Analysis of a Documentary 2

The family is a new reality programme that takes a unique observational documentary approach. It tells of the universal themes of family life. Similar to the 1974 experiment on the Wilkins family which then changed the face of British TV, the Hughes family agreed to take part in the experiment showing a typical family and modern outlook on life. The family consist of a dad, a mum and four children three of which are teenagers and the eldest not living at home. Their lives were filmed over the course of 4 months for 100 days and nights which included 21 cameras situated around their home in Canterbury Kent. The documentary began in September and ran for eight episodes it featured on Channel 4. The fly on the wall type doc gave all six family members the opportunity to voice their opinions on their family and intrintroduce themselves in their own words. The show features Simon (dad), Jane (mum), Jessica 22, Emily 19, Charlotte 17, and Tom 14. All family members each had their own particular role and described themselves in different ways. The show very much highlights the struggles that families face daily but are reassured by love.

Episode 1 - Life Begins at 40
The series begins with Jane's 40th birthday approaching and the tension built up in the Hughes household. The main theme of the episode is age and is revealed through the relationships in the family. The shot begins with a variety of establishing shots showing the type of houses in the area they live in. A solemn instrumental can be heard throughout the opening. As the purpose of the documentary is to introduce the family and how they live this gives a sense of identity for the audience as their situation is relatable. The next shot cuts to the family sitting around the table eating a meal as the voice over begins. We are introduced to the family and various clips showing each member and their personality is included. This portrays the Hughes family as approachable and normal. The next shot is faded in and shows Jane entering the home from a day at work, this may reflect a typical day in the household where the parents get home later than the children. However in the portrayal of a typical family roles maybe reversed showing the father as the breadwinner or provider. The camera shows Jane engaging in a conversation with Tom in which she appears quite angry. This is enforced by Tom's voice over of suggesting that she is in a "funny mood". As the episode continues we find out the reason for her feeling this way as the reoccurring situation of Emily going out begins to emerge, this soon becomes a main problem throughout the series. Tom's voice over continues and he states "Emily's going out isn't helping". Tom's voice over continues again and he suggests that his mother is also feeling down about turning 40. This shows a typical problem that women generally face about getting old and also suggests that this will occur in a normal family. The camera cuts to a close up of Jane sitting on the bed looking down, this is reinforced through her body language. The camera then cuts to Emily in her own bedroom and what appears as her getting ready to go out. The editing of the shots suggest that this is indeed the reason for Jane feeling upset as their is a contrast in age between them both. The shots continue and the title appears on the screen (life begins at 40). We are for the first time shown Simon as him and Jane are in their bedroom. They have a heated discussion on Emily and her hygiene which she eventually joins in to. The camera cuts to Jane in bed and her facial expression suggests she is in no mood for the argument that follows and she often tells Simon to just "leave it". The episode continues as the family begin to get ready for school and work. Emily can be seen entering the house suggesting that she has stayed out all night. This is a feature of most teenagers at that age. Throughout the series Jane and Simon often argue with Emily about her constant going out at night and sleeping all day. As the episode continues the next shot shows Emily on the phone to her boss, she explains to her boss that she hasn't been feeling very well and cannot attend work. This also reveals a regular occurrence of Emily not facing her responsibility which reflects something that teenagers also do. There are prominent contrasts of age between the type of music that the parents and Emily listen to, this reveals a difference in times and age.