They say romantic comedies are formulaic for a reason.  It’s all about chemistry.  From When Harry Met Sally to Crazy Rich Asians, the success of a movie often depends on how much we believe our leads would fall in love with one another.  How skilled the actors playing these roles is almost insignificant; you could have an entire cast of Oscar winners trained in the Meisner method using sense memory recall to remember their first crush, and it still wouldn’t matter if we didn’t think deep down that there was an honest connection that wasn’t dictated by the script.

That’s why the recent Amazon film The Idea of You, starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, was such an unexpected delight.  A surprising romance between a single mother and a celebrity looking for normalcy outside the spotlight didn’t make the kind of waves it should.  The movie had some structural issues and certain elements that kept it from being a home run, but wow, Hathaway and Galitzine created commendable heat that not only convinced you they were into one another but made you want to root for their success.

Competing streamer Netflix had a film that was similar in theme wrapped up and complete, delayed from its original November 2023 release by the SAG-AFTRA strike.  I’m sure once they saw the release strategy for The Idea of You, they had to alter their plans for A Family Affair, though why they have chosen to release a holiday-themed romantic drama sprinkled with comic moments in the middle of summer before a prime holiday weekend is puzzling. 

Perhaps the shared star power of Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman and former teen heartthrob turned serious actor Zac Efron gave them a clue that they could snag some viewers too exhausted from fun in the sun to head to the theaters. The problem with A Family Affair is that, while it has some heart and a few winning moments, director Richard LaGravenese struggles to guide the film. The result is a forgettable fling that cannot find its footing amid its jarring holiday theme and a lack of convincing chemistry between Kidman and Efron.

Narcissistic Hollywood heartthrob Chris Cole (Efron, The Iron Claw) is about to start on another brainless sequel in the popular franchise that put him on top. At the same time, he is ending a relationship with his latest conquest.  The “love ‘em and leave ‘em” type, he has a set schedule for how to let the women down gently, a schmaltzy routine his long-suffering assistant Zara (Joey King, Bullet Train) is all too familiar with.  Wishing her boss would capitalize on his talent instead of his good looks and ability to make a quick buck on garbage films, she longs for the promotion he’s promised her to produce his movies instead of providing him coffee. When Cole makes it clear she’s staying in her assigned role, she quits.

Up until this point, A Family Affair is playing like a rehash of 2002’s Two Week Notice, the middling Sandra Bullock/Hugh Grant pairing that also miraculously failed to find sparks despite the appeal of its leads.  While Efron is incredibly charming and King has the zesty realism to her delivery that has kept her working since she was a child, there’s nothing all that special about their characters because they function with such a broad arch purpose.  Ah, but what about the missing player in this game of romantic musical chairs?

Zara’s widowed mother, author Brooke Ford (Kidman, Faraway Downs), has struggled to get her groove back since the death of her husband a decade earlier.  We know this because costume designer Luis Sequeira dresses Kidman as a frumpy Californian Annie Hall via Australia, and screenwriter Carrie Solomon adds a plot detail that Brooke’s moonlighting as a columnist for a luxury magazine gets her access to designer gowns she never wears.  At the start of the film, she’s sexless, blonde, and earth-toned…like she wants to blend in with her furniture.

When Efron’s character stops by to convince Zara to return, he finds Brooke cleaning her house to Blondie’s Dreaming instead.  The conversation starts about their shared connection in Zara but quickly turns more personal, and after a few drinks, it’s a foregone conclusion they’ll wind up rolling around in the bedroom so Zara can find them in a perfectly timed bit of cringe physical comedy.   Of course, Zara doesn’t want her manipulative boss dating her fragile mom, but is she underestimating both of their potential just as they have overlooked hers? 

On paper, A Family Affair has a dream team but stumbles in delivering the electric chemistry needed to ignite the screen.  Though individually compelling, Efron and Kidman simmer instead of sizzle, leaving King to bridge the gaps the screenplay leaves open.  King’s character, while introduced as having some layers to it, becomes reduced to a selfish brat who can’t see past her problems to understand the needs of others.  Her friendship with Eugenie (Liza Koshy, Players, a bright spot) suffers because she doesn’t notice her gal-pal is hurting, and it takes a talking to by her wise granny (Kathy Bates, Summer Camp) to set her straight.

LaGravenese, reuniting with Bates after P.S. I Love You (justice for that unjustly criticized 2007 dramedy!), crafts some touching mother-daughter moments but strains to maintain a consistent tone throughout. The director’s previous works and writing, known for their emotional depth and humor, set high expectations that this film occasionally meets but often misses. While he coaxes solid performances from his ensemble, the pacing often drags, and the holiday setting feels more like an afterthought than a crucial element.  I almost wonder what the film would have been like with his P.S. I Love You lead, Hilary Swank, taking over the Kidman role.

A Family Affair ultimately serves as a passable addition to the rom-com genre—pleasant enough to distract for a few hours but missing the staying power of its peer group.  Its premise teeters under the weight of uneven execution by its filmmakers and a lack of palpable chemistry from the leads that should be making Fourth of July fireworks, not muted Christmas memories.  For those seeking a more cohesive and developed romantic tale, The Idea of You remains the superior choice. However, for fans of the cast or those in need of a light-hearted diversion and can overlook its often chintzy production design, LaGravenese’s latest effort offers a decent amount of charm to merit a watch.