If You Enjoyed the TV Series Modern Family, There Is One Movie You Definitely Need to Watch.
From its debut in 2009 to its finale in 2020 , Modern Family delivered something remarkable: consistently funny comedy with a subtle yet profound emotional core. Its mockumentary structure was the perfect choice, allowing us to observe the extended Pritchett family both from afar and through direct interviews—and, as any fan of The Office knows, this structure allows for some very specific jokes that wouldn’t be possible in a more traditional format. If you’ve watched all 11 seasons (and familiarized yourself with all the similar shows ), it’s time to try your hand at a film with a similar comedic approach. That film should definitely be Real Life , written and directed by Albert Brooks.
Real Life (1979)
The 1979 film Real Life isn’t as well-known as it should be. It essentially invented the mockumentary genre—without it, shows like The Office or Modern Family probably wouldn’t exist. At the time, it satirized the PBS television series Modern Family (itself considered the first example of what later became known as reality television). Modern Family followed the lives of a real-life California family and became a cultural sensation in the early 1970s. Albert Brooks saw an opportunity to poke fun at the concept, but Real Life is much more than just a satire of television shows.
Brooks plays his real-life self: a young comedian who dreams of making documentaries (and who might have become “a scientist or a doctor” if he’d been “more fairly assessed” in school). He presents the project as an opportunity not only to document and observe a real American family, but also the filmmakers and crew.
What follows is a hilarious parody of everyone involved. The family being filmed almost immediately begins to crumble under the pressure, quickly descending into chaos and nervous breakdowns. The film crew begins to fall apart as Brooks makes a series of ethically questionable decisions in an attempt to heighten the drama and hold the family together despite their deteriorating mental state. And Brooks repeatedly reveals himself to be an insincere and untalented individual with an ego the size of a planet. At one point, he shows up dressed as a clown to cheer up the children, not realizing they’re not home, and ends up being forced to give a very serious interview to the parents… while wearing a clown costume.
“Real Life” is definitely less saccharine than “Modern Family,” but it essentially invented the genre and is incredibly, incredibly funny. Watch “Real Life” on Prime Video .
Here are some more movies to watch if you like Modern Family.
Looking for more funny family movies? No problem—here are some more hilarious family comedies that Modern Family fans will love.
Parenthood (1989)
Parenthood is funny because, like Modern Family, it’s grounded in reality. Director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer, and screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel all had children at various stages of their lives, and they based the film heavily on their own experiences raising children in the modern era, turning it into a story about the sprawling and chaotic Buckman family. The film explores multiple storylines, focusing on each family member, and Steve Martin delivers plenty of laughs. Watch Parenthood on Netflix or rent it on Prime Video .
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Every comedy hinges on its characters—to laugh at them (or with them), you have to empathize with them. Little Miss Sunshine introduces the Hoover family, a perfectly imperfect family. When the youngest daughter, Olive (Abigail Breslin), auditions for a beauty pageant held nearly 1,000 miles from home, the Hoovers pack into their van. In the cramped confines, family problems, insecurities, anger, and love spill out, usually in hilarious ways. It all leads to one of the most touching (and famous) climaxes in modern cinema, concluding a film that will delight anyone looking for the warm comedy that Modern Family specializes in. Watch Little Miss Sunshine on Prime Video .
The Family Stone (2005)
The driving force behind family comedies is the tension we all experience with our relatives. Sometimes we love them and hate them in equal measure, and the quirks that might seem charming to others become unbearable to us. That’s the essence of The Family Stone , which tells the story of the nervous and high-strung Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker), who meets her boyfriend’s super-cool and close-knit family for the first time—and it’s Christmas, by the way. The awkwardness is compounded by Meredith’s attempts to win the family’s favor, which only pushes everyone toward a series of emotional revelations and confessions. Watch The Family Stone on Prime Video .
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (who grew up in a family with ten siblings), Cheaper by the Dozen is a light and funny comedy. When his wife goes on a book tour, Tom Baker (Steve Martin) insists he can handle a house full of rowdy and unruly children—but, of course, he finds himself in a ridiculous predicament. Like Modern Family , Cheaper by the Dozen is brimming with heartfelt emotion, reflecting on the bonds formed between siblings and parents, and how we all begin to miss the chaos when we leave our families. Watch Cheaper by the Dozen on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video .
Home for the Holidays (1995)
Modern Family understands that family is complicated. Our families can be funny, loving, annoying, and supportive all at once. Home for the Holidays , directed by Jodie Foster and starring Holly Hunter, understands this perfectly. When Claudia (Hunter) returns home for Thanksgiving, she finds herself in the most difficult situation of her life. At first, the bickering, chaos, and ominous signs of impending tragedy are frightening and trigger intense negative emotions, but ultimately, she realizes there’s nowhere else she’d rather be. Watch Home for the Holidays on Kanopy , YouTube , or Hoopla , or rent it on Prime Video .