# Creepy family dynamics in film and TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2017, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272 "2017-11-21T11:55:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/1 "2017-11-21T11:55:36Z")
Perhaps we can avoid obvious candidates such as _Cruel Intention_s and _The Royal Tennenbaums_ wherein creepy familial relationships are plot points? _Forbidden Planet_, 1956 Years ago an exploratory expedition from Earth to the planet Altaire disappeared from communications. A crew from Earth, headed by Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen), travels to Altaira to determine if there were any survivors from the earlier expedition. They find just two survivors: Dr. Mobius (Walter Pidgeon) and his twenty-something daughter, Altaira (Anne Francis). Robbie the Robot stars as himself. Mobius’ wife and Altaira’s mom perished when A. was a baby, so it’s been just dad 'n daughter for two decades. Mobius has built a huge compound that houses amazing inventions and refuses to leave Altaira with his daughter and return to Earth with the crew. IMHO, creepy sub-texts are: -Altaira frolics about in skimpy miniskirts that would get her ejected from Catholic school. She also wears full makeup and is coiffed a la '50’s style. It is obviously her father who dictates her clothing and makeup as well as installed a pond in which Altaira skinny dips and romps with a tiger and deer in an artificial forest (:rolleyes:). But, yeah, it can’t be faulted for following the '50s sci-fi flick convention of having Women in Space wear hyper-feminine clothing and look as if they are from . . . the 1950s 😃 -A. runs around passionately kissing guys from the Earth crew, so she has sexual impulses. -As the sole male and female on the planet, an uncomfortable question arises concerning legacy. The doc is in his 60s; when he kicks the bucket will A. be left alone to run things – would he spend so many years building a magnificent compound with no one to leave it to? (A. seems a bit dumb when it comes to technical stuff, she mostly frolics in her pool and pets animals). So the lurking question is if father and daughter would eventually have mated, if the Earth guys hadn’t come along, and populated Altaire to keep their legacy alive? Would she get it on with Robbie and produce human-robo kids? I won’t ruin the ending. It actually is quite a good film that does defy some of the 1950’s more mundane sci-fi tropes and has some striking special effects. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/2 "2017-11-21T12:24:47Z")
THE FLASH is the story of young Barry Allen, who was in elementary school when his dad got locked up for the murder of Barry’s mom. Barry gets raised by Joe West, the father to a little girl – Iris – who goes to school with Barry. Fast forward to now, and – spoiler alert! – Barry and Iris are engaged! I don’t think that’s supposed to be _Intentions_ or _Tennenbaums_ territory, because it’s not really presented as creepy. But it _is_ creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/3 "2017-11-21T12:39:45Z")
Barry was 10 when his mother was killed. Well out of Westermarck territory. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/4 "2017-11-21T14:02:36Z")
George Michael Bluth and Maeyby Fünke. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/5 "2017-11-21T14:09:53Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > -Altaira frolics about in skimpy miniskirts that would get her ejected from Catholic school. She also wears full makeup and is coiffed a la '50’s style. It is obviously her father who dictates her clothing and makeup as well as installed a pond in which Altaira skinny dips and romps with a tiger and deer in an artificial forest (:rolleyes:). Either that, or she’s gotten her ideas on fashion from watching whatever entertainment media that had been brought to the planet. > [@](#): > > But, yeah, it can’t be faulted for following the '50s sci-fi flick convention of having Women in Space wear hyper-feminine clothing and look as if they are from . . . the 1950s 😃 Actually, that’s less weird than everyone on _Little House on the Prairie_ having 1970’s style hair that requires blowing drying and other styling that didn’t exist in the 19th Century frontier. > [@](#): > > -A. runs around passionately kissing guys from the Earth crew, so she has sexual impulses. Which also makes me think she got her ideas from movies. > [@](#): > > -As the sole male and female on the planet, an uncomfortable question arises concerning legacy. The doc is in his 60s; when he kicks the bucket will A. be left alone to run things – would he spend so many years building a magnificent compound with no one to leave it to? Well, yeah, sure, it make so much more sense to live in a hovel, right? No, really, he built the compound for the comfort of himself and his daughter. > [@](#): > > So the lurking question is if father and daughter would eventually have mated, if the Earth guys hadn’t come along, and populated Altaire to keep their legacy alive? One would hope not. I mean, really really hope not. Incest is no inevitable. > [@](#): > > Would she get it on with Robbie and produce human-robo kids? Now you’re just being silly. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/6 "2017-11-21T14:23:22Z")
At the beginning of Thackeray’s novel **The History of Henry Esmond** , the orphaned hero (age 12) is raised by his father’s cousin Lord Castlewood whose wife is in her early 20s and whose daughter Beatrix is 4. Throughout the book, he is infatuated with Beatrix, but in the end he marries Lady Castlewood. George Eliot called it “the most uncomfortable book you can imagine”. In my case, I read the sequel ( **The Virginians** ) first and I found the family relations very confusing; I couldn’t figure out whether Lady Castlewood or Beatrix were supposed to be sisters or mother and daughter. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/7 "2017-11-21T16:47:38Z")
[quote=“Broomstick, post:5, topic:802272”] Either that, or she’s gotten her ideas on fashion from watching whatever entertainment media that had been brought to the planet. Actually, that’s less weird than everyone on _Little House on the Prairie_ having 1970’s style hair that requires blowing drying and other styling that didn’t exist in the 19th Century frontier.[=QUOTE] 😃 Love your replies ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/8 "2017-11-21T17:17:50Z")
It’s clear that Morbius is not a good parent, but to jump to incest is really a stretch. He’s just the kind of parent (usually men) that always see their daughters as little girls and forgets that they grow up into women. This is just reinforced in this particular case as Altaira’s mom, as well as any women at all, are not there to pay attention to these things. When Morbius died (pre-contact with Captain Drebin), I’m sure he thought A would just continue to live there, with the systems and Robby taking care of things. Despite being a 50s damsel that must fall in love with the earthman, Altaira was mentioned to be very smart. She just has had no contact with anyone not her father her entire life. She probably DID learn social interaction from old movies. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/9 "2017-11-21T17:25:12Z")
John Sayles _Lone Star_ Sam Deeds investigates a murder; his father, Buddy, was Sheriff before him and their relationship was strained, partly because Buddy wouldn’t let Sam marry his girlfriend Pilar. Buddy puts this down to prejudice, but now that his father is dead, he is reconnecting with Pilar. At the end, he discovered Buddy is Pilar’s father; the two of them are half-siblings. Despite this, they continue their relationship, since Pilar is past menopause, so there’s no genetic issue. In song, there’s “[Shame and Scandal in the Family](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAkkLQr2Kjc).” ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/10 "2017-11-21T17:34:07Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Barry was 10 when his mother was killed. Well out of Westermarck territory. It’s still pretty skeevy when Joe refers to Barry and Iris as his kids. Reminds me of Michael Scott’s line from the Office finale: “I feel like all my kids grew up and then they married each other. It’s every parent’s dream.” ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/11 "2017-11-21T18:15:07Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > George Michael Bluth and Maeyby Fünke. And Buster and Lucille #1. Actually, even Buster and Lucille #2 is creepy as she is so obviously a surrogate/proxy for Buster’s real mother. How about creepy family dynamics from pop music? In 1967, Frank and Nancy Sinatra sang a duet called “Somethin’ Stupid” which was a big hit, despite the fact that it was a father/daughter singing a clearly romantic song. [Lyrics](http://www.metrolyrics.com/something-stupid-lyrics-frank-sinatra.html). Similarly, there’s the spoken-word prologue to Ike & Tina Turner’s version of “Proud Mary” that often gets excised when it’s played now. In it, Tina states how fans always want to hear something “nice and easy” from them, but they don’t do that. “We always do things nice…and _rough_.” she says. While she’s talking about the music, that line becomes an uncomfortable double entendre given later revelations of Ike’s history of spousal abuse toward her. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/12 "2017-11-21T18:23:55Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It’s clear that Morbius is not a good parent, but to jump to incest is really a stretch. He’s just the kind of parent (usually men) that always see their daughters as little girls and forgets that they grow up into women. This is just reinforced in this particular case as Altaira’s mom, as well as any women at all, are not there to pay attention to these things. > > When Morbius died (pre-contact with Captain Drebin), I’m sure he thought A would just continue to live there, with the systems and Robby taking care of things. Despite being a 50s damsel that must fall in love with the earthman, Altaira was mentioned to be very smart. She just has had no contact with anyone not her father her entire life. She probably DID learn social interaction from old movies. Morbius doesn’t die before Drebin arrives, he unravels at the end of the movie . . . ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/13 "2017-11-21T18:48:34Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > It’s still pretty skeevy when Joe refers to Barry and Iris as his kids. Reminds me of Michael Scott’s line from the Office finale: “I feel like all my kids grew up and then they married each other. It’s every parent’s dream.” Also, consider the Barry-Gets-Amnesia episode: the _gag_ is that Wally, being black, explains that he and Barry are brothers – prompting Barry to take a close look at his own white-guy hand. But the _point_ is: of _course_ that’s what they are. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/14 "2017-11-21T19:02:04Z")
In the film **Dead Man Walking** , the family of Sean Penn’s character visit him in prison. Although he’s going to be executed and it’s his family’s last visit, nobody has much to say. This is implied, as I recall (haven’t seen the film in a while), in a scene in which the youngest child amuses himself before his silent family by pacing forcefully and making squeaking noises with his shoes on the floor. The noises make the silence _sound even louder_. When the family leaves, the child says, “See you later.” > [@](#): > > Perhaps we can avoid obvious candidates such as _Cruel Intention_s and _The Royal Tennenbaums_ wherein creepy familial relationships are plot points? So \*\*Psycho \*\*is right out? (Just kidding.) What about **Ordinary People**? There’s an excellent scene in which the family pose for a photo, there’s a problem with the camera and it takes just a little too long for the liking of Mary Tyler Moore’s character. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/15 "2017-11-21T19:04:13Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > Morbius doesn’t die before Drebin arrives, he unravels at the end of the movie . . . I worded that badly. I meant, his plan, such as it was, assuming he died before anyone showed up, would be that Altaira and Robby just carried on alone. I don’t think he thought it trough more than that. I don’t think he expected a ship in his lifetime, and definitely didn’t want one. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/16 "2017-11-21T20:40:13Z")
There was a commercial for I think a coffee a few years back with a college age brother and teenage sister where the Internet was convinced they were doing it but I had watched it and had no idea where that was coming from. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/17 "2017-11-21T21:36:10Z")
_Sonny Boy_ (1989) - [Sonny Boy (1989) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100661/?ref_=nv_sr_3) I don’t think I have ever seen a movie with a more dysfunctional family. I don’t think I would ever want to. And yet, the true love shown by members of this family makes the movie watchable. Perverse family values are still family values. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/18 "2017-11-21T21:55:14Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Also, consider the Barry-Gets-Amnesia episode: the _gag_ is that Wally, being black, explains that he and Barry are brothers – prompting Barry to take a close look at his own white-guy hand. But the _point_ is: of _course_ that’s what they are. He could have said, “Iris is my sister.” But he considers Barry just as much his brother as Iris is his sister, since he met them at the same time. I wonder if that’s what the writers intended to point out. Part of me suspects they were just going for the joke. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/19 "2017-11-21T22:03:11Z")
TIL that Earl Holliman (_Forbidden Planet_) is still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272/20 "2017-11-21T22:11:33Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > There was a commercial for I think a coffee a few years back with a college age brother and teenage sister where the Internet was convinced they were doing it but I had watched it and had no idea where that was coming from. [Folgers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZnqBL6iYjA). I agree with you, it’s a rather benign portrayal of a non-emotionally stunted family being reunited after an implied long separation. If that weirds you (in the general sense) out, that’s on you, dude. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-family-dynamics-in-film-and-tv/802272.md?page=2)