A Family Affair

Edward and Helen have invested in a quaint country manor house which operates as a silent, "spiritual" retreat, but after months of poor performance and scathing online reviews, the bank is threatening to foreclose on the property. Unbeknownst to Helen, these threats have now culminated in a public auction at the property, which proves to hinder what should have been a celebration for her parents. Margaret and Walter (Helen's parents) are celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary and Albert (Edward's father) is "mourning" the recent loss of his wife. Complications arise when Albert arrives with a much younger, voluptuous "date" who takes an instant fancy to Walter, believing that he is old-moneyed, which he isn't. Meanwhile, Edward suspects that some of the guests may actually be buyers. He has to stave off this threat while trying to placate his own difficult mother-in-law, who never seems to have taken a fancy to Edward. Fortunately Rhys, the resident spiritual guru, brings some calm in the form of a really strong "organic" sedative. On a superficial level "A Family Affair" is a farcical romp but at its core, this is a story about love, loss, reconciliation and the complexities of family.