Modern Family – A Family Portrait

I have a completely insane family. So when I heard about Modern Family, I didn’t think much of it. The advert on TV just made me cringe. That was until I watched an episode. American comedies can sometimes disappoint, but this show is fantastic. I would venture to say it’s because it has a hint of British humour to it, with a lot of the slapstick and puns that we love so much.

This Emmy-winning “mockumentary” is a window into the Pritchetts’ and Dunphys’ everyday life. Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neil) is the patriarch of the family having a second go at fatherhood with his new, much younger Colombian wife Gloria (Sofia Vergara) and her son Manny. Right from the start, the stereotypes come rolling out: old guy with a younger wife who says “djes” (“yes” with the cutest Colombian accent) and it keeps on going. Manny is a grand romantic, writes songs and poetry, wears silk shirts and cologne. He’s an eleven year old child.

Jay also has two children from his first marriage: Mitchell and Clair. Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) is gay and lives with overemotional, over dramatic partner Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) who enjoys dressing up as a clown during his spare time. Together they have adopted Lily, a Vietnamese baby.

Clair (Julie Bowen, Kevin Spacey’s sexy wife in Horrible Bosses), a complete control freak, is married to Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell). Phil believes he is the coolest dad ever (he can sing and dance to all the High School Musical songs) and has a tendency to act like a child. They have three children: Haley, the popular high school teenager hooked to her phone, Alex the nerd and Luke who probably has ADHD or some obscure syndrome and is unbelievably accident prone. In addition, the cast includes appearances from Jay’s crazy ex-wife and Haley’s boyfriend Dylan who has a talent for writing brilliant but inappropriate songs (and performing them in front of his girlfriend’s parents).

Throughout the series two characters gain in importance and screen time. I’m talking about Gloria’s breasts. Approved of by arse-men, leg-men, tit-men, women and gay men, they provide voluptuous huge peaks to the scenery. Frequently clad in tight and plunging fabrics, there will always be an occasion to glimpse at the view. Subtlety clearly isn’t the producer’s policy.

The genius of this comedy lies most certainly with the script, the actors’ talent at its service but also in the simplicity and the everyday quality of the plot. The show is based on the families of the creators – Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd – supplying it with its realism, a beautiful comedy source. Your family may be dysfunctional but nowhere near as much as this one. You will laugh, cry and smile. So sit down with these hilarious and loveable characters and simply enjoy the beauty of modern family life.