During the 1980s, the family was both a central facet of American public discourse and the country’s cinema. It is generally assumed that a fairly conservative Hollywood invariably depicts the nuclear family in idealized terms. However, in this session, students will consider how Hollywood’s Family Films at this time typically involved portraying the family as a site of vulnerability and crisis, one in need of the supportive hand of multigenerational entertainment; entertainment like Hollywood’s family films themselves.

Learning Outcomes

A sound understanding of:

• The institutionalization of the Family Film

• The ways they address challenges facing children and caregivers

• How the films promote themselves as family therapy

Preparation

Reading: Allen, 109-134.

Questions:

1. What conditions led Hollywood to embrace family films in the 1980s?

2. How are these films positioned within the everyday lives of families?

Home Screening I: Big (1988) - PLEASE VIEW ORIGINAL 1 HOUR 44 VERSION OF THE FILM (IT IS IN THE "FILMS" FILE OF THE LEARNING MATERIALS FILE, AND IS ON DISNEY+. I COULD NOT FIND A FREE STREAMING SITE WITH THIS VERSION. PLEASE DO NOT WATCH THE 2007 2 HOUR 10 MINUTE RECUT.

Home Screening II: Stand by Me (1986)

Questions:

• How do these films depict the challenges facing children?

• How do these films depict challenges facing caregivers?

• How do these films suggest watching films like themselves can help families?