History Main / DysfunctionalFamily

** The Saotomes consist of: the father, Genma Saotome; a glutton, petty thief, shiftless, irresponsible, [[SinsOfOurFathers responsibility-dodging troublemaker]] who [[{{Animorphism}}turns into a panda bear when splashed with cold water]]. The mother, Nodoka Saotome; a YamatoNadeshiko... who [[BewareTheNiceOnes carries a katana with her everywhere she goes]], in case she has to order her son to commit {{Seppuku}} for lack of manliness, as per the contract she agreed to and that Genma offered. The son, Ranma Saotome; a brash, socially inept martial artist who [[GenderBender turns into a busty girl when splashed with cold water]], who also is the center of a LoveDodecahedron, thanks in part to his father's agreeing to placing him under ''two'' separate {{Arranged Marriage}}s.

%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample * The five Dunbar brothers from ''Literature/TheBridgeOfClay''. Their mother has died, their father has left them and they are left to their own devices, even though the oldest one, [[{{Narrator}} Matthew]], is barely 18 at that time.

* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'': BoJack himself grew up in a very dysfunctional household where his parents [[NoAccountingForTaste just couldn't get along with each other]] [[AbusiveParents and often took out their frustrations on him]].
** BoJack's mother, Beatrice, became the bitter woman we've come to fear because of her own [[DarkAndTroubledPast troubled childhood]]. Back in the 1940's, her family seemed idyllic at first, but after the death of [[TheAce Crackerjack]] in World War II, things really fell apart, for what was left is an [[AbusiveParents emotionally distant father]], [[EmptyShell a broken mother]], and [[TheUnfavorite a neglected daughter]].

* Wes Anderson loves this trope in general. ''Film/TheRoyalTenenbaums'', ''Film/TheLifeAquatic'' has Dysfunctional TrueCompanions, and there are familial issues to be worked out in both ''Film/TheDarjeelingLimited'' and ''WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox''.
* The Conlons of the 2011 film ''Film/{{Warrior}}'' have shades of this. However, Brendan's family is amazingly functional.
* To some degree in ''Film/TakeShelter''. The protagonist's mother is in a mental hospital, his brother is estranged from him and his wife is about to leave him.

* The Setons in ''{{Film/Holiday}}''. Linda has a warm relationship with both her siblings, but they don't much care for each other. Julia's the only one who gets along with her dad, whom [[TheAlcoholic Ned]], and [[BlackSheep Linda]] both resent for trying to run their lives. Their [[MissingMom mother]] can't have been terribly happy, either.
-->'''Ned:''' You see, Father wanted a large family so Mother promptly had Linda, but Linda was a girl so Mother promptly had Julia, but Julia was a girl and the whole thing seemed hopeless. Then, the following year, Mother had me. It was a boy and the fair name of Seton would flourish. Drink to Mother, Johnny. She tried to be a Seton for a while, then gave up and died.
* In ''Film/WhatWeDidOnOurHoliday'' the dysfunction, previously lurking with divorcing parents, a self-obsessed uncle, an aunt in the midst of a breakdown and world weary kids, really becomes noticeable when the children decide to give their granddad a VikingFuneral after he dies on the beach, and all the adults are too busy arguing for the children to be able to tell them he has died.
* ''Film/KapoorAndSons'': The Kapoors are comprised of an ailing grandfather, a bickering middle-aged couple, and two estranged grandsons.

* ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}'' has Makoto's Joke Ending. Makoto runs a dramatic re-enactment of her family life with [[WTHCastingAgency randomized casting]]. It turns out that [[TheSociopath Terumi]] has a talent for turning any family into this and when his favourite victims, like [[spoiler:Ragna]] are also casted, things quicky get out of control, not helped by the other actors not being able to stay in character, here's the cast:

** Seventy years later, most of the original Gaang has a more realistic, downplayed ParentsAsPeople-based version of this. Aang unknowingly favored his airbending son Tenzin over his other two kids (partly out of necessity as Tenzin would have to guide all future airbenders), Toph couldn't bring herself to discipline her kids (having been raised by overprotective parents) leading to one joining a gang and the other becoming an uptight jerk who never knew who her father was, Sokka doesn't seem to have started a family, and only Zuko's daughter seems to not be carrying any lingering luggage from her childhood. That being said, ''unlike'' the Fire Nation Royal family, it was still very clear that they all loved all of their children and all of said children grew up to be functional halthy adults who still carry fond memories of their parents as well.

