kitschy seventies comedy does battle with some painful dramatics in ang lee's highly-regarded the ice storm , but the question of which of these wins is still in the air . it's 1973 , and the sexual revolution is in full bloom . so are the thick shag carpets , glass-bead necklaces , watergate hearings , and teen angst . and its an arctic thanksgiving weekend in connecticut where these things all come together , at the home of a small and highly dysfunctional family . kline and allen are the hapless parents of maguire and ricci , and everyone's up to no good in the sex department . dad is having an affair with the next door neighbor ( weaver ) , and the kids are ripe for all manner of trouble with show-and-tell games , experimental drugs , et . al . oh , and mom is pretty pissed about all of this . taken the wrong way , all of this can be pretty hilarious , and for the first hour , it is , as reminiscing over the maroon tux i wore to my cousin's wedding wins out over the drama behind the non-stop 70's jokes . but after that , the film takes a somber , almost melodramatic tone , and it ceases poking fun and starts asking questions -- questions which , ultimately , are never answered to any degree of satisfaction . the tragic ending is expected and simply doesn't leave you at peace . while i'm not the type of moviegoer who needs everything neatly spelled out , i do appreciate some sense of closure . in the end , this film is an enjoyable one , but it may be a little too hip for its own good . 
