Will someone at 20th Century Fox please do something to save The Family Stone? Are they planning on at least sneaking it in theatres nationwide on the weekend after next (12.9 to 12.11, which is the weekend before the 12.16 opening)? I’ve tried not to oversell it but it shouldn’t be undervalued either. The Family Stone is one of the cleverest, warmest and most likable films of the holiday season, as well as the best home-for-the-holidays flick ever made. But (and here’s what makes it so fresh and alive) it’s also one of those delightful in-betweeners — not exactly a comedy, not precisely a drama. And yet people keep asking, “Is it a comedy or a drama…which is it?” and I’m really starting to lose it over this. It’s both, genius brains! You know…the way life itself tends to be? I’m also fretting because Stone‘s latest tracking figures haven’t shown signs of improvement. First choice is 1% (which is terrible for a film opening in two weeks’ time…a decent number would be 5 or 6), definite awareness is 24% (it should be in the 30s by this point) and general awareness is at 45 (it should be in the 60s). You can pay some attention to that teaser-trailer that’s been showing for months that suggests the film is some kind of Sarah Jessica Parker-ish relationship comedy…obviously an attempt to grab SJP’s Sex and the City fans. It’s partly that but it’s so much more.