‘Keeping up with the Joneses” takes on its full meaning, and then some, in this very poignant satire about a model wife, Kate (Demi Moore) and her perfect husband, Steve (David Duchovny). They have two beautiful teenage children Mick and Jen (Ben Hollingsworth and Amber Heard), a new mansion in a new neighborhood, sports cars in the driveway and enough video and yard gadgets to keep Sky Mall and Sharper Image catalogs happy. Whatever the kids wear to class, every kid in school wants, whatever Steve purchases for his wife, every guy wants to buy for his. And soon you realize something else is going on here. On the surface they’re picture perfect but there’s no substance. They’re very smooth and cool but do we like them? Don’t we want them to fail? Forget keeping up with the Joneses, can’t we tear them down to our level? And then we can. “Stuff” gets in the way, which is exactly when the movie becomes something just short of brilliant. Suddenly they have a conscience and suddenly the tides are about to turn but not in the material way you’d suspect. Lauren Hutton has an evil bit part (spoiler alert) but handles the role with the grace of an older boss lady. While Moore is icy perfect, this is really Duchovony’s movie. He brings the right dose of sass from “Californication” before turning into a vulnerable man looking for answers and searching for love. In the end, the joke is on the audience. By the time you leave the theatre you’ll want to run home and donate that Sony Play Station and all your Tiffany jewels to the poor. Three and a Half Tiaras
