So many bad reviews missing the point...
This is such a fantastically written and performed film, I am gobsmacked at all the hate. I'm wondering if people watched a different film?
The entire point is that the Stone family are an exceptionally close family unit, who have become extremely close through very difficult situations (from a profound disability to dealing with their mother's cancer the first time round). Breaking into a unit that strong is intimidating and very difficult - what's presented here is exactly what we all fear when we have to meet a partner's family for the first time.
The entire family are not horrible to her, only two of the family members are unpleasant to her - the youngest sister (who actually has already met her and formed a negative impression of her, which she has passed on to the others), and the mother who not only has high standards for her son (I can personally testify that this is common!) but knows she will die soon and wants to see her son happy. She's concerned about her son making a huge mistake. The rest of the family try to be pleasant to her, even though their first impression of her is that she's not right for Everett, and that she's not the type of person they'd want to spend time with.
SJP's performance is very good in my opinion. It's the only time I've ever seen her cast against type and she pulls it off. I find her uptight anxiety wholly believable. The rest of the cast are great too.
The script is beautifully written, full of astute observations and the central characters are mostly very three-dimensional.
This has been a favourite Christmas film of mine since I first saw it when it came out, long before I lost my mum to cancer this year. I always found that element of the film touching, but now I know how true and real it is too. Those scenes dealing with her cancer and her death absolutely break my heart now, but I will still watch this film every Christmas.
People are far too quick to label this as a bunch of nasty liberals, with token politically correct characters - I feel sorry for those people, as they're missing what is a very witty, cleverly written and beautifully real portrait of a close but still dysfunctional family (aren't they all?). I love it, and will continue to watch and recommend it.