* Though certainly not a DomCom, ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' has a dysfunctional family consisting of [[ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne reluctant]] [[TheChosenOne Chosen One]] Shinji Ikari, [[ManipulativeBastard evil]] [[AbusiveParents father]] Gendo Ikari, ambitious [[TheChessmaster mastermind]] mother [[TheLostLenore Yui Ikari]], Yui's [[CloningBlues little clones]] [[EmotionlessGirl Rei]] [[ReiAyanamiExpy Ayanami]] I, II, and III, and the HumongousMecha [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext that has Yui's soul inside]]. There's also Shinji's ParentalSubstitute, [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl Misato]] [[EthicalSlut Katsuragi]], and Misato's other fostered child, [[FieryRedhead Asuka]] [[HotBlooded Langley]] [[LustObject Soryu]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}}'': Played with by the Madrigals. It seems the family starts out as supportive and unrestricted beyond Alma's desire to use their gifts to give back to the community but over time becomes dysfunctional as Alma's desire to preserve the miracle intensifies. The first marriages (Pepa/Felix) and (Julieta/Agustin) appear to have been unguided. As grandchildren enter the household, Alma continues to guide the family toward being of service to the community. When Mirabel fails to get a gift, Alma begins to quietly fear that they've failed to be worthy of the miracle and increases the pressure to give back. [[spoiler:Bruno, at this point, is hiding behind the walls and working to repair the cracks that have started to appear.]] By the time Antonio gets his gift, Alma has become aware of the cracks in the Casita and becomes even more focused on keeping the miracle alive. She takes steps to arrange the marriage of Isabela and Mariano [[spoiler:(regardless of Isabela's feelings)]] and becomes more critical of Mirabel's actions that she feels jeopardizes the miracle. Although Mirabel reconciles with Isabela [[spoiler:and begins to strengthen the candle flame, Alma is so distraught and how changed Isabela has become that she openly accuses Mirabel and Bruno of hurting the family. Which becomes the final straw that causes the miracle to collapse.]]

* ''Film/TheSquidAndTheWhale'': The Berkmans are all screwed up in some way. The parents are self-obsessed, arrogant, and unfaithful toward one another, leading to their divorce. The children consist of a judgemental, narcissistic teenager and an alcoholic, sex-crazed prepubescent.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': While most of the families in South Park has some measure of problems, by far the worst are Kenny and Cartman's families. Kenny's parents are both unemployed alcoholics who constantly emotionally and physically abuse each other (though they dont generally target their kids), and their three children are forced to rely on each other for support. They've been taken by social services at least once. Cartman is the BastardBastard son of a Denver Broncos player, and lives with his enabling doormat of a mother, who's lax parenting has resulted in her son becoming a full-blown sociopath by age 10.

* In ''LightNovel/KyouranKazokuNikki'', this is subverted, as even though the household is its own DysfunctionJunction and they all have their individual issues, everyone has the other's back, leading to lots of heartwarming moments.

* ''WesternAnimation/ParadisePD'': The Crawford family. Kevin is a complete moron and a loser with poor social skills. Randall is a hot-heated bigot who has no respect for his son whatsoever. Karen, despite being the most reasonable member of the household, is a CorruptPolitician who has no problem using Kevin as a guinea pig for her re-election campaigns. [[spoiler:Season 4 introduces Baby Kevin, an EnfantTerrible who is full of TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ParadisePD'': The Crawford family. Kevin is a complete moron and a loser with poor social skills. Randall is bigoted, temperamental, and has no respect for his son whatsoever. Karen, despite being the most reasonable member of the household, is a CorruptPolitician who has no problem using Kevin as a guinea pig for her re-election campaigns. [[spoiler:Season 4 introduces Baby Kevin, an EnfantTerrible who is full of TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior.]]

The entire premise for many {{Dom Com}}s is that the lead characters are a family of maladjusted people who generally don't get along. Usually they consist of a JadedWashout and/or BumblingDad father, a mother who is either a [[WomenAreWiser paragon of common sense]] and efficiency or a repulsive harridan (or both, a la ''Series/{{Roseanne}}''), and two-four kids who are unhappy, dislike each other, and [[HatesTheirParent resent at least one of their parents.]] Also, the father and his mother-in-law tend to hate each other. The family is generally [[LowerClassLout fairly poor]], although not always — ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' is about a large, rich dysfunctional family. And even they won't remain wealthy. (It was seized by the government.) Some shows add a crotchety grandparent or other relative for comic relief.

