If you enjoyed watching Anne Hathaway play a mother seduced by her daughter’s favorite superstar in last month’s The Idea of You, but found yourself thinking, “I really wish this were even more absurd and unbelievably plotted,” boy, do I have the movie for you! Yes, that’s right, we are in a twin film heyday: In just the last two years, we’ve seen Immaculate contend with The First Omen, and Elvis battle Priscilla; Bad Boys: Ride or Die will soon face off against Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. For god’s sake, even the kids’ movies aren’t safe; two Pinocchio flicks duked it out recently, too. And now, The Idea of You pushes up against A Family Affair, Netflix’s newest original movie, out on the streamer June 28.
The two films are so similar that it’s even shockingly easy to slot different actors into the opposite film’s character outlines. There’s Nicole Kidman as the successful artist and mother, Brooke Hardwood, Joey King as Brooke’s headstrong daughter, Zara, and Zac Efron as impossibly famous hotshot Chris Cole, who comes between mother and daughter when he starts dating Brooke. Naturally, Zara is skeptical about her mother dating a self-absorbed Hollywood A-Lister known for being a Casanova. But just like in The Idea of You, Chris works to prove that his affections are true, although that’s far easier said than done for someone caught up in the whirlwind of flashbulbs and rabid fans.
None of these coincidental similarities is the fault of the actors, the film’s screenwriter Carrie Solomon, or director Richard LaGravenese. Still, I’d be remiss not to point out the glaring parallels right before our eyes. The resemblances between the two films are worth noting, since they could very well keep some viewers from indulging in A Family Affair if they’ve already seen The Idea of You. And that would be a grave mistake, considering that A Family Affair is like the tonally erratic, Disney Channel Original Movie sister to its twin film.
The movie is surprisingly bizarre, with performances that range from amiable to asinine. And yet, for all its faults, the movie is an engrossing viewing experience, if only because what happens next is always a total mystery. As far as twin films go, The Idea of You and A Family Affair are totally fraternal: similar yet distinct, and watching one makes the other all the more fascinating.
Everything in A Family Affair is just left of center, almost believable but not entirely. The film opens with a montage of fake magazine covers and real red carpet footage, which suggest that, in this world, Efron plays an even more well-respected and successful version of himself. It’s a bit depressing if you think about it too hard. But Efron is up for poking fun at himself and his industry peers for taking themselves too seriously, even if he doesn’t always strike the right tone between this conceited character and his real-life earnestness.
Chris Cole is so famous that the only thing he has room for in his personal life is his ego, and Zara, his assistant, is tasked with procuring a new pair of diamond earrings every few months as a breakup gift for Chris’ latest arm candy. It’s far from what Zara wants to be doing after already spending a few years juggling her boss’ inane tasks, especially since Chris promised her that he’d show her the movie-producing ropes if she worked for him long enough.
Zara’s career is at a standstill, while Chris’ continues to blossom, and her complaints have trickled down to her mother, Brooke, a Joan Didion-type of a prolific American writer who has grayscale author photos on the back of her books’ dust jackets. Brooke and Zara are still grieving the death of Zara’s father 11 years prior, and Brooke enjoys living vicariously through her daughter’s adventurous life.
But that all takes a turn when Zara is pushed to the limit with her foolish assistant tasks and quits her job, leaving Chris without the person he relies on the most. When he tries to make amends by visiting Zara at home, he gets much more than he bargained for after running into Brooke, who is horny as all hell after spending the better part of a decade bereft over one man. One thing leads to another, and by the time Zara gets home, she finds her mother giving her ex-boss the old reverse cowgirl. Zara’s used to seeing her mom mourning, not moaning, and the resulting reaction is one of the film’s funniest scenes, thanks to King’s knack for physical comedy.
(Buster Keaton is rolling in his grave, wishing he could’ve
