The Family Fang
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A dark comedy that is at moments side-splittingly funny, “The Family Fang” zeroes in on the emotionally damaged adult children (Nicole Kidman, Jason Bateman) of two pretentious and talent-free performance artists (Maryann Plunkett and Christopher Walken). Fang Sr. is a manipulative bastard, openly contemptuous of his kids, a novelist and actress, respectively, because they are not “real” artists. This is not the first film to deal with autocratic patriarchs, but it’s singular in its portrayal of an unfamiliar universe and a father whose authority — and power over his children — stems from his self-anointed mystique as an artist. It also offers a great comic performance by Walken, whose character has no doubt that his ideas and work are significant even if we can still feel his frustration, misdirected rage and self-loathing.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
