My Favorite Drama Movies - Family Drama Edition

Hello hello! Surprised to see me back so soon? Trust me, I'm probably the most surprised one here. As promised in my previous post, I've returned with a post about the most dramatic of the drama genre, the Family Drama. 

So let us start with the most important question: what even is a Family Drama? Family Dramas are narratives that follow a specific family and their problems. The key defining feature of a Family Drama is that it must have a clear and defined conflict. What is the issue in this family that is causing the drama? The actual narrative explores how the conflict plays out and how it is ultimately addressed. It is not necessary that the conflict be resolved, and tied up with a neat little bow at the end, however, it needs to be addressed in some way. Otherwise, we're just watching a bunch of people be dramatic with no purpose or direction. This isn't reality TV (to all the reality TV fans out there, this is what I would call, a joke 😉). 

I'd argue that Family Dramas are perhaps the most entertaining yet relatable of the drama genre. It's not that we as an audience necessarily see ourselves on screen in Family Dramas. It's more that we recognize the emotions being felt by the characters. What I love about Family Dramas is that no matter how outlandish the actual plot may be, the emotions that are felt and conveyed are always human and believable. For instance, it's not that you necessarily understand what it's like to inherit a kingdom, however, you may know what it's like to try and live up to an unreasonable expectation placed upon you. 

One thing to note is that Family Drama films aren't always about 'traditional' families. Families don't always consist of the 'traditional', parent + children structure. Oftentimes, as in real life, families are chosen or found, whether that be in the form of mentors, friends, neighbors, etc. However, in this post, you'll see that for the most part, we will be looking at Family Dramas revolving around the 'traditional' family structure. Found/Chosen families will be discussed in a later post, so if you're interested, stay tuned!  

Alright, so now that is all out of the way, let's get to the movies!

Anna Lucasta (1958)

Language: English 

This is one of those rare occasions where I see a film receiving an extremely low Rotten Tomatoes score and I just wonder, how? How is this movie being rated a measly 38% when it is genuinely a good movie, with amazing performances? 

Anna Lucasta, based on a 1936 play by Philip Yordan, follows a young woman named Anna who was disowned by her father years prior to where our story begins. At present, Anna's father receives a letter from his friend asking him to find a bride for his son Rudolph. Anna's mother tries to convince the father to bring Anna back home and set her up with Rudolph. Once the rest of the family, including Anna's siblings and brother-in-law, find out how wealthy Rudolph is, they too work to persuade the father to go find Anna. Meanwhile, Anna has been living as a prostitute in San Diego and has been in an on-again/off-again relationship with a sailor named Danny. Anna's father comes to San Diego and convinces her to come back with him. She does go back, and the rest of the story follows her journey reconciling with her family and how her relationships with Danny and Rudolph play out. 

The first thing I noticed about this movie is how snappy the dialog is. I mean, the sarcastic one-liners are in abundance in this film, and they have a particular effect when delivered in the distinctive voice of our main protagonist, Anna, played by Eartha Kitt. The second thing I noticed was how dark this movie got at parts. I mean considering this is a black and white movie from 1958, you wouldn't think it would get as dark as it does, but it does. 

**Spoilers ahead**

The darkness, and the drama, in this movie primarily come in the form of Anna and her father's relationship. Anna's father is jealous of any male attention Anna receives and it is suggested that he loves Anna in not a daughterly fashion. For instance, there is a point in the film, after Anna has come back home, when they are singing in the living room and she asks her father if he'd like to dance. Anna's father quickly becomes irrationally angry that she moved physically closer to him. The whole reason Anna is disowned and kicked out of her home in the first place is that she began dating a boy and her father falsely accused her of being promiscuous. Perhaps in an aim to stick it to her father, Anna ends up turning to promiscuity and prostitution after having to leave her family. 

Anna's father has 0 redeeming qualities and has NO redemption arc throughout the film. I personally felt that the director made it so that the audience has absolutely no sympathy for him, even when he dies at the end. Tbh when he died I was like alright nice, Anna can finally be happy now. This is a case in which the central conflict of this movie is addressed but definitely not resolved in a way that is satisfactory. Like we don't get a nice apology or at least an acknowledgment of wrongdoing. This man lives and dies being the worst, and that is all we get.   

**End of Spoilers**

It is important to note, that as with many older films, there are a lot of problematic aspects to the relationships between men and women in this movie. For instance, the relationship between Anna's sister and brother-in-law is a little hard to watch because they are always at each other's throats, but it's evident that their conversations are meant to be moments of light-heartedness and humor in this movie. However, I didn't find it funny. 

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Anna's relationships with both Danny and Rudolph are shown to be incredibly supportive and positive. I mean throughout the movie, Rudolph is shown to be a man who doesn't judge Anna at all. He is kind and accepting and patient. Just an overall gem. While Danny is shown to be kind of the opposite of everything Rudolph is, his love and care for Anna is just as strong. Danny and Anna are both short-tempered causing them to argue a lot. But no matter what, if Anna has a problem, Danny is right there to help her. In some ways, Danny serves as Anna's family. 

A great example of this is towards the end of the movie when they both get into a huge fight in a bar. Danny is shown to leave Anna alone in the bar, saying he will no longer help her and never wants to see her again, taking back a bracelet that he bought her. In reality, he just goes outside the bar and angrily watches the ocean while I guess, pondering his life? As you do sometimes. He then comes back in a few minutes later, hands her back the bracelet, and they seemingly forget whatever it was they were arguing about. I'm not saying their relationship is extremely healthy, however, this unwavering support regardless of difficulty and circumstance is something to be appreciated. 

Also, as mentioned earlier, the performances in this movie are fantastic. Eartha Kitt who plays Anna Lucasta is fabulous in the role. She portrays Anna as this person trying to keep up this veneer of calm, cool, and collected while in reality, they are anything but. Kitt plays Anna's mood swings particularly well. There are scenes where Anna goes from yelling to manically smiling and it is insane. Sammy Davis Jr. and Frederick O'Neal who play Danny and Anna's brother-in-law respectively are absolutely outstanding as well. Rex Ingram, who plays Anna's father, did a great job of being an awful person.

Honestly, I can't understand how this movie received a 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. Well... I guess I should've known that critics know nothing just based off the fact that Sharknado, a movie about shark tornadoes, has a literal 74% on Rotten Tomatoes. Don't listen to Rotten Tomatoes. Listen to me. Go watch this movie. 

Ordinary People (1980)

Language: English 

I thought about this movie for at least a week after watching it. It is incredibly heartbreaking, incredibly moving, and just an overall emotional movie that will wreck your life. So....definitely go give it a watch. 

The movie follows the Jarrett family. Specifically, the complete breakdown of the Jarrett family. At the beginning of the movie, the Jarett family seems pretty ordinary. There's the mom, Beth, the dad, Calvin, and the son, Conrad. Beth and Calvin seemingly get on really well, have lots of friends, and are quite wealthy and social. Conrad is quite popular at school and has lots of friends. However, we soon find out that the eldest son, Buck, died in an accident a year prior, and Conrad, who had survived the accident, has recently come back from a stay at a psychiatric hospital after attempting suicide. 

What I love about this movie is that they don't explain anything to you. You just watch it unfold. Everything is related through vibes and body language. You watch Conrad interact with his parents and while nothing obvious occurs, you get a feeling that something is wrong here. A great example of this is right at the beginning of the movie when Conrad comes downstairs for breakfast and announces that he isn't hungry. Beth, who had made french toast, immediately takes it and throws it down the garbage disposal. It may seem like a trivial thing, but if you think about it, it's not a standard parent move. Normally,  a parent might try to convince you to try the food or at least eat a little bit of it. Or even save it for later. But she just throws it away without doing any of the above. Immediately, we as the audience understand that there is some form of weirdness between Beth and Conrad, even if we don't understand what it is. 

**Spoilers ahead**

I need to talk about Beth, because WOW. Just WOW. As we the audience continue watching this movie, we understand that Beth is a complicated/kind of the worst person. After Buck's death, Beth has completely pulled away from her younger son. So much so, that after Conrad's suicide attempt, Beth was more concerned regarding the blood on the bathroom floor than her son. In fact, it's revealed that she didn't visit him in the hospital while he was recovering from his suicide attempt. The movie doesn't provide us with many resolutions regarding Beth and Conrad. Not everything gets tied up with a nice bow, just like it wouldn't in real life. Beth is still Beth. Conrad is still Conrad. The ending just leaves us with some hope that time will do its magic and heal wounds, but in the meantime, we continue moving forward.  

A really interesting side note about Beth is that she is played by Mary Tyler Moore, who was a brilliant comedic actress. Like this woman was so likable and so funny, and in this movie, she plays one of the worst mothers in the history of moms ever.  Terrific actress. 

**End of Spoilers**

Like many of the movies on many of my lists, the performances in this movie make the movie as good as it is. All three of our main protagonists, Conrad, Beth, and Calvin, are absolutely outstanding. Conrad, as a young man trying to piece his life back together with the help of new friends and his psychiatrist. Beth, as a mother who's still grieving her oldest son while reconciling her feelings about her younger son, and Calvin, as a father who lives his life serving as the family's peacemaker. Also special shoutout to the actor who plays Conrad's psychiatrist, because he's wonderful in his role as well. Overall, this movie is just really well done and 100% worth the watch. 

Bāhubali 1 & 2 (2015/2017)

Languages: Telugu/Tamil 

 

Honestly, at its heart, this movie's narrative is similar to that of The Lion King, which itself is based on Hamlet. You have two brothers and a throne. One brother, who even has a scar on his face like Scar from The Lion King, kills the other to become king. Finally, the dead brother's son avenges his father. However, this family drama begs to play out on a MASSIVE scale. If Ordinary People is all about being subtle with its story and characterization, Bāhubali is the complete opposite. Bāhubali is what you'd call an 'epic film', in which there is a prominent heroic figure who's on a journey to resolve some conflict.

It is evident that Bāhubali takes a lot of inspiration from several Hindu epic stories, which revolve around families, including the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. Mothers play an important role in these epics, often serving as catalysts for major decisions regarding the hero's future. In Bāhubali, our main protagonist's mother does the same, making one quick decision that decidedly changes the course of everything. 

The quest for 'good' over 'evil' is a common thread in this story as it is in many Hindu mythological stories. While I'd argue that the Mahabharat takes a very nuanced approach to who is considered 'good' and who is considered 'evil' in its narrative, Bāhubali seems to throw nuance out the window. There is a clear 'good guy' and a clear 'bad guy'. The good guy is beloved by all in the kingdom and does not have one bad bone in his body, while the bad guy has a clear scar on his face to indicate his 'badness'. Obviously. Combine all of this with an ounce of jealousy, a dash of betrayal, and a sprinkle of revenge and you've got yourself a family drama epic to rival The Lion King and Hamlet. Am I exaggerating? Possibly. You'd need to watch the film to verify. 

Regardless of whether the plot rivals Hamlet, Bāhubali is seriously entertaining. The lavish sets, beautiful cinematography, glamorous costumes, intense fight scenes, and high-profile cast all lend themselves to, dare I say, a masterpiece of entertaining cinema. Like, look at this guy just climbing an elephant. 

Also, look at whatever sorcery this is:

However, an important thing to note is that the aesthetic of this film enhances the emotional drama, it doesn't overtake it. The rivalry and jealousy between our main two protagonists remain the driving force behind the narrative. I'd argue that no matter how many over-the-top action sequences or moments of insane cinematography are featured, the most powerful remain the close-ups of facial expressions and the one-on-one conversations. A perfect example of this to me is in the latter half of the second movie when our main villain sees someone he doesn't expect. Something extremely outlandish and insane occurs in this scene, but the most memorable part to me remains his facial expression and the close-up of the one bead of sweat that falls down his face. Here's a man who takes on fighting massive bulls head-on, yet seeing a person from his past has got him immediately sweating. 

If you're in the mood for a solid epic film that revolves around a royal family with complex family dynamics and jealousies, I'd 100% say to check out Bāhubali 1 & 2. You will not be disappointed. Or maybe you will, I don't know you. But I guarantee you will definitely be entertained. 

Mustang (2015)

Language: Turkish  

This movie is probably one of the saddest movies I've ever seen, however, it's really, really fantastic. Mustang tells the story of five sisters: Sonay, Selma, Ece, Nur, and Lale who are being raised by their uncle and grandmother. The plot begins when the five sisters are leaving school one sunny day. They decide to stop by the water on their way back home and end up playing some harmless water games with a few boys from their school. This interaction is noticed by a neighbor and this news quickly travels to their grandmother. They are severely punished for their 'actions' by their grandmother and uncle and are banned from leaving the house, even to go to school. They spend their days under house arrest, learning to cook, sew, and clean, while their grandmother, fearing the girls' 'promiscuity', decides to marry each sister off, one by one. 

This movie is not fun to watch. Watching the sisters being subjected to this abuse is hard. Sonay and Selma are the first two to get married. While Sonay ends up being married to a man of her choice, Selma is forced to marry a man who was initially interested in Sonay in order to save her family's reputation. The actor who plays Selma is a total scene-stealer and it is legitimately shocking to me that this is her first acting role. Selma is clearly angry yet also resigned to her situation. Before her wedding, Lale tries to convince her to run away and she's like, "To where? I can't drive", a point which prompts Lale to learn how to later in the film. To Selma, the situation is what it is. 

