{ "id": "eppt45xy1n", "slug": "a-family-affair", "title": "A Family Affair", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance", "label": "Comedy and romantic films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2024", "label": "Comedies of 2024", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2024" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2024.alpha-symbols-to-l", "label": "Titles symbols to L", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2024.alpha-symbols-to-l" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2024", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Comedies of 2024", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2024", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance", "label": "Comedy and romantic films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2024", "label": "Comedies of 2024", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2024" } ] } ], "excerpt": "A Family Affair (2024) is a Netflix romantic comedy directed by Richard LaGravenese, written by Carrie Solomon, starring Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King; released June 28, 2024, it scored 36% on Rotten Tomatoes.", "snippet": "A Family Affair (2024) is a Netflix romantic comedy directed by Richard LaGravenese, written by Carrie Solomon, starring Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King; released June 28, 2024, it scored 36% on Rotten Tomatoes.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2024.alpha-symbols-to-l", "markdown": "# A Family Affair\n\n**A Family Affair** is a 2024 American romantic comedy directed by Richard LaGravenese and released on Netflix on June 28, 2024, in which a young woman's life is upended when the movie star she works for begins a romance with her widowed mother.[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81361154) It stars [Nicole Kidman](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicole-kidman), Zac Efron, and [Joey King](https://www.edgepedia.org/joey-king), with [Kathy Bates](https://www.edgepedia.org/kathy-bates) and Liza Koshy in supporting roles.[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81361154)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Release | Netflix, June 28, 2024 (United States)[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81361154) |\n| Director and writer | Richard LaGravenese (*P.S. I Love You*, *Beautiful Creatures*), from a screenplay by Carrie Solomon[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81361154) |\n| Main cast | Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood, Zac Efron as Chris Cole, Joey King as Zara Ford, Kathy Bates as Leila Ford, Liza Koshy as Eugenie[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-family-affair-2023) |\n| Rating and runtime | PG-13; about 1 hour 51 minutes to 1 hour 54 minutes depending on the listing[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_family_affair_2024_2) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-family-affair-2023) |\n| Critical scores | 36% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (101 reviews) and 31% on the audience Popcornmeter; a Metacritic Metascore of 43 from 23 reviews[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_family_affair_2024_2) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21051906/criticreviews/) |\n| IMDb rating | 5.4 from about 41,000 user votes[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-family-affair-2023) |\n| Streaming | Available on Netflix and Netflix Standard with Ads; not on Disney+, Prime Video, or Apple TV+[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-family-affair-2023) • [5](https://stream-tracker.com/en/film/a-family-affair-2024) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nZara Ford (Joey King) works as the personal assistant to Chris Cole ([Zac Efron](https://www.edgepedia.org/zac-efron)), a self-absorbed Hollywood star whose latest franchise film, *Icarus Rush 4*, is described within the movie as \"'Die Hard' meets 'Miracle on 34th Street'\".[6](https://www.thewrap.com/a-family-affair-review-netflix-nicole-kidman-zac-efron/) When Zara quits, a chance encounter brings Chris together with her mother, Brooke Harwood (Nicole Kidman), a widowed, award-winning writer, and the two quickly begin a romance.[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81361154) • [7](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-06-26/a-family-affair-netflix-nicole-kidman-zac-efron-joey-king) Netflix describes the result as a multigenerational, coming-of-age romantic comedy in which the three characters face the complications of love, sex, and identity.[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81361154)\n\n## Production\n\nThe screenplay was written by Carrie Solomon, who was 24 when she wrote it; director Richard LaGravenese said he saw it as an opportunity to make a romantic comedy that was also a coming-of-age story for three characters at three different stages of life.[8](https://www.thewrap.com/a-family-affair-richard-lagravenese-interview/) After the 2023 WGA and [SAG-AFTRA](https://www.edgepedia.org/sag-aftra) strikes ended, the production returned for two weekends of reshoots at Trancas Country Market in [Malibu, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/malibu-california), to capture a revised ending before the summer 2024 release.[9](https://www.netflixmovies.com/a-family-affair-2024)\n\nOne scene in which Chris takes an ice bath was inspired by the real Efron's bulking-up regimen for the film *The Iron Claw*.[10](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-family-affair-netflix-movie-review-2024) A running gag in which Zara walks in on her mother and boss and collides with a doorframe took repeated takes; Joey King performed the hit seven times, with foam wood placed in the door and frame for safety.