Writer Monte Merrick had his work cut out for him here: crafting an intimate, average American family drama that takes place in a small town. Opportunities for high drama seem limited from the start. Unless one creates a "Peyton Place" or "King's Row" type situation full of scandal, there's really not much excitement going on in these environments.
Merrick wisely chose a "coming of age" situation with the boys, matched with parental business ambition, and worked up an engaging script. Director Lee Grant likewise fell right into the small town environment and keenly expressed the hopes, dreams and ambitions of its key residents.
The result is an often touching enactment with interesting characters and situations. True, it often rings familiar with TV sitcoms, but then there's just so much one can make of these basic ingredients.
The cast is uniformly strong, with Sean Astin, Dermot Mulroney, and Tim Quill as the boys and Stockard Channing as an ambitious local politician.
I saw this film when it first came out and I must say it made a positive impression, so memorable that I've returned to it via DVD over the years. There are not many small town, average family dramas out there, and "Staying Together" is a touching piece of work in this limited genre.
Merrick wisely chose a "coming of age" situation with the boys, matched with parental business ambition, and worked up an engaging script. Director Lee Grant likewise fell right into the small town environment and keenly expressed the hopes, dreams and ambitions of its key residents.
The result is an often touching enactment with interesting characters and situations. True, it often rings familiar with TV sitcoms, but then there's just so much one can make of these basic ingredients.
The cast is uniformly strong, with Sean Astin, Dermot Mulroney, and Tim Quill as the boys and Stockard Channing as an ambitious local politician.
I saw this film when it first came out and I must say it made a positive impression, so memorable that I've returned to it via DVD over the years. There are not many small town, average family dramas out there, and "Staying Together" is a touching piece of work in this limited genre.