Title: Modern Family
Starring: Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet
Director: Jason Winer, Michael Spiller and others
Duration: 600 minutes (24 episodes)
Released: 4th October 2010
‘Modern Family’ is a new Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy® Award-winning show released on DVD on 4th October. It is a mockumentary style series that attempts to take a candid look at three related modern families.
Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill, Married with Children), is a bit of a business tycoon and as those types tend to do he’s married a much younger woman. A sexy, feisty, Columbian by the name of Gloria (Sofia Vergara). The only problem for Jay is that Gloria has a young son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez II). Manny is a hopeless romantic, even though he’s only about ten years old, he’s also really sensitive which makes his new step-dad a little uncomfortable. And why is he uncomfortable? Probably because he has a strange relationship with his own son Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), who is openly gay and living with his partner Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) and the fact that they have just adopted a Vietnamese baby. Jay isn’t exactly progress in his thinking, but he does manage to be happy for them.
Mitchell and Cameron have very different personalities. Mitchell is uptight and careful about things, while Cameron has a penchant for the dramatic and has a love of musical theatre. They are learning to be good parents but as they are new at it and have no experience and no woman’s maternal touch they are finding it a little difficult and run into several problems.
Jay’s daughter Claire (Julie Bowen) is married to Phil (Ty Burrell) who are both desperate to have honest and healthy relationships with their own three children. Phil is the ‘cool’ dad, trying to speak like the kids do and being cool about them doing inappropriate things. Claire however is keen to keep the kids in check to make sure that they don’t have a rebellious childhood like she did. Their teenage daughter Haley (Sarah Hyland) is growing up too fast for Claire’s liking but Phil is trying to be cool. He accidentally shoots Haley’s boyfriend with a BB gun. It’s the funniest part of the pilot but there are plenty of over genuine laughs along the way as well, such as when Claire and Phil have an impromptu night out on Valentine’s Day and they try to pick each other up in a bar, an idea which almost ends up in the worst possible way. When Manny tries to win back the love of his life (one of many over several episodes) when he faces off with a young rival in an ice cream parlour with back up from Cameron, and Mitchell – his lawyer. As well as the misguided adventure under the house taken by Phil and his son – in an effort to find treasure – when they find something altogether more creepy. There are so many funny moments in this first season that I’m not at all surprised that it’s been taken on for a second season and I’ll be excited to see that as well.
Modern Family is well directed by various directors including Jason Winer (13 episodes) who has directed an episode of the US hit show Samantha Who? and Michael Spiller (7 episodes) who has directed 20 episodes of Scrubs so there is clearly some talent on board. The realistic way in which it is filmed requires handheld cameras and this is fine for the purpose of realism but it’s something that I’ve always personally disliked. I prefer a fairly static camera. I’m not a fan of cameras doing rapid close ups and the use of fairly free camera movement, but it’s not at all as bad as it might be, often such camerawork is vomit-inducing. Here it is bearable.
The acting is all of a high quality and whilst I hated ever watching Married With Children simply because it starred Ed O’Neil, he is not irritating at all here. He’s actually quite likable, which o0f course goes to show that he is a good actor and I misjudged him simply because his character in Married With Children was such an arse. It’s also interesting to see Ty Burrell in a TV show, I really enjoyed his performance in the horror/zombie film – Dawn of the Dead a few years ago, so it’s nice to see him in a show that’s actually good. The child actors are also all very good. They seem very natural.
Season One consists of all the 24 episodes plus added extras including deleted, extended and alternate scenes, gag reel and Modern Family ‘Hawaii’ amongst others. The show won six Emmys® at the 2010 Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series for Eric Stonestreet. It’s all well deserved because the show is among the best new TV series of the year. Season Two is already in production pointing to the show becoming increasingly popular and well known. It has aired on UK TV on Sky One, but even if you’ve not seen it this boxset is a worthwhile purchase.
Modern Family is highly recommended.
