This television project belongs to the generation of veterans-series unknown to the modern viewer. Its broadcast over seven seasons suggests that the topics raised by the scriptwriters were not only reflected in social issues, but were also accepted by this very society. Finished in 1989, “Family Ties” managed to pick up the best television awards. What are the memories of “Family Ties”? The series, whose actors received recognition with its release, will be the topic of our article.
Political Filling
Speaking quite frankly, the series is partially based on the political mood of the Americans of the early 80s. This time is characterized by the transition from liberalism to conservatism. During the reign of Reagan, the story focuses on an ordinary family, where parents, Alice and Stephen are former hippies who equip their home. They have three children, among whom the future Republican Alex is behind the scenes. For this role, young Michael Jay Fox was awarded the Emmy Award, turning into a key character, although initially he was destined only for an episodic appearance. What other actors of Family Ties have gained recognition besides him?
Character Features
It was planned that the spouses Keaton would become the central heroes. The series has their backstory, as well as the backstory of their children, which viewers will learn about gradually. The only thing that unites the entire Keaton family is their participation in the political life of the country, which they somehow show in their actions. At the same time, the concept of “Family ties” was calculated on the creation of a family movie with a homely warm atmosphere, and in order not to put pressure on the viewer, political aspects were relegated to the background. As critics later admitted, and the actors of Family Bonds themselves, the series constantly balanced between these two faces, turning the tint of family relationships into a denial of the culture of the 60s and, as a result, the formation of a conservative trend.
Features of the actors
Alice and Stephen, students of the University of California, were impressed by the program of then President Kennedy. They were members of the Peace Corps. Their first-born Alex was born in Africa, and the youngest daughter Jennifer was born on the night of the election of Nixon for a second term. So we can say that the family is saturated with the spirit of political life.
The creators did not have a task for the actors of “Family ties” to be famous stars. In 1982, Meredith Baxter-Birney and Michael Gross already had experience shooting, but still remained little-known artists.
California born Meredith was born in 1947. Her mother, Whitney Blake, is a well-known cinematic figure. Despite the fact that Meredith openly confessed to her non-traditional orientation (she is bisexual), she was married three times to men, including actors Michael Blodgett and David Byrne. From them, the actress gave birth to five children, including twins Peter and Molly.
The start of acting Baxter is associated with her guest roles in many television series. Since 1976, she starred in a similar sitcom “Family”. In the same year, the famous thriller “All Presidential Army” with Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford comes out, but Meredith has only a secondary image there. The actress gets her first major role in 1985 in the drama “The Case of Richard Beck”, already being known thanks to the release of “Family Ties”.
Actors “Family ties” - this is Michael Gross, the performer of the role of Stephen Keaton. As conceived by the scriptwriters, he appears to be the confident head of a large family, the father of three children, a caring husband, and well-versed in social matters. However, with the appearance in the series of his son Alex in the performance of Michael Jay Fox, the role of Stephen faded into the background.
Gross himself, who was born in 1947, began his career with the series “Young and the Insolent”. In 1979, he starred in the comedy Say What You Need. The first serious recognition came, of course, with the release of Family Ties. Michael Gross is married with two children.
“Family Ties”: actors of secondary images
Perhaps the only star ensemble who has achieved the greatest fame is Michael J. Fox. He first appeared on television at the age of 9 years. His debut film works were the series “Magic Lies”, “Boat of Love”, “Leo and Me”, as well as “Family”, in which Meredith Baxter had already starred.
The best film of 1985 was recognized as a fantastic film "Back to the Future", in which the hero of Fox goes to the past, where he meets his parents. The film brought a good profit, and the actor got a multi-million army of fans. In the same period, other paintings with his participation, mainly of a teenage orientation, came out - Poison Ivy, Daylight, Wolf Cub. Over the past, Michael received 750 thousand, and the fee for his next film, the comedy “The Secret of My Success”, was already $ 2 million. By the age of 24, Fox has turned into a young highly paid actor. The recognition of “Back to the Future”, released in 1989 and 1990, respectively, allowed us to increase recognition and our own wallet. On the set of Family Ties, Fox met Tracy Pollan, who played his girlfriend. In real life they are spouses.
Mallory Keaton, the eldest daughter in the family, is featured by a modern messy girl. She does not have a clear position in life, although most of her views are more realistic than those of the mother-feminist Alice. Justine Bateman, who played Mallory in Family Ties, is best known for her kinship with her more famous brother Jason Bateman. And although they grew at the same time and together took the first steps in conquering Hollywood, the latter did better. Together they starred in the comedy series Slow Development.
The main creative successes of Justine are connected with “Family Ties”. For the series, she received nominations for Emmy and Golden Globe. With its completion, the actress chose shooting in independent films that did not achieve audience appreciation. In 2000, she launched her own clothing line, and a year later she married and gave birth to a child. In the new millennium, Justine appeared in Desperate Housewives, Clairvoyant, Private Practice, Lascivious California.
Series Features
According to the audience, the popularity of “Family ties”, which went on the air for seven years, lies in the very name of the show. Friendly relations, mutual assistance and support - this is the main merit of the Keatons who kept their fans. Along with this, the show permeated with subtle humor; a sitcom makes you laugh, if not laugh, at least. The kind atmosphere, reminiscent of the no less warm “Alpha”, was recreated with the help of leading actors, who created a second house from the set. No wonder their game was marked by the highest television awards, which the actors of “Family Ties” deservedly deserved. Now they are sought-after stars who mark the series as an integral part of their creative path. Obviously, this stage remained a pleasant memory not only for them, but also for those who were a devoted fan of the show throughout all its seasons.