Families often present themselves socially as far more functional and enviable than they might be behind closed doors.  This goes from little touches, like cleaning up the house before company comes over, to devastating secrets, like a demented kid in the attic who subsists entirely off of fish heads.

The Perfect Family, hitting theaters this Friday, May 4th, dramatizes this tendency as a comedic drama.  In the film, directed by Anne Renton, Oscar nominee Kathleen Turner plays Eileen Cleary, a matriarch who is determined to demonstrate just how healthy and wholesome her family is in order to win a Catholic Woman of the Year award.  Her efforts put her at odds with her grown-up children as she attempts to win, even at the expense of her family and their struggles.

The film, which also stars Emily Deschanel, Richard Chamberlain, Jason Ritter, and Elizabeth Pena, provoked some discussion here at IAR.  So, with The Perfect Family arriving this week, we thought we'd present our latest Rogue 10, a list of ten cinematic families who appear ordinary at first glance, but who are hiding some very fundamental dysfunction.

Opening in theaters on May 4th is a new drama from first time director Anne Renton called The Perfect Family. The film stars a talented cast of actors that includes Academy Award-nominee Kathleen Turner (Peggy Sue Got Married, Romancing the Stone), Emily Deschanel (TV's Bones), Jason Ritter (TV's Parenthood), Richard Chamberlain (The Towering Inferno), Elizabeth Pena (Rush Hour), and Sharon Lawrence (TV's NYPD Blue).   

IAR's very own Josh Heller recently had a chance to sit down with actress Emily Deschanel, as well as Academy Award-nominee Kathleen Turner to discuss their work on The Perfect Family. The two actresses talked about their new movie, its dramatic themes, Deschanel's connection to her role, Turner's complex character, the traps of method acting, religion, and working with the film's female director. 

Actress Taryn Manning is clearly no stranger to starring in films with musical themes but she is also an accomplished singer-songwriter in her own right. The actress is best known for her roles in the Oscar winning hip-hop films 8 Mile and Hustle & Flow, as well as starring opposite Britney Spears in her film debut Crossroads. But Manning has also licensed her own music to movies like Mean Girls, The Hot Chick, and The Italian Job. Now the actress/musician returns with a new film that seems tailor-made for her unique talents entitled The Perfect Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll, which opens in theaters on August 5th.

Written and directed by Scott Rosenbaum, the film revolves around a group of childhood friends who reunite their former band and must come face to face with their own “rock ‘n’ roll demons” (sex, drugs & booze) while on a cross-country trip that compels them to face their past, present, and future. In addition to Manning, the film features an excellent cast of actors including Kevin Zegers (Fozen), Jason Ritter (W.), Lauren Holly (Dumb & Dumber), Lukas Haas (Brick), and living legend Peter Fonda (Easy Rider). I recently had a chance to speak with Taryn Manning about The Perfect Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll and we discussed the film; it’s themes, music’s infamous “27 Club,” the recent passing of Amy Winehouse, Manning’s musical lineage, and working with the great Peter Fonda. Here is what she had to say:

If you've ever been catapulted to international fame and unimaginable wealth as a rock star, then you know stressful it is to produce a sophomore album that lives up to your acclaimed debut.  Particularly if you basically stole all the music for that first album from your childhood best friend and left him in the dust.  That's roughly the scenario in director and co-writer Scott D. Rosenbaum's The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll, with superstar Spyder (Kevin Zegers) heading home after a disastrous second album.  Once there, he must confront his best friend Eric (Jason Ritter) and set out on a down-and-dirty tour to save his musical soul.  Three new behind-the scenes featurettes explore the authentic music of the film, as well as the characters of Eric and Spyder.

Synopsis: Two estranged childhood friends channel their talent and passion for music into a cross-country road trip that brings them face to face with their past on a quest to confront the future. Spyder (Kevin Zegers--Transamerica, Dawn of the Dead), a world famous musician whose debut album is a huge hit, retreats to his hometown after his sophomore effort flops. There he reconnects with his former friend and collaborator, Eric Genson (Jason Ritter--Happy Endings, W), now a middle school music teacher. It's a reunion that forces the two to recall their youthful ambitions and re-examine the choices they've made.

Did you know that Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Kobain, and Jim Morrison all died at 27 years old?  That's got to hang over your head if you're a self destructive, world famous musician blowing out the candles on your 27th birthday cake.  In writer-director Scott D. Rosenbaum's The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll, Kevin Zegers plays just such a rock star, who is not only in that coincidentally dangerous 27th year, but who is also licking his wounds from his disastrous second album.  His failure prompts much soul-searching, a stripped-down tour riding shotgun with Peter Fonda, and a confrontation with the childhood friend (Jason Ritter) whose music he essentially stole.  Give the first trailer a watch.

The trailer for A Bag of Hammers, which played this week's SXSW Festival, is chock full of quirky indie movie hallmarks.  There's the low key aesthetic, deadpan comedy, and some inexplicable outfits.  If you have a low tolerance for quirk, then there's also the always-welcome song 'The Lovecats' by The Cure, and more importantly, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and The Town actress Rebecca Hall wearing a hat with a waffle on it.  Joining Hall in A Bag of Hammers are Jason Ritter and co-writer Jake Sandvig.  In case you forgot, I'll mention again that this trailer has Hall in a waffle hat.  What are you waiting for?

Synopsis: James (Ryan O’Nan) returns from Iraq to face a new battle, reintegrating into his small-town life in Texas. His wife (America Ferrera), his mother (Melissa Leo), and his friend (Jason Ritter) provide support, but they can’t fully understand the pain and suffering he feels since his tour of duty ended. Lonely, James reconnects with an army buddy (Wilmer Valderrama), who provides him with compassion and camaraderie during his battle to process his experiences in Iraq. But their reunion also exposes the different ways that war affects people, at least on the surface.This moving, taut story of redemption and reconstruction extends beyond a post-traumatic-stress-disorder narrative. O’Nan is heartbreaking as he explores the depths of his internal struggle; Ferrera fearlessly tackles her role of a young wife in turmoil. The Dry Land is about one man’s fight within his own terrain—his country, home, and mind—and his journey to rebuild what he’s lost.