Customer Reviews

Married With Children: It's a Bundyful Life [VHS]

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4 star:		(2)
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"Married...with Children," became one of the FOX network's first hits when it premiered on the fledgling network in the mid 1980's. Originally part of Fox's debut lineup, the show revolved around the life of Chicago shoeseller, Al Bundy, his chimney smoking housewife, Peggy, and their two dysfunctional children, Kelly and Bud.

In this spoof of "It's A Wonderful Life," Al Bundy has to find a way to keep the promise he made to his family. Promising them the best Christmas ever, Al has to find a way to make up for his Christmas bonus. However when that fails, he starts to ponder what would life for his family be like if he never lived. After an accidential electrical shock outside his home, Al awakens to find an angel played by the late Sam Kinison, who wants to convince him that he needs to live.

However instead of finding a family full of misery and grief without their father, Al discovers that his family is living a charmed wife where Peggy cooks and cleans, Kelly is smart and virginal, and Bud is a gentlemen. Peggy who is married to the picture perfect husband (Ted McGinley, who later would become a regular cast member in the role of Jefferson D'Arcy) seems to be the happiest homemake ron this earth, and after seeing this Al wants to live so that they will never be as happy as he saw them.

Very funny in every sense, this series was a pioneer for daring comedy, and being the only episode of the entire series on videocassette, "A Bundyful Life," is a hysterical holiday classic to watch for years to come.

This homage - of -sorts to the Jimmy Stewart classic is already a classic of its' type. With a shock to his system, Al awakens to find an angel - his angel, who has been called to help Al decide if his " loved ones " would be better off without him, if he had never been born. With anger, angst and humor, The Angel ( Sam Kinison ) arrives, not without his own issues and proceeds to give Al a look of how life might have been. Peggy somehow became a Leave It To Beaver style mom, complete with apron and french Twist...Bud, a sweater and tie wearing geek who has become almost courtly and Kelly - a plaid skirt and ponytailed Virgin Barbie. Did Peggy Sue get married ? You bet your Bundy she did, but to a handsome man who lifts them all from drudgery and middleclass living to life in a mansion. The lucky husband later was signed to the show as jefferson D'Arcy - also known as Mr Marcy. Here, he is somewhat of a snob, but loving the family. Obviously, Al comes to a few self - realizations and makes the decision of a lifetime. OK, it ain't Shakespeare, but it is a welcome respite from the usual holiday fare.

This episode of Fox's Married..With Children is a true Christmas classic. It first aired on December 24,1989(not the 17th as stated on tv.com). Steve Rhoades(David Garrison) spends the holidays with his widowed mother. She came to get him via taxicab from her Cincinatti home! So his wife Marcy(Amanda Bearse) spends Christmas alone. Marcy is "getting down" at the Christmas Eve party at the bank where she works as a drive-thru window teller,her demotion from accountant. After patriarch Al Bundy(Ed O'Neill) receives a shock from a faulty live wire from his Christmas light set,he falls asleep and dreams what life would be like if he were dead. In the dream sequence,a guardian angel(the late great Sam Kinison) shows Al what is happening in his wife Peg's(Katey Sagal)(fictitious)second marriage. Peg married a sophisticated man named Norman Jablonski(guest star and future MWC cast member Ted McGinley). Daughter Kelly(Christina Applegate) and son Bud(David Faustino) are college students. Take note of how all four are dressed in 1950's fashions. "I want my family back!",exclaims a desperate Al. Also,at the shoe store where Al works and manages as well,he entertains an army of young children,only for them to be met with disappointment. Their parents pay for them to be babysat and are later refunded. This episode is from Married...With Children-The Complete Fourth Season in two parts. This episode had a special closing montage. Instead of Al and Peg sitting on their living room sofa,we see a night scene of the Bundy house with a snow-covered ground and we hear IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS performed by an unknown ensemble. McGinley, of Happy Days fame,joined MWC in late 1990,playing Jefferson D'Arcy,who would become Marcy's second husband(her marriage to Steve ended in sudden divorce). Another episode similar to this is YOU BETTER WATCH OUT from 1987. In that episode,Santa Claus is found dead in the Bundys' backyard.

Marrried With Children, what a great sitcom and then some! Some people hated this show as a salute to disfunction, BUT there is a lot more truth in their episodes than many people want to aknowledge.

Here we have a Bundy take on "It's A Wonderful Life", it's Christmas eve and with Peggy and kids off to Denny's for their annual Christmas Eve feast, Al has a rare moement of clarity, wishing he could give his family more and thinking that they would be better off without them.

Enter the late Sam Kinison, as the Angel. The Angel shows Al what his family would be like at Christmas without him. We see Peggy, dressed as a Donna Reid clone, baking Christmas cookies, Kelly returns home for the holidays from her studies, dressed in preppy clothing (to put it midly), and not worring about her lack of a sex life. Bud dressed to the nines, plays the ultimate ladies man. Ted McGinley plays their father, and for Christmas he announces he had bought them a new house as the ultimate present. Al's take on this?, he wisely asks, "can you taste the bile".

Happily all was a dream, and when Al wakes up his dejected family returns, unable to have taken in Denny's cuisine as the prices went up.

All is right in Bundyville!

Ken

I find it next to impossible to write an impartial review of this episode, or most any other MWC episode, for that matter. Married With Children has been my favorite show for as long as I can remember - with razor-sharp humor that never dulls.
This episode is definitely one of the most memorable ever. Guest starring Sam Kinison, it features biting, non-PC humor that leaves one in stitches. From Al's unique recitation of "Twas the Night Before Christmas", to his guardian angel's recollections of his ex-wife, this episode features some of the best Bundy humor.
My only hope is that the rest of the episodes will eventually make it onto DVD - there isn't a single pre-season 8 episode of Married With Children that I wouldn't gladly buy. Excellent show, great episode to have.

I grew up watching Married with Children and was very disappointed when the show ended. I was grateful to watch reruns on late night television until recently time slots changed and I am no longer able to watch. Thus I begun my search to find the series to purchase as many other shows such as Friends and Little House on the Prairie have come out with, but found bitter disappointment in the realization that there are no season's available for purchase. Then in my search I stumbled across this classic episode and purchased it on the spot. It is outrageously funny, the only thing I still could want is the entire series!!

This episode offers a classic look at our favourite family the Bundy's. Considering that "Married.. with children" is nowadays cancelled, this release offers us fans a chance to reaquaint. One in a row of episodes dealing with christmas, this one is probably my personal favourite among Bundy christmas'. Al has promised the family gifts, however he's being held at the shoe store by costumers and arrives late at Marcy's bank, therefore being unable to buy presents. Al, even more depressive than usual, gets to meet his somewhat original guardian angel, played by the late Sam Kinison, who's supposed to show Al "one darn reason to live". But has Al got a reason? I suppose we should be glad that CBS has finally released a episode, but seeing that there is over 260 episodes in existence, I suppose we cannot expect all of them on the market. But, that aside, Bundy is Bundy and this one is as good example as any of a truly great show(the best one ever!). As usual, it's top notch stuff.

review by Patrick

The DVD contains the edited syndicated version instead of the uncut version featured on this tape. At the beginning part two, Peg, Bud and Kelly were making snow cones out of real snow and using cough syrup as flavoring for the snow cones. That scene did NOT make it onto the DVD.

Wen i see MWC on the first time, in 1988, i start to buy VHS tapes and rec all episodes, and buy this tape also. All i can say, this tape is obligatory for every Bundy-File. :)

EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THIS FUNNY,FUNNY MOVIE! THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT TODAY!!!