A gay-friendly holiday: 20 fascinating facts about modern Christmas classic The Family Stone

Thomas Bezucha’s 2005 The Family Stone tells the story of the Stonex, a tight-knit, extremely liberal New England brood thrown into chaos when golden child Everett (the dashing Dermot Mulroney) brings home his girlfriend, the tightly wound and politically conservative Meredith (icon Sarah Jessica Parker) for Christmas.

When things go south—Meredith is casually homophobic toward Everett’s deaf, gay brother Thad (Tyrone Giordano) and mom Sybil (Diane Keaton) is dealing with terminal cancer—Meredith calls in her sister, the much more amiable Julie (Claire Danes) for backup.

Though the dramedy wasn’t big with the critics, it became a commercial success. Now, nearly 20 years later, it’s been dubbed a seasonal staple by many, with LGBTQ+ fans praising it for being one of the few holiday films of its time to prominently feature queer characters.

With the film surely playing on TV screens across the country this holiday season, read on for 20 fascinating facts about The Family Stone…