Derek Childs (totalovrdose)
I happened to watch The Family Law before reading Benjamin Law's autobiographical novel, information acquired from the text assisting me in comprehending more of the story. Though the book is evidently targeting an older audience, the show, despite its dark humor and occasional sexual references, seems like the kind of product an entire family could engage with.Although each episode encompasses moments of hilarity, I personally found the text to be funnier, during which I occasionally screamed with laughter. This aside, the show remains incredibly fun, and a joy to watch, incorporating witticisms and slapstick.As the narrative is set over the course of a summer, several moments from the text, which spans a number of decades, are subsequently removed, though Mr. Law deserves kudos for incorporating all that he could. Although the text predominately takes place during the nineties, the show is contemporarily adapted, using modern references and events to ensure unanimous comprehension.Benjamin (Trystan Go) is a 14 year old student, Mr Law poking fun at himself by creating a character who is a pretentious, self-centered drama queen. Though Benjamin is not only the lead, but the narrator, it is his mother, Jenny (Fiona Choi) who steals the show. One moment outlandishly awkward, the next, tragically sympathetic, Ms. Choi creates an affectionate, motherly character, who, despite her hardships, remains young at heart.Ben's father, Danny (Anthony Brandon Wong) is the stereotypical hard-working Chinese husband, who demonstrates his love through continuously running a business, while Ben's siblings, the rebellious Candy (the beautiful Shuang Hu), older brother Andrew (George Zhao), who seems to be the odd one out, tom-boy Tammy (Karina Lee), and adorably cute, yet strangely poo obsessed Michelle (Vivian Wei), comprise the rest of the family. The characters, with their unique personality and traits, are incredibly likable, and though each episode runs for just over 20 minutes, we, the audience, are able to instantly connect with this obscure collection of people, because of the passionate realism employed.The atmosphere of the show illustrates the stereotypical impression of Queensland, the settings, climate and use of nature heightening the legitimacy of the location. The music also, with its light-hearted appeal, assists in establishing what emotions the audience ought to feel, though moments of pure dialogue, are equally effective.Furthermore, similarly to an Eddie Murphy production, Mr. Law normalizes ethnic minorities, while making stereotypically prominent Caucasian characters strangely eccentric, and providing them lesser screen-time. Mr. Law seems perfectly content incorporating such humor, and though themes including homosexuality, underlying racism in Australia, and the rift between China and Japan are occasionally illustrated, their inclusion seems very safe. Thus, these themes are not provided the necessary depth to ensure meaningful impact.At the same time, similar comments could be made about a number of the relationships. Though the Law family is provided substantial screen time, characters including Heidi (Kimie Tsukakoshi), Wayne (Sam Cotton) and Melissa (Bethany Whitmore) seem very two-dimensional as a result of lacking characterization.Upon reaching the conclusion, a viewer may undoubtedly feel as though the show is incomplete, with a number of questions remaining unanswered, while several story-lines remain unfinished. If another series blesses our screens in the future, I would desire to see more characterization, a deeper focus on Ben's siblings, and additional references to the themes critiqued in this show. As a man who is homosexual and originates from an ethnic background, I imagine Mr. Law has a number of things he could argue in response to a government that marginalizes both - this show could serve as a great stage for such poignant social commentary.
Parker Lewis
I watched three episodes of the six-episode The Family Law, which is a groundbreaking show on Australian TV, given it was the first prime time show that featured an Asian (in this case Chinese) family as the lead.I had mixed feelings about The Family Law but maybe because I'm a big fan of Fresh off the Boat which is more upbeat although FOTB does deal with serious an cutting issues. The Family Law has a somber premise which doesn't make things easy, being the separation (and impending divorce) of the parents, and that brings much sadness to the proceedings. There are some funny lines and really ground breaking scenes, one being where the lead character, Brendan Law (Trystan Go) is kissed by his school friend Melissa (Bethany Whitmore). I think there was a line in Harold and Kumar go to White Castle that alluded to an Asian male kissing a white female.Some people may refer to "politically correct anti-racists shows" - why should they be "politically correct"? It's such a hackneyed phrase and deserves to be buried.Maybe there will be a second season of The Family and who knows, maybe there will be enough support on SBS for it to happen.
jamesmoule
There was every reason to be optimistic about this series. The concept of a Chinese family in Australia, facing the same problems as any other family, could have demystified the cultural differences. The problems started with casting and acting standards. It is a two-edged sword: cast an Australian-born Chinese and you just get an Australian with an Asian face, thus lessening the effect of culture. Choose a Chinese-born actor and you get someone who is trying to act in their second (or third) language, unable to express the nuances of the words. The scripts were good, except for the embarrassing sexual references. There was a hint that Benjamin is "gay" but perhaps we will have to wait for another season to see if that line is followed. There were anomalies aplenty. Why, for example, would two women who are old friends speak to each other in English when both have difficulty with the language? Subtitles were used elsewhere; why not for that scene? Talking of subtitles, there is not much point having white printing on a white background. There were promising sub-plots but others reminded me of Alf Garnet / Archie Bunker and many other politically correct anti-racists shows. In summary, this show suffered from poor production standards.
