American society today has so many different forms of people. Along with a variety of people, come different family dynamics. Blended is an example of two families which are stuck together on a "familymoon", a vacation for newly married couples and their kids/stepchildren. But, the two main families are not connected and must coexist and pretend to be one unit. These families defy the stereotypes of what a family is. The movie depicts the process of growing up, relationship dynamics, grief, and family well. However, elements of the movie are over exaggerated, there are too many coincidences and emphasis put on the way Hilary looks. Overall, there was too much comedy and typical movie flourishes placed into the story purely for entertainment for it to be true.
Blended accurately encompasses both the good and bad things which are involved with growing up as well as families in general. The awkwardness which is involved in growing up is represented through the body image issues which Hilary goes through in an effort to appeal to boys her age. The need to fit in and be like your peers is a common trait among young adults. Relationships are represented in good and bad terms, the happiness of Jim and his youngest daughter demonstrates the typical unconditional love a young daughter provides to her father. The awkwardness that occurs in situations you are unaccustomed to is demonstrated in Jim and Lauren's uncomfortable first date. Grief is expressed in multiple ways throughout the film just like in reality, coping mechanisms of creating false realities and waiting long amounts of time to try again are shown. The family represents the truth well.
**WARNING: Following paragraph includes spoilers**
In the beginning, the story is as truthful as can be when describing something so abstract as families. But, the truth begins to fall apart as the trip becomes available. The huge makeover that Hilary undergoes emphasizes the stereotype that a girl must be dressed up in order to get a boy to notice her. After the makeover, everything changes, suddenly Hilary and the boy are inseparable and Jim is more agreeable, this implies that looking more attractive makes the world around you much better. Finally the movie comes to a resolution where naturally, the man and women who could not stand each other in the beginning, confess their love in the end. I just watched the movie What Happens In Vegas which has the same essence.
While Blended contains truthful lessons and human behavior, the entire plot is too coincidental to actually exist and be truthful.
Good analysis and I think that in movies like these, there are a lot of stereotypes about different types of people. It seems that Adam Sandler is always in these types of movies with awkward/funny social problems. I agree that while some aspects, like how the family members interact with each other, seem natural and believable, but too much comedy can make a movie cheesy.
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