Standard members[[note]]This isn’t always accurate[[/note]]:

The entire premise for many {{Dom Com}}s is that the lead characters are a family of maladjusted people who generally don't get along. Usually they consist of a JadedWashout and/or BumblingDad father, a mother who is either a [[WomenAreWiser paragon of common sense]] and efficiency or a repulsive harridan (or both, a la ''Series/{{Roseanne}}''), and two-four kids who are unhappy, dislike each other, and [[HatesTheirParent resent at least one of their parents.]] Also, the father and his mother-in-law tend to hate each other. The family is generally [[LowerClassLout fairly poor]], although not always — ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' is about a large, rich dysfunctional family. And even they won't remain wealthy. (It was seized by the government.)

In American comedies, this was originally a subversion of the ''Series/LeaveItToBeaver''/''Series/TheBradyBunch'' almost-too-good-to-believe family, but eventually ballooned into a genre of its own. The Dysfunctional Family has been a [[BritCom British comedy]] staple since the 1950s.

** The Griffins (Family Guy) are of a more traditional sitcom setup in the style of The Simpsons. Peter Griffin is a Manchild who combines low intelligence and massive emotional immaturity with a dangerous lack of common sense. Lois Griffin is a shrewish housewife who can't control her husband's behavior. Chris Griffin, like his father, is a FatIdiot who shows lack of knowledge. Meg Griffin is the ButtMonkey of the entire family, if not the whole town. It's telling that the best adjusted members of the family are the one-year-old EnfantTerrible Stewie (who's a murderer a dozen times over) and KnowNothingKnowItAll FunnyAnimal Brian, who are able to rely on each other for emotional support.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': While most of the families in South Park has some measure of problems, by far the worst are Kenny and Cartman's families. Kenny's parents are both unemployed alcoholics who constantly emotionally and physically abuse each other (though they dont generally target their kids), and their three children are forced to rely on each other for support. They've been taken by social services at least once. Cartman is the BastardBastard son of a Denver Broncos player, and lives with his enabling doormat of a mother, who's lax parenting has resulted in her son becoming a full-blown sociopath by age 10. The only they're on this page is due to ''South Park'' being satire.

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'':

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', the Parr family starts off like this, as a SuperFamilyTeam forced to live an average life under a SuperRegistrationAct. Violet's angst about not being normal, Dash's frustration at being forced to pretend to be, the arguments between siblings and parents at the dinner table and Helen butting heads with Bob over his late-night vigilante antics all contribute. Thankfully, the events of the movie contribute to bring them all closer by the end.

* ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'': The show was meant as a subversion of the clean-cut DomCom shows of the early '80s about loving, wholesome, upper-class families, instead featuring a lower-class family who seem to constantly be at each others' throats. This show and ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' are arguably the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]] of the Dysfunctional Family sitcom, as they started the trend of [[DomCom Dom Coms]] featuring dysfunctional families. It is safe to say the Bundys' household income is divided as 99-1 with Peg getting the upper percentage while Bud and Kelly combined get the lower one. That leaves Al with nothing. The kids are divided on which parent is the LesserOfTwoEvils, sometimes going with mom because Al can be a bit of a ControlFreak at times especially if he demands family time, and the other times with Al himself since Peg is a lazy, negligent mother who won't feed them at all. The viewer usually only sees the kids warming up to Al, with Peg out of the picture.

* ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'': The show was meant as a subversion of the clean-cut DomCom shows of the early '80s about loving, wholesome, upper-class families, starring featuring a lower-class family full of people who seem to constantly be at each others' throats. This show and ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' are arguably the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]] of the Dysfunctional Family sitcom, as they started the trend of [[DomCom Dom Coms]] featuring dysfunctional families. It is safe to say the Bundys' household income is divided as 99-1 with Peg getting the upper percentage while Bud and Kelly combined get the lower one. That leaves Al with nothing. The kids are divided on which parent is the LesserOfTwoEvils, sometimes going with mom because Al can be a bit of a ControlFreak at times especially if he demands family time, and the other times with Al himself since Peg is a lazy, negligent mother who won't feed them at all. The viewer usually only sees the kids warming up to Al, with Peg out of the picture.

%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample * ''Series/MarriedWithChildren''