|
|
4.0 out of 5 stars
30 Years On...Archie & Edith still wear well, October 19, 2003
When I spent a recent Saturday night watching this VHS, I was almost certain that by this point in time ALL IN THE FAMILY would likely prove a little dated. Well, there's no denying that the show was definitely "of its era"--it's very 70s, as Mike and Gloria's attire and lingo attest. But at its best, AITF hit on timeless themes of love, family, and yes, on a grander scale, generational conflict and social justice. The three episodes included on this particular VHS focus on the former concerns, however, and therefore number among the warmest and most human entries in the series. The common theme they share is love and marriage and their attendant problems. What the Bunkers and the Stivics have there is usually a failure to communicate, and while that may not be so surprising for the gruff and malaprop-prone Archie and the truly sweet but admittedly (delightfully) dingbatty Edith, the fact that the young, "liberated" Stivics miscommunicate so royally on the classic "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Wig" suggests that it will be ever thus. At the time of its run, one of the criticisms of the series was that it made bigots like Archie kind of likeable, if not downright loveable. I always found such critiques a little tiresome. Archie's prejudices were always either actively challenged by those around him (Mike, Gloria, Lionel) or contrasted against the better example provided in Edith's innocent openheartness and good will toward all. The fact that Archie had his endearing human traits, alongside his appalling biases, only served to prove that he was human, not a monster. There was always hope for Archie, hope that he would learn at least a few small life lessons along the way. In at least two of these episodes, he learns something about how to begin to demonstrate his love for his wife. For him, that was no small lesson.
|