A family film is a
film genre that, like a
children's film, is
suitable for young children, but
with the difference that a family
film has been carefully written,
directed, cast and acted so that it
will appeal to all members of
a typical family (or if not typical,
at least representing the cultural
ideal):
-
Father
-
Mother
-
Teens
-
Small children
To meet these contradictory
requirements, producers sometimes
look for scripts whose plots depict
problems that all these types of
people might identify with.
An example is
Beethoven (1992).
-
It has a big cute dog named
Beethoven who is responsible for
slapstick comedy on the father
and mother. The dog gets in
trouble that is simple enough
for the smallest child to
understand.
-
The father has business
problems, briefly but thoroughly
developed, with silly
side-lights to keep the children
from being bored.
-
The teens love the dog and
resent the unfeeling father.
-
The mother has relationship
problems: The father hates the
dog, the children want the dog
and feel unloved, the mother has
to make peace, keep the house
clean, the kids fed, the husband
loved, and remain lovable.
-
The problem is resolved when the
father accepts the dog, and
rescues him from evil mad
scientists, with the help of the
family.
-
Thus, the dog stays happy,
Father remains king of the hill,
(very satisfying for both adults
and children), and the
relationships are healed,
solving the mother's problems.
Family films generally do not
contain content that would be deemed
unsuitable for children. In the
United States, such films
are usually conceived so as to
guarantee nothing greater than a
G or PG rating. Note that
this rating does not distinguish
between
children's films and
family films.
Some examples of family films
include:
