THE JONE$ES (2010)  Movie Review

The movie, The Jones, comes out on Blue-ray and DVD on August 10, 2010 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. It stars Golden Globe winner David Duchovny and Golden Globe nominee Demi Moore who bring Mr. and Mrs. Jones to life. It is a story about deceptive marketing. How far will the companies go to sell their products?

The Jones just moved into a fabulous new home in an upper middle class suburban neighborhood. They have all the new high tech gadgets, cars, and clothes. They become the envy of their friends and neighbors. They appear to be a perfectly happy family. However, something it becomes evident that something is off about them when Mr. Jones takes a separate bedroom. The people in that hold a deep, dark secret. Each member has a deep problem that they must hide in order to keep up appearances.

There is the uptight, emotionless Mrs. Jones, the rookie Mr. Jones who struggle to differentiate business and family, the provocative teenage girl who sells more than her products and the resentful teenage boy with a conscious and an eye for the other crowd. Each member markets to a different demographic: adults and adolescence, male and female, sport equipment and cosmetics.

It is not enough anymore to air commercials or advertise on billboards. Corporate found a way to make top sales through a way called “family sales.” They focus on selling a lifestyle, the kind of lifestyle that maxes about credit cards and causes deep debt. Their amount of sales put their neighbors into some financial trouble. The deepest secret is that no self-respecting middle-class man can afford this lifestyle.

Their ruse does stay under their roof for very long after a tragic turn of events where Mr. Jones can no longer live with the lie. This movie holds a very important and time appropriate message. Their deception caught up with them, and their secrets came out just as they always do. It also demonstrates that expensive things and high tech toys are not the key to happiness. We need to refocus on the important things in life like love, family and friends.

This is a splendid movie to add to your movie collection. It will funny, dramatic, and thought provoking. It leaves the audience awed and transformed.