[11](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/a-family-affair-nicole-kidman-zac-efron-joey-king-release-date-photo)\n\n## Reception\n\nThe film received broadly negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes recorded a 36% Tomatometer from 101 reviews and a 31% audience score, with a critics consensus stating that despite Efron and Kidman's return to rom-com territory, the film \"squabbles with its own tonality too much to elevate its litany of clichés\".[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_family_affair_2024_2) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 43 based on 23 reviews, in the \"mixed or average\" range.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21051906/criticreviews/) IMDb users rated it 5.4 out of 10 from about 41,000 votes.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-family-affair-2023)\n\nReviewers disagreed about the leads. *Time* found the repartee between Efron and Kidman amusing and their chemistry surprisingly good, noting the two had previously played lovers in the 2012 film *The Paperboy*.[12](https://time.com/6993661/a-family-affair-review/) Other critics were less convinced: the *AV Club* gave a D−, and several reviews cited a lack of chemistry between the leads or a story that \"makes no emotional sense\".[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_family_affair_2024_2) Angie Han of *The Hollywood Reporter*, in a 70-point review, wrote that the film lurches between showbiz send-up and earnest romantic drama without settling on a single tone, while crediting both halves with enough charm to leave viewers smiling.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21051906/criticreviews/)\n\n## Comparison with The Idea of You\n\n*A Family Affair* was released weeks after Prime Video's *The Idea of You*, which also depicts an older single mother falling for a much younger, famous man, and reviewers treated the two as a matched pair.[12](https://time.com/6993661/a-family-affair-review/) Several critics judged *A Family Affair* the weaker of the two: *The Independent* called it \"like a heavily medicated *The Idea of You*\" with less romantic chemistry, and the ABC's review noted that *The Idea of You* grounded its premise in a sincere reflection on middle age, misogyny, and sex.[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/a-family-affair-netflix-nicole-kidman-b2567905.html) • [14](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-03/a-family-affair-review-zac-efron-nicole-kidman-film/104030384) The *Los Angeles Times* interview with the cast framed the pairing differently, with Efron describing the earlier *Paperboy* relationship as an unrequited love whose building blocks carried into this film.[7](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-06-26/a-family-affair-netflix-nicole-kidman-zac-efron-joey-king)\n\n## References\n\n1. [A Family Affair, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81361154)\n2. [A Family Affair streaming: where to watch online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-family-affair-2023)\n3. [A Family Affair (2024), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_family_affair_2024_2)\n4. [A Family Affair (2024) - Metacritic reviews, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21051906/criticreviews/)\n5. [Is the movie A Family Affair available on Netflix, Disney+, Prime or Apple TV+?, Stream Tracker](https://stream-tracker.com/en/film/a-family-affair-2024)\n6. ['A Family Affair' Review: Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman's Netflix Rom-Com, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/a-family-affair-review-netflix-nicole-kidman-zac-efron/)\n7. ['A Family Affair': Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King on their rom-com, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-06-26/a-family-affair-netflix-nicole-kidman-zac-efron-joey-king)\n8. ['A Family Affair' Director Richard LaGravenese Explains What's Different About Making a Rom-Com in 2024, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/a-family-affair-richard-lagravenese-interview/)\n9. [Watch A Family Affair on Netflix Today!, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/a-family-affair-2024)\n10. [A Family Affair movie review & film summary, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-family-affair-netflix-movie-review-2024)\n11. [In A Family Affair, Joey King's Celebrity Boss Is Dating Her Mom, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/a-family-affair-nicole-kidman-zac-efron-joey-king-release-date-photo)\n12. [Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman Have Surprisingly Great Chemistry in A Family Affair, Time](https://time.com/6993661/a-family-affair-review/)\n13. [A Family Affair review: Nicole Kidman romance is like a heavily medicated The Idea of You, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/a-family-affair-netflix-nicole-kidman-b2567905.html)\n14. [A Family Affair review: this film fails to have fun with itself, ABC News (Australia)](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-03/a-family-affair-review-zac-efron-nicole-kidman-film/104030384)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Comedy and romantic films (individual works) › Comedies of 2024 › Titles symbols to L*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/a-family-affair", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/a-family-affair.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"A Family Affair\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/a-family-affair. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[A Family Affair](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-family-affair)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/a-family-affair](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-family-affair). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"A Family Affair\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/a-family-affair. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "A Family Affair is a Netflix romantic comedy directed by Richard LaGravenese, written by Carrie Solomon, starring Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King; released June 28, 2024, it scored 36% on Rotten Tomatoes." }