The humor in Tokyo Sonata is subtle and understated, but it's there. As the family's dysfunction slowly comes to light, we're left wondering whether they'll be able to come together and overcome their problems. The eldest son is contemplating joining the US military, while the younger son is skipping school and learning to play the piano in secret. Meanwhile, his wife and two sons are each dealing with their own issues. The father, Ryuhei, loses his job but hides it from his family, leading him to embark on a series of strange and ultimately futile adventures. In Tokyo Sonata, we meet the Sasaki family, a seemingly normal Japanese family with a dark secret. Related: Wes Anderson’s Brother – The Unsung Hero of The Royal Tenenbaums But as the movie progresses, we see that there is still love and loyalty between them, despite all of their flaws. Each character is flawed in their own unique way, and their interactions with one another are fraught with tension and awkwardness. But it's the dysfunction of this family that really makes this movie shine. The movie is dark and quirky, with a distinct Wes Anderson style. And Richie, the eldest son, is a former tennis star who has never been able to move past his feelings for Margot. Margot, the adopted daughter, is a secretive playwright who is unhappy in her marriage. Chas, the youngest son, is a widower who is obsessed with protecting his two young sons from harm. In The Royal Tenenbaums, we meet a family of former child prodigies who are all struggling to find their place in the world as adults. The Tenenbaum family is one of the most dysfunctional families in movie history.
In this list, we'll explore some of the best movies in this sub-genre, examining the ways in which they capture the hilarity and heartache of family life. So, whether you're looking for a way to escape your own dysfunctional family, or just looking for a good laugh, comedy movies about dysfunctional families are sure to deliver. They also offer a way to examine the ways in which families can be both sources of comfort and sources of frustration. These movies can be a cathartic experience for audiences, offering a chance to laugh at the dysfunction that exists in our own families. Other times, it's a dysfunctional extended family, like in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where a young woman navigates the complexities of her Greek-American family as she falls in love with a non-Greek man. Sometimes it's a dysfunctional nuclear family, like in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, where the Griswold family's attempt at a perfect holiday goes hilariously wrong. The depiction of dysfunctional families in comedy movies can take many forms. Related: 2000s Family Movies That Had Problematic Premises These movies offer a chance to laugh at ourselves, our families, and the many absurd situations that arise when we're all thrown together. We all have family members we love, and we all have family members who drive us crazy. These films delve into the dynamics of families, examining the ways in which they work, or don't work, together.Īt their core, comedy movies about dysfunctional families are about the universality of human experience. But perhaps one of the most popular sub-genres of comedy is the family drama. From slapstick to satire, there's a comedy for every taste.
Comedy movies have been a staple of cinema since the beginning, offering audiences a much-needed escape from the stresses of everyday life.