Using photographs, interviews, home movies, and footage shot in Philadelphia and abroad, Family Portrait Sittings lays out the history of the filmmaker's family, including grandparents, parents and other relatives. Divided into three sections and proceeding chronologically—from the Guzzettis’ origins in Italy to their life in the United States—the film not only chronicles the family’s intimate events but also inserts them into the history of 20th century America. Guzzetti carefully includes the recounting of customs that document a shift from immigrant community to assimilation into a less communal, contemporary America.