How does one define the modern family? Maybe a father, mother, three kids, stern grandfather and crazy grandma. ABC agrees, except for a few minor details.
In the case of Modern Family, the mother, Claire, has a gay brother who has a partner and a Vietnamese adopted baby. Claire’s mother and father are divorced, and her father married a Colombian bombshell who is Claire’s age and has a 10-year-old son. Not to mention, they all live within 15 minutes of each other. Despite all this madness, the Dunphys are the most lovable family on television.
Modern Family boasts a gorgeous and hilarious cast including Ty Burrell (Leaves of Grass) and Julie Bowen (Kids in America) as the show’s protagonists Phil and Claire Dunphy.
Although the family is unordinary to say the least, the dynamics are relatable to anyone who has a passion for his or her own family. The show does a surprisingly good job of blending comedy with important messages ranging from family to acceptance. The comic mask makes the show’s entertainment value incomparable to any other contemporary family sitcoms.
After considering every possible negative quality of the show, I came up with one; the theme song is boring. Otherwise, the show is flawless.
In addition to its depth and comedy, a great tool that Modern Family uses is the aside. The show seems almost like a fake reality show in that the characters are aware of the camera and often make faces at it for whatever reason. Also, each character is interviewed on camera during the show and the answers are played between the show’s subplots, making it easier to watch, understand and enjoy.
After the show’s first full season, the ratings have not missed a step, because everyone who watches even one episode of the show cannot wait until the next Wednesday at 9 p.m. to sit down and enjoy a simple, yet incredible piece of entertainment.
Any one episode of the show has more memorable quotes than Wedding Crashers and Superbad combined. On top of that, the actors are greatly talented, which is a rare occurence in start-up sitcoms.
Modern Family could easily soar to the top of the ratings by the third or fourth season, and mark my words; this show could be our generation’s Cosby Show. Phil Dunphy is stupid. Other than that, he is as much of a Bill Huxtable as anyone I have seen on recent television. The similarities between the two characters are obvious, but unlike Huxtable who teaches by example, Dunphy is funnier because he inadvertently uses reverse psychology by showing the children exactly how not to act.