I absolutely loved this one scene in which her in-laws, after she gets married, request to see the bedsheets that would seemingly indicate whether Selma was a virgin before marriage or not. Seeing no blood on the sheets, they forcefully take her to a doctor to confirm whether she is a virgin. Regardless of how much she tries to convince them that she is, no one cares. Still in her wedding dress, as it is still the night of her wedding, and extremely pissed off, she just lies to the doctor saying she 'slept with the entire world'. The doctor, knowing that she's lying, asks her why she would say something like that. With such extreme resigned apathy, she's just like, "I don't know. It's late. I'm tired. When I say I'm a virgin no one believes me. Why won't you all leave me alone?". 

The relationship between the sisters is really interesting to watch. They all have very different personalities and while they are obviously close, they don't necessarily know what each other is feeling. Sonay seems oblivious to Selma being forced to marry the person who was originally interested in her. None of the sisters are aware of what is happening to Ece. At points it seems like Lale is the only one who is really attached to all of them, not wanting any of them to get married and leave. That being said, as sisters forced to live in an extremely conservative household, constantly under surveillance and house arrest, they only have each other to trust and rely on. 

Despite all the sadness of this movie, it doesn't take on a cynical perspective on life. There are a lot of pockets of warmth that display people's humanity. Lale befriends an older truck driver named Yasin who does everything in his power to help her out, showcasing to her and her sisters that there are good people in this world. Also, Lale's relationship with her teacher is so pure, and it is evident that her teacher loves and wants the best for her. Even the girls' aunt, who participates in keeping them under house arrest, goes out of her way to ensure that the girls aren't caught sneaking out of the house one day. Overall, this movie is really great, and I HIGHLY recommend watching it. 

Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)

Language: Hindi 

So I hear you were looking for a dramedy about a dysfunctional rich family on a boat in the middle of the ocean? Yes? Well, here it is. 

Kamal and Neelam are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary so they invite their friends and family on a Mediterranean cruise. Among the guests are their children, Kabir and Ayesha, Ayesha's annoying husband Manav, and his mother, AND Ayesha's former first love, Sunny. Kamal and Neelam want to set up their son Kabir with the daughter of their close friends, the Sood family, however both Kabir and said daughter fall in love with other people. Amongst all this mess is the fact that Kamal, Neelam, Kabir, and Ayesha have a lot of unresolved issues as a family themselves. What better place to deal with it than in the middle of the ocean? 

Everyone in this movie has problems. Ayesha and Neelam have problems with their respective partners. Kabir has a problem with himself. Kamal is a problem. Yet somehow you empathize with all of them. You empathize with Ayesha wanting to make changes to her life. You empathize with Neelam not being able to have an open conversation with her husband of 30 years. You empathize with Kabir not knowing how to approach his father about his future, and despite Kamal being the worst, you still empathize with his desire to do what he thinks is right for his family. The best scenes in this movie are hands down when all four of them are in the same room having a discussion. I think this speaks a lot to the cast's natural chemistry with each other, to the point where you'd think they were actually a family. 

I mean the actors who play Kabir and Ayesha act very much like siblings, which is insane cause the same year this movie came out, they also starred in a movie where they play husband and wife and they had good chemistry in that too so idk how that works. Is that what it means to be like.... good at acting?

Special shoutout to the actor who plays Neelam who is absolutely brilliant in her role. Neelam is a character who forces herself to keep it together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. She maintains her rage, her diet, her smile, everything. There is one scene that I thought was just such a solid showcase of acting prowess and it's a scene that takes place after Neelam witnesses her husband flirting with someone. Mind you, they are on their 30th wedding anniversary cruise, and this douche husband is flirting with someone. Anyways, Neelam keeps it together while at this restaurant and then goes to the bathroom to eat a brownie while crying. Like this woman is just breaking down in the bathroom while eating a brownie and then proceeds to gather herself up and goes back out there as though nothing impacts her. Damn. 

Given the fact that this movie is a dramedy, the conflicts are resolved with a neat little bow at the end. Is it incredibly satisfying? Sure. Do I believe that everything is fine now and life is good? Not really. People are still people, despite the film desperately trying to convince you that people change drastically due to certain, relatively minor, events in their lives. However, it's just a movie, and in its almost 3-hour runtime, it does its job well.  You should definitely check it out. I don't really know how else to convince you. Oh wait.... their dog Pluto narrates the movie. 

Okay there, yup. Now you're convinced, right? 

Kapoor & Sons (2016)

Language: Hindi

Another movie, another dysfunctional family. This story focuses on two brothers, Rahul and Arjun. At the beginning of the movie, Rahul and Arjun return to their family home after receiving a call about their grandfather's ill health. Right off the bat, we see that they do not get along and there seems to be a lot of unspoken, underlying issues between them. Like, Rahul calls Arjun to tell him that their grandfather is in the hospital and Arjun is like, why did Dad only tell you, why didn't he call me too? And we the audience are like ..... ooo boy. So this is where we are starting. Yikes 😬 .  

After they arrive at the house, things only deteriorate from there. Rahul is clearly the favorite son in the family, while Arjun is portrayed as the aimless, unsuccessful one. Like Rahul's childhood room is intact with all his trophies, photos, books, etc, while Arjun's childhood room is turned into a guest room with exercise equipment. At the dinner table, both parents are very invested in whatever Rahul is doing, no one really asks about Arjun. You see how every moment of this movie seems to be edging towards an explosion of emotions?  And to add to this mess, their parents are having marital troubles of their own as well.  

Since this movie feels like every minute is brimming with tension, when there is no explosion of emotions, it just means that the future explosion will be bigger and more intense. I feel like I need to give an example to show you how good this movie is at facilitating tension. A perfect example of this is this one scene at the beginning of the movie. There is a leak in the bathroom, and all four members of the family are in the house. Someone comes to repair the leak, the mom is watching him repair it, the dad gets a phone call, and the two sons are sitting around. 

Arjun takes the dog out. Turns out the phone call was about the grandfather's hospital bill so Rahul and his parents talk about how to pay for it. 

All the while, the leak is still leaking. As their conversation gets more heated, the leak gets worse. The conversation shifts from money to marital problems. 

Arjun comes back. The repairman ends up fixing the issue and asks for payment. Phones are ringing. 

Arjun inquires about the problem. Rahul tells Arjun to stay out of it, and thus the tension shifts from the parents to them. And it just continues to escalate until hands are thrown between Rahul and Arjun.  

I definitely did not need to get into that level of detail, but it's a really fantastic scene showcasing rising tension. If you actually want to watch the scene, here's the link. 

Rahul and Arjun's relationship really serves as the narrative's driving force. Sometimes they feel like friends, other times it feels like they will kill the other. Like many of the movies on this list, I'm going to have to attribute the portrayal of this relationship to the actors who play the characters. Fawad Khan and Sidharth Malhotra, who play Rahul and Arjun respectively, are absolutely wonderful in their roles. Every scene where they are having a conversation, whether it be hostile or friendly, is outstanding. I mean tbh scenes in which they aren't even talking are also outstanding.  

So many good moments between them, however, my favorite scene has to be the one where Arjun teaches Rahul how to drive. It's so funny and showcases their natural chemistry quite well. I mean look at them. 

Now look at the aftermath: 

It's evident that both brothers are flawed, and it essentially takes the entire movie for them to see each other for who they actually are. Along the way, they come to realize that they've made a lot of wrongful assumptions about the other person, and this journey is incredibly fulfilling to watch. I mean the scenes in which secrets are revealed and arguments are had, damn. Cue the waterworks. But then after secrets are out and arguments are had, they don't just become one perfect happy family. The movie showcases the positive effect of time and space on a relationship. Mending relationships is a gradual process, and by the end of the movie, although not all is resolved, steps are taken to better understand one another. 

Also, a special shoutout to the setting of this film, Coonoor. Coonoor is a hill station in South India with a lot of tea estates, making the background in every outdoor shot in this movie lusciously green. Like, look at this.

For what reason must it be so beautiful and green?

Anyways, I absolutely love this movie and all the Kapoor family despite their flaws. 10 out of 10, would highly recommend. 

Honorable Mentions: 

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) (Language: Hindi)

☕: The tagline on the poster for this movie is: "It's all about loving your parents." I mean talk about subtlety, am I right?

Kannathil Muthamittal (2002) (Language: Tamil)

☕: A young girl finds out she is adopted and goes in search of her birth mother, who happens to be fighting in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Poignant, emotional, and absolutely heartbreaking. 

Lilo & Stitch (2002) (Language: English)

☕: Do I even need to give you a reason to watch this movie? 

Ready (2008) (Language: Telugu)

☕: Heartwarmingly hilarious and one of my favorite movies of all time. Check out my previous blog post to know more. 

Gente Que Viene Y Bah / In Family I Trust (2019) (Language: Spanish)

☕: Utterly cheesy but a whole lot of fun. 

So there you have it folks, the most dramatic of the drama genre, Family Dramas. Hopefully, you enjoy these longer posts. If yes, what do you hope to see in the next installment of Pooja's favorite movies? Let me know!