiday season. The sequel is said to be in the works at Searchlight.

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  15. #015

    Arka Evren Note: This is one of 2 films starring Sarah Jessica Parker and featuring Judy Garland in a leading role in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). The other film is Sex and the City (2008). More about The Family Stone

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Behind the Scenes (1)

  1. #016

    Bezucha had the help of a sign language teacher who worked closely with each actor on American Sign Language training during rehearsals and throughout production.

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Characters & Cast (2)

  1. #017

    Billy Crudup and Johnny Knoxville were expected to play Everett and Ben Stone before dropping out. The role then went to Luke Wilson. Aaron Eckhart was initially cast as Everett but was removed from the cast due to a scheduling conflict.

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  2. #018

    Claire Danes noted that the film's delicate balance between comedy and drama forced the cast to walk a fine line between the two styles.

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Deeper Meaning (1)

  1. #019

    Patrick has some sympathy for Meredith and implies that the Stones also give her a hard time.

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Related pages

Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • IMDb IMDb title page (trivia)

Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work