MovieChat Forums > Family (1976) Discussion > Buddy's awesome, the rest of them, meh.....

Buddy's awesome, the rest of them, meh...

posted 10 years ago by I_Love_Hutch
6 replies | jump to latest

Okay, the mom is loving and stable, but she's way too inexpressive for my liking. She's kind of boring, but she's not too bad. Doug, Willie and Nancy are just not likeable people. Expecially Nancy. I don't know what her problem is. And Annie was actually okay when she came on the show later. When I was younger I couldn't stand the way she talked, but there is something likeable about Quinn Cummings.

I love Buddy, though. She has a huge heart, she's curious about life, she's adorable, she's full of life and she seems to possess a certain wisdom that is way beyond her years. I suspect that last quality may be coming more from Kristy McNichol, who always exuded this kind of discreet maturity.

[–] InherentlyYours 10 years ago

Was it 'Nancy' or Meridith Baxter? (who I don't find likable in general)
Remember the suicide scene over the phone with Jennifer Salt?

"not on your birthday, it's too melodramatic!"
~~Nancy

[–] I_Love_Hutch 10 years ago

Oh, I think you are right, IY. It's probably more Meredith Baxter Birney who turned me off the Nancy character. There is something distinctly cold, even slightly abrasive about her. She puts me off. I liked the first actress who played Nancy better; she had a slight "Elaine May" type of goofy charm to her.

And there had been something actually kind of sweet and innocent about MBB when she appeared on "The Doris Day Show" and "The Partridge Family" several years earlier. I wonder what happened? I do think that she and David Birney were not suited for each other at all, probably even aside from the fact that Meredith was/is a lesbian.

I just watched the episode you cited with the suicidal friend yesterday. Some of Nancy's approaches to help her friend seemed odd to me, and I really thought she was out of place/inappropriate/unfeeling when she told her friend how she should be off having a great vacation, dancing and laughing with good-looking men. Yes, Nancy was a good friend in that she stuck around and did not just leave her friend behind, and maybe Nancy/people have a valid point when they claim that the suicidal person is selfish, but that is the last thing I would be saying to that individual, especially in the throes of a crisis. Also, I don't remember Nancy thanking Willie for all the help and support he gave her. Maybe she did, but I don't remember it. That rubbed me the wrong way.

I haven't made my mind up about the show overall, yet. Right now, it seems like the writers/producers were misdirected by an emphasis on displaying "good intentions". I dunno.

Incidentally, I did not know that was Jennifer Salt who played the friend!

[–] InherentlyYours 10 years ago

I don't recall much from that episode, except for the ending where Baxter starts to yell "Happy Birthday to you!" over the phone to keep Salt awake. What if Cheryl Ladd, the runner-up to Baxter, had played Nancy.

[–] I_Love_Hutch 10 years ago

The "Happy Birthday to You" was the one part of the scene that made me like Nancy, though she screamed it, I am sure out of desperation.

I knew that Cheryl had been up for the Nancy role, so I sometimes have been picturing Cheryl instead of MBB when watching a scene. Cheryl is warmer than MBB, and she is at least as good, if not better, an actress.

To be honest, I think that overall Cheryl ended up being better serviced by doing the role of Kris Munroe. And vice-versa.

[–] rascal67 10 