Families are a division of our societies, they are like societies within societies and therefore, a fundamental part of life as human beings. So, there’s no doubt that they are also very important to the audiovisual and entertainment industry. They make parks for families, shopping centers for family entertainment, family cars and of course, family movies.
This article reflects on two types of audiovisual product, the one destined for the whole family and products that deal with families themselves.
Let’s get started!
This is not a didactic section or anything like that, I am nobody to teach anything to any of you, I'm not going to engage too much in unnecessary technicalities or crazy theories about how the audiovisual industry models our societies, telling us what we’re supposed to desire, and getting us to consume whatever a famous TV person announces or uses in the "idyllic" fictitious families they present us as real.
There are hundreds of series and movies that show us families, some are dramatic, some are humorous, there’s even horror surrounding some of them ... one that comes to mind is “La Visita”, a film I recommend because of the novelty of its development, and just because I liked it, no more reasons behind it xD
My definition of a"family movie" is simple ... it’s a film a child may like, while having some "punchlines" that can be funny to an adult. Disney is the biggest specialist in this type of cinema. Which usually consist on animated films that children find funny and adults think are proper because of the "values" they teach . I personally think that you can find some good products, but there’s also some stinkers.
Although, one exception to the definition I have given earlier could be “The Simpsons”. They are cartoons, an animated family, but it’s not a product intended for children, it’s a slap in the face of society, mainly the US in this case, but you can also see features of other Western societies.
In the section of products that reflect a family on the screen we have hundreds, thousands, millions ... but none of them reaches the level of “The Godfather” and “The Sopranos”.
That’s right folks, the Famiglia, the Mafia, Italians exported to America the "best" of their culture ... Their concept of family, their unbreakable union and their love for easy money added to their contempt for not allowing them to get that money is as cinematic as it can get, and whenever it’s been portrayed and shown to the public, for some reason i don’t know, it’s been a success.
I would have to wash my mouth to talk about one of the best movie sagas in the history of cinema, The Godfather films are mythical. Surely you don’t know someone who has not say that ...
The Godfather has many mythical scenes, here I leave you a little Youtube montage with some of them ... I hope you have seen this saga, if not, stop reading this, rent it, download it, STEAL IT if you have to !!! But you need to watch it ;)
As you can see, family is the most important thing for these killers ... well, family is the excuse, what they like most is money ;)
In the film world there is no doubt, the king of movies centered about families is The Godfather and in the series section, the undisputed leader is The Sopranos... followed closely by The Prince of Bell-Air xD, it’s also about a family and his adventures!
A family is something that is not chosen, you have to endure it and you have to support it / enjoy it, what we can actually choose is to belong or not belong to the Cervantes Project family, which of course, I recommend to all of you ;)
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