“Featuring a brilliant and eclectic cast of talented veterans and relative newcomers, this is a wickedly funny, occasionally poignant and authentic-to-its-core drama/comedy about three eventful days in the life of a totally relatable extended family.”
(***1/2 stars out of four)
—Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
“His intimate, actor-driven dramas are set not merely in the real world, but in specific locales, with dialogue testifying to the fact that both the characters and the place have histories that still weigh on them in the present. The movies are ragged and imperfect, alternate awkward and sublime, but when they hit, they strike deep and tear you up.” (*** stars out of four)
—Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com
“Crucial Viewing: Smith gracefully interweaves the lives of all four siblings, their liberal Baby Boomer parents, and a handful of other characters as they come together amiably and unhurriedly, employing the time-honored scenario of the big family gathering to consider how many of us live at the dawn of the 2020s.” (*** stars out of four)
—Ben Sachs, Cine-File
“One of the first great films I’ve seen in 2022…an impeccably cast, superbly directed and utterly captivating ode to the spontaneity and resilience of human connection”
—Matt Fagerholm, Indie Outlook
**** 1/2 stars out of five
—Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com
“The screenwriting is excellent with many lines you have to quote.” (**** stars out of four)
—Nancy Bishop, Third Coast Review
“A heartwarming and spectacularly acted visit with a loving but dysfunctional Chicago family, with some of the best ensemble performances you’ll see. This is an indie gem not to be missed.” (5 stars out of 5)
—Christopher Lloyd, The Film Yap
“One of 2022’s most rewarding indie cinema efforts.” (3.5 stars out of 4)
—Richard Propes, The Independent Critic
Grand Jury Award – Best Performance – Cameron Scott Roberts
—Gasparilla Film Festival
Best Actor – Francis Guinan
—Midwest Film Festival
Jury Award – Best Ensemble
—Festival of Cinema NYC
Best Narrative Feature
—Full Bloom Film Festival
Chicago Sun-Times (Review, 3 1/2 out of 4 stars): ‘Relative’: Three eventful days shake up a Chicago family in well-written, witty drama
RogerEbert.com (Review, 3 out of 4 stars): Relative
Chicago Tribune: ‘Relative,’ produced by Skokie man, coming to Gene Siskel Center
Cine-File Chicago (Review): Crucial Viewing: Michael Glover Smith’s RELATIVE
Indie Outlook (Review): Why Michael Glover Smith’s Relative is One of the Year’s Best Films
Third Coast Review (Review, 4 out of 4 stars: Review: Relative, a Genuinely Chicago Film, Tells the Story of a Rogers Park Family Going Through Change
HollywoodChicago.com (Review): Realizing Family as Truth! Audio Film Review of ‘Relative’
Kicking the Seat (Review): Relative Is Everything
Solzy at the Movies (Review, grade 4 out of 5): Relative Brings Dysfunction Home for Graduation
Wilmette Theatre (Review): Film Reviews by Glenn Turner
Cinema Femme Magazine: RELATIVE Q&A with Wendy Robie (TWIN PEAKS), Clare Cooney, Emily Lape, Melissa DuPrey and More!
SCREEN Magazine: Grand Jury Award for Chicago Indie RELATIVE and WALKING DEAD star Roberts
Chicago Reader: At the Siskel Center, Rogers Park is Tuesday’s Star
The Film Stage: A Family is at a Crossroads in Exclusive Trailer for Michael Glover Smith’s RELATIVE
Cinemajaw Podcast: Episode 558: Michael Glover Smith and Emily Lape
Hollywood Chicago Podcast: Michael Glover Smith Proves Everything is Relative
WDCB’s The Arts Section: Episode 503: Michael Glover Smith and Elizabeth Stam
Classic Chicago Magazine: It’s All Relative: Filmmaker Michael Glover Smith’s Winning New Movie Examines Chicago Family at Crossroads
Split-Tooth Media: Michael Glover Smith on Casting and Creating a Film Family for RELATIVE