My Wife’s Relations – Seen Through Some Swedish Glasses

So, Buster Keaton again, huh? Sometimes I wonder if this old stone-faced chap ever slips out of fashion. *My Wife’s Relations* (1922) is proper chaotic. You know that feeling when you’re at a släktkalas in Östersund and nobody knows whose shoe is whose after three snaps? That’s what this film is like, but in silent black-and-white and with twice the beard quotient.

Keaton winds up accidentally married (sign me up for that accident, eh?) and lands in the middle of a family storm. My favourite gag is that dinner table scene, when plates and accusations are flying faster than midsommar mosquitoes in Norrland. Katherine Grant plays the “wife”, and there’s a tenderness in her eyes that almost made me forgive her for all the chaos. And big up to producer Joseph M. Schenck, one of those Hollywood heavyweights who loved running the show from behind (probably sweating more than a Swedish kid on luciadagen).

You ever been around that one uncle who just… never blinks? I kept thinking of my Uncle Pelle, back in 1995 when he burnt the Christmas ham but blamed the cat. Watching Keaton wriggle out of trouble with these relations reminded me of that: One guy, outnumbered by family, too many opinions, not enough meatballs.

If you zoom out, this thing’s still surprisingly sharp about family, belonging, and just how bonkers people can get over a mix-up. Some of the slapstick is a bit “jösses,” maybe a bit old hat for 2024 eyes, but I laughed – and groaned – way more than expected.

Honestly? Let’s say, if you’ve ever been the odd bird out at a Swedish fika, you’ll get this film. Wear your best poker face. Bring extra patience. Maybe a herring sandwich, just in case.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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