Comments on: Family Viewing

By: Lally

Lally — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:40:15 +0000

There is this documentary called “My Flesh and Blood” about a woman who adopts 13 handicapped children. It is brilliant, involves legal issues, and has a lot of relevant outtakes.

By: jk

jk — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:04:39 +0000

Ordinary People dealt with some very good family topics and is an excellent film.
Slingblade is a good film loosely dealing with the family and has some great performances, esp the little boy.
I second The Royal Tenebbaums, but one should not overlook Rushmoore or The Life Aquatic, which all have family undertones.
A few Elijah Wood films I remember being oddly good, but it has been awhile since I’ve seen them: Radio Flyer and The War. Both I think weren’t well received by the general public.

By: geert

geert — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:41:15 +0000

L’enfant (the Dardenne brothers), and Thomas Vinterberg’s ‘Festen’ (you can’t bring your children to watch the latter, though)

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:40:38 +0000

Many of the films listed I’d be happy to vote against for various reasons but I don’t suppose it’s worth going into. But, I hope, Harry, that you’ll tell use what you eventually use and how it all goes. I’m sure it would be interesting to hear.

By: Saheli

Saheli — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:20:34 +0000

I second Monsoon Wedding, way over Bend It Like Beckham. If you want Chaddha, go for Bhaji on the Beach. If you want British Immigrants, go for My son the fanatic with Om Puri. Both those latter might not be child friendly; not sure. I also second Little Miss Sunshine, Addams Family Values, The Lion in Winter, Chaplin’s The Kid, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Suggestions I didn’t see here: Billy Elliott (family opposition, family coming together, community, very much about children, slightly more heartful and less precious than little miss sunshine); Grapes of Wrath. I never saw the movie, but Joy Luck Club the book certainly has some interesting material. The Professional is very violent but oddly moving. BTW, if you characterize Monsoon Wedding or PatherPanchali/Aparajito/ApuSansar as being about arranged marriages, you’re getting it all wrong IMHO: they are about parents and grown children. And it’s rather sappy—but hey, I grew up with them—-I have to say the Apple Dumpling Gang and Benji are rather charming on the family front.

By: mrsizer

mrsizer — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:39:40 +0000

All in the Family episodes. I saw them when I was too young (7? 8?) to get the sarcasm and hated them. As an adult – especially now with 30 years of hindsight – they’re great. In today’s PC world, they’ll drive any audience nuts – great way to start a discussion.

By: MarkieP

MarkieP — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:04:52 +0000

I third “You Can Count on Me.” Linney and Ruffalo are fantastic.

By: SamChevre

SamChevre — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:43:10 +0000

Second “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”

By: bemused

bemused — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 04:30:39 +0000

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

By: cw

cw — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:51:24 +0000

Arrested Development

By: Bill Snowden

Bill Snowden — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:13:27 +0000

Paper Moon
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

By: Luke

Luke — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:53:54 +0000

The first season of “Friday Night Lights” though not all episodes at all times. The downside is that there’s a lot of careful accumulation of events.

Though it’s theoretically a show about small town America and football, and possibly stronger on particularly patriarchic visions of family and sculpting of masculinity, there’s a diversity of family structures, masculinities, and so on, on display, as well as five extremely strong female characters. Different episodes would emphasize different aspects of each, of course.

By: Wrongshore

Wrongshore — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:39:06 +0000

Monsoon Wedding. Generously explores what it might mean for a professional, “liberated” woman to accept an arranged marriage. Subplot treats molestation and family secrets.

Freaks and Geeks. “Kim Kelly is My Friend” is a good family episode, but there are any number of great ones.

By: Tim Merritt

Tim Merritt — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:20:23 +0000

Danny Boyles’ Millions.

By: David

David — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:13:45 +0000

If.

Heathers.