Don't bother wasting your time on this overwrought, melodramatic and ultimately pointless drama about a dysfunctional family. Not one single element rings true from the caricature bad father to the frankly baffling casting - Hayden Panettiere and Julia Roberts play sisters and when the whole thing jumps forward in time, Roberts still plays the older sister, but now Emily Watson stars in the younger role (perhaps Roberts sold her soul to the devil to remain youthful whilst her younger sister aged 20 odd years).

The film tries to build a closet of family skeletons but once it does it has no idea what to do with them and instead results in delivering a flat and pat ending about reconciliation which is largely at odds with what went before it. The cast are fine on paper but none of them really care as they just go through the motions, which is all the leaden script and uninspired direction deserves.

This got some pretty horrible reviews, but I enjoyed it for some good performances by almost everyone involved. Still can't see Hayden Panettiere grow up into Emily Watson, though.

Too depressing at times and understand the character's relationships was very confusing at the start. The story seems to have little to no direction.

Lame. Just lame.

Good (emotional) acting and the dramatic premise was interesting. Felt so out of place to show the (brutal) abuse scenes and then the healing scenes of tossing the manuscript to the fire and watching home movies. Talk about 80/20.

Starts out painfully. Gradually, the pain is transferred to the characters and the film becomes quite watchable. All-star cast isn't trying very hard.

A quite unremarkable family melodrama with some fine acting by some of the participants, Willem Dafoe in particular, but ultimately goes nowhere and doesn't resonate for more than an hour before you ultimately forget you've even seen it.

Don't bother wasting your time on this overwrought, melodramatic and ultimately pointless drama about a dysfunctional family. Not one single element rings true from the caricature bad father to the frankly baffling casting - Hayden Panettiere and Julia Roberts play sisters and when the whole thing jumps forward in time, Roberts still plays the older sister, but now Emily Watson stars in the younger role (perhaps Roberts sold her soul to the devil to remain youthful whilst her younger sister aged 20 odd years).

The film tries to build a closet of family skeletons but once it does it has no idea what to do with them and instead results in delivering a flat and pat ending about reconciliation which is largely at odds with what went before it. The cast are fine on paper but none of them really care as they just go through the motions, which is all the leaden script and uninspired direction deserves.

Fireflies in the Garden is a story about an abusive father, a loving mother and their children and is often told in flashbacks. No, I haven’t confused in with The Tree of Life if that’s what you think. But just like Tree of Life it’s a family melodrama about coming to terms with your parents being like people are most. I liked it, and it’s an easy watch.

No family is perfect, most are dysfunctional, this one perhaps a little more so. Though no one bears physical scars the psychological ones run deep. After a family tragedy all seems lost.

But it gives everyone a chance to take stock of who they want to be and wonder if it's better to let go and forgive, rather than wait for an apology.

Outstanding performances by the well chosen cast, including the child actors. Emotional, heartfelt and a lot melancholy.

This got some pretty horrible reviews, but I enjoyed it for some good performances by almost everyone involved. Still can't see Hayden Panettiere grow up into Emily Watson, though.