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At the time of its first airing (JAN - SEP 2002), much was made of American Family's central innovation: its focus on Mexican American culture and its almost entirely Latino regular cast. Little was said, though, about the ingredients of the first season of American Family that really matter; the ones that separate it from most of network television even today.
A Different Kind Of DiversityThere are no token characters; that is, characters whose only purpose is to represent a particular class or nationality, and there is only one non-Latino character who could possibly be called a "recurring" character. Ethnic diversity of the type that one might find on predominantly Caucasian dramas is completely nonexistent. This frees up show time for a different type of diversity: Jess Gonzalez is a socially conservative Korean War vet. His daughter Nina is a liberal activist who works as a lawyer and fights for worker's rights. Nina's sister, Vangie, is a successful clothing designer whose aspirations sometimes force her to trample on the rights that her sister fights to protect.
Such is the relationship between three of the seven most prominent cast members of the first season. Add to that mix the relationships between them and three other cast members who only make small contributions in the first season, as well as five or six guest stars who appear at least once or twice each, and you have a web of diversity that spans more ground, even with its uniformity of ethnic heritage, than any other show in recent memory.
A Different Class Of ActorsThe quality of actors that the producers were able to procure is a testament to the lack of worthwhile roles for talented Latinos in Hollywood today. Many of the stars, for example, were veterans of token roles in failed U.S. sitcoms. Others, despite obvious talent, were veterans only in the Mexican market.
Top billing goes to Edward James Olmos, and it is an honor both earned and deserved. A veteran of roles both large and small in productions as diverse as the television series Miami Vice and the movie Selena, American Family revolves around his character, the patriarch of the Gonzalez family. Ferocious in his character's anger, earnest in his character's sorrow, and at times glorying in his character's humor, Olmos is the glue that holds the show together.
Esai Morales is a talented actor in his own right, and stories woven around his character, a paroled felon and former drug addict and gang member, are some of the best in the series. Like Olmos, Morales immerses himself in his character, and transmits his character's emotions so effectively that the viewer is is left devastated by his anguish. In addition to stellar performances by most of the regular cast, one can also rely on great performances by most of the guest actors who play recurring characters. Seidy Lopez as the former wife of Esai Morales' Esteban character and mother of his young child is particularly convincing.
A Different Kind Of MusicNone of the Gonzalez family are overtly musical, but music plays a large part of the American Family experience. In the episode La Estrella (The Star), for example, a love song plays a pivotal role in the story. In the next episode, a folksong serves to accent the tragic tale of a Mexican woman separated from her child by the American legal system. One episode revolves around the creation of a music video and is capped by one of the best authentic Mexican pop songs I have ever heard.
A Different Kind Of StoryNearly half of the episodes in the first season of American Family include some type of flashback. These are not like the flashbacks popular in some comedies, where the characters put on afro wigs to approximate the seventies. Instead, they use talented young actors to portray the main characters as children, teenagers, and young adults. This helps us see how the past has led to the present. In the pilot episode, for example, we learn that Esteban is a paroled felon. Later in the season, characters hint that he may not have been responsible for the crime that he was convicted of, but only a flashback-ridden episode late in the season gives the whole story.
A Different Kind Of ShowThe creators of American Family have obviously taken great pains to make a unique experience, and it shows... sometimes too much. Certain episodes are so overwhelmingly different from the majority of modern television that they just leave the viewer feeling confused as the credits roll. This only occurs, though, in a few select episodes in the first season.
HighlightsWriting and Plot: Though the writing and plotwork are largely magnificent, some episodes that rely on humor do not mesh with the remainder of the season. Acting: Even when presented with the occasional substandard line, the regular actors somehow manage to give the line meaning. Even the 'flashback' actors and the actors who portray less important characters play their roles amazingly well. Directing: The directing is done very well, except when, as mentioned above, they rely on techniques too far removed from the norm. Extras: Extras for the first season of American Family include extensive commentary by the actors, directors, and writers - at least one commentary track per episode, deleted scenes, and some DVD-ROM content as well. Quite impressive. Overall a 4.5
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