Functioning with Perfection

 

10 chaotic dysfunctional family movies, you can watch/revisit during this lock down with your family.

Shailene Woodley, the American actress and activist said- ‘Every family is dysfunctional, whether you want to admit it or not’; ‘A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it’ is a statement by none other than poet Mary Karr. Dysfunction comes with comedy, comes with tragedy, sometimes it’s a revelation of dark truth, sometimes it’s just a way of understanding of the relationship dynamics. But with all dysfunctions around, together, they make a family!

In this time of pandemic, when we finally get to spend some quality time with our near and dear ones, what is a better way to enhance the mood than watching some good refreshing family movies? Let me introduce my 10 favourite dysfunctional family members who once come together, start functioning perfectly.

1.The Psychotic Hoover Family: Once power-couple Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris created a dream called ‘Little miss sunshine’. Each Hoover is a dreamer- one dreams to become a motivational coach, one dreams just to coach her grand-daughter. The brother dreams to become a fighter pilot while the mother has a simple dream that is to have a perfect family with no added stress of husband’s failed career, in-law’s drug addiction, son’s silent treatment or brother’s suicide attempts. When everybody fails, the entire family determines to fulfil at least one dream together and decides to go on a cross country road trip to support the daughter to win a beauty pageant. Will she win? Watch the movie to know what actually happens in the hilarious journey!

 

2.The Majestic Tenenbaums Family: This is a story of a family’s fight for their loved ones and on the way confronting their insecurities and regaining their trust in family. There is a dysfunction in every relationship -Richie Tenenbaum, once a Tennis Prodigy, now a submissive, self-contained brother who dares to love his adopted sister Margot. Chas Tenenbaum, a widower, overprotective father and a frustrated son who tries to have a balance in life. Margot Tenenbaums who with her complicated love lives tries to drown everybody with her. But with all these dysfunctions, there is always an honest attempt to make it work- which makes the movie beautiful.

 

3.The Oblivious Grape Family: Gilbert Grape’s attempts to be sincere in his responsibilities towards his mentally challenged brother-Arnie, his two oblivious sisters and a stagnant mother (who has never gone out for 7 years since his father’s tragic suicide) never seem to work for the family. What may happen if love comes in the way of responsibility? Who can offer Gilbert a shoulder when he needs it the most? Could there be any more misfortune awaiting in their lives? Find out What’s eating Gilbert Grape!

 

4.The Sadist Weston Family: August: Osage County is a story of Violet Weston, a mother of 3 daughters, suffering from mouth cancer and addicted to antidepressant drugs, and her approach to deal with any crisis with truth. The bold woman knows anything and everything dysfunctional about her family and dares to address them with honesty where her independent daughters fail to live up to the same expectations, while struggling to cope with the reality.  The film will provide you the best of the best acting from two powerhouses- Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

 

5.The Uptight Whittaker Family: Do you ever wonder how you are going to be judged in your new in-law’s family post marriage when the marriage is not arranged by them? Do you feel the struggle to convince your spouse about each action of yours as he seems to be a completely different person when his family is around? In this situation, if anybody in that maddened house helps you to function properly, you may start to doubt your own choice, own action and possibly be grateful to him forever! Meet the Whittaker family in Easy Virtue and learn their tale of fragile pride and strong prejudice!

 

6.The Eccentric Stone Family: Spoiler Alert! A family knows you so much that while being with them you realize what you actually want, which you don’t see otherwise. Everett Stone brings his girlfriend –Meredith to home in Christmas in an intention to propose her for marriage with the family-ring. Things turn complicated when Meredith, frustrated by the hostile welcome, invites her sister to provide emotional support to her. The sequences of events lead to even more confusions and finally there’s a happy ending where everybody settles for the best. Do not miss the Family Stone!

 

7.The Obscure Altman Family: after father’s demise the entire Altman family had to agree to stay in the same roof for a week. There is a bold mother, there are 4 clueless siblings with bizarre equations, there are might-have-been-s and there is a personal crisis in each one’s life. What happens then? In this hilarious expedition, they end up finding love, laughter and dark secrets they ever wished for.  ‘This is where I leave you’!

 

8.The Hilarious Griffin Family: Alejandro has to do a miracle in his own wedding ceremony to accommodate his 3 mothers in the same roof who all love and bless him equally, but struggle to exhibit the same wavelength with each other. There is an orthodox birth mom, an uptight mom who adopted him and raised him and there is his father’s love who is no less than a mother to him. The story becomes interesting where the other members of the family bring their own sub-plots. It is a [The] Big Wedding!

 

9.The Curious Fockers Family: Have you met the Fockers? How would you like if your life is under a continuous surveillance of a retired CIA officer whose daughter is to be married to you? The self-appointed private eyes never leave the family even after seeing his girl happily settled with her two beautiful children and a caring husband. The 3 series of comedy reflect that there is no way to get rid of the constant judgment of your family.

 

10.The Mysterious Thrombey Family: A ‘Whodunit’ story where an investigation revolves around understanding each character of a family to reach to the motive of the murder of a famous Novelist and the head of the family- Harlan Thrombey. Everyone is a suspect. Whose knives were out that midnight? Watch the ensemble star casted movie by Rian Johnson to know more.