01.06.06
Cinematic Parallels
Here is a plot that may sound familiar, especially to cinephiles:
The story begins with a large, notorious family. The patriarch is at the top of the power hierarchy and is successfully running the family business, until he becomes incapacitated by an unfortunate incident. The business is in trouble. One brother is a slightly aggressive hothead incapable of taking responsibility, while another brother is an irresponsible imbecile that assumes the helpless baby position. It is up to the trustworthy brother, Michael, to step forward and save the family business despite originally not wanting to be involved with bailing his family out of their dirty doings.
From where do you recognize this premise? I suppose it depends on if you spend more time watching television or watching film. Is it the Academy Award-winning The Godfather or is it the hit underrated sitcom Arrested Development? I recently heard a film history professor of mine describe the premise of The Godfather. When I heard it, the first thing that popped in my head was Arrested Development. Did anyone else ever dwell on this one?
