DVD Reviews

The Joneses - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Aug 13, 2010, 15:37 GMT

The Joneses, a seemingly perfect family, are the envy of their posh, suburban neighborhood filled with all the trappings of the upper middle class. They are the ultimate trend setters with an endless supply of high-tech toys, designer clothes, fast cars and the latest gadgets. But as the neighbors try to keep up with the Joneses, none are prepared for the truth about this all too perfect family. ...more

They’re a family that’s hard to keep up with. However, they may not be all that you imagine them to be in this dark comedy that looks at consumerism, keeping up with your neighbors, and the troubles caused by both of them.

Kate (Demi Moore) and Steve (David Duchovny) Jones and their kids Jenn (Amber Heard) and Mick (Ben Hollingsworth) have recently moved into a suburban neighborhood. The neighbors, including Larry (Gary Cole) and Summer (Glenne Headly), take notice of the new arrivals since they seem to have the best and brightest of everything.

There’s a reason for those excesses and products since they’re not a real family. They’re actors hired to play a real family by a corporation, run by KC (Lauren Hutton), who is paid to surreptitiously push those same products to greater market penetration. Kate is the most go-getting of the group and wants to lead her “family” up the corporate ladder in the company.

Steve soon adapts to the “job” and adopts the same attitude, all the while pursuing his “wife.” However, he starts to see that his humanity doesn’t depend on hocking consumer goods and begins to question the duplicity of it all as it begins to adversely affect his neighbors.

I’d call it the “grass is always greener” syndrome. You think that the neighbors are richer, cooler, have less problems, and have more sex than you do. It may even look that way, but when they get home they probably think that it’s you that has all of those things and they’re the miserable ones.

However, that never stops people from buying more, better stuff to try and keep up with the Joneses. What we find out in this movie is that the Joneses should be happy as they get all of their swag for free and it’s to make sure that you keep buying the stuff that they have.

The Joneses should be thrilled since they don’t have to pay a dime for their cool cars and goods, although they do occasionally pick up a client that they have to push that’s a bit below them (a 17% alcohol rum punch in a pouch that looks like a kid drink), but the client is paying them so they’ll push it all.

You have to put your conscious aside, but that nagging little voice will start to get the better of you when you start to see some adverse affects on those around you because sometimes the “grass is greener” over the septic tank.

The movie is also a fable about consumerism and our need to buy bigger and better things to impress others (who probably don’t care anyway). No matter that we’ll have debts that we can’t pay afford to pay. We’ll be fielding collection calls, but dammit the Smiths will think that we’re rich… until we fall apart and the bank takes it all. It isn’t worth it and that’s what the film is trying to get across.

That and things aren’t always what they appear. However, the filmmakers have assembled a game cast for this dark comedy fable.

The Joneses is presented in a 1080p transfer (2.40:1). Special features are 4 minutes of deleted scenes in standard definition and previews for other Fox products.

The Joneses is a film that should get us to thinking about impressing others and how it isn’t really worth it. Too bad they cheaped out on the special features.