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Back in the days of June and Ward Cleaver, the typical American (television) family consisted of a mom, a dad, and their two biological children. These days, as far as families are concerned, whether on TV or in real life, anything goes. Families are split, blended, or lovingly manufactured—just like the families on ABC’s aptly-named award-winning sitcom, Modern Family.
Once again, the third season of Modern Family follows the various branches of the Pritchett family through all kinds of family dysfunction. Like most sitcoms, it’s mostly a series of unrelated episodes. Throughout the course of the season, the Pritchetts find themselves on vacation in Jackson Hole, taking up new hobbies, celebrating Express Christmas™, and hanging out at Disneyland.
But the season also contains a few ongoing story arcs—particularly Claire’s (Julie Bowen) campaign for city council against incumbent Duane Bailey (David Cross). Meanwhile, Claire and Phil’s (Ty Burrell) daughter, Haley (Sarah Hyland), considers her post-graduation future, while Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cam (Eric Stonestreet) try to adopt a little brother for daughter Lily (a newly-cast and absolutely adorable Aubrey Anderson-Emmons).
As the old saying goes, “It’s funny ‘cause it’s true.” And that’s precisely why Modern Family continues to entertain audiences and rake in the awards. It’s honest and observant, capturing the funniest moments of everyday life—the ones that, in our hectic day-to-day lives, so often pass by unnoticed. Fortunately, though, Modern Family’s writers take note—and, episode after episode, they manage to turn something as seemingly mundane as a class project, a parenting dilemma, or a family dinner into something laugh-out-loud hilarious.
At the same time, though, the writers also know when it’s okay to take things just a step further—to go beyond the usual family misadventures and go just a little over-the-top. For the Pritchetts, birthday parties just aren’t birthday parties without an elaborate theme, hospital visits sometimes turn into telenovelas, and family dinners regularly result in the craziest of competitions. And, of course, in enviable sitcom style, any issue that may pop up is neatly resolved in a matter of just 22 minutes.
Modern Family is the perfect mix of reality and exaggeration. Sometimes, it’s funny simply because it’s so completely ridiculous. Most of the time, though, it’s funny because it reminds you of yourself—or maybe your spouse, your kids, your friends, or someone else. The characters are instantly recognizable and undeniably lovable—and, once again this season, the performances couldn’t be much better.
The families depicted in Modern Family may not be the typical nuclear families. There are second wives and step-kids and kids with two dads. But even if your family happens to be of the Leave It to Beaver variety, you’ll easily relate to the Pritchetts’ day-to-day (or week-to-week) misadventures.
Blu-ray Review:
Fans of Modern Family won’t want to miss the extras included on the Blu-ray release of the show’s third season. Each of the set’s three discs includes a handful of features—from deleted scenes to behind-the-scenes extras. Here, you can travel with the Modern Family kids as they explore Jackson Hole, Wyoming. You can wander around the set with Ty Burrell (Phil Dunphy). You can experience more of the family’s Express Christmas™ and their trip to Disneyland.
The season’s extras only help to show why Modern Family is such a successful show. Sure, the writers put together a clever script each week, but the show wouldn’t be the same without such a funny, fun-loving cast. Even when they’re just wandering around the set, they’re truly comical, truly lovable people. So don’t miss the opportunity to go behind the scenes of this hilarious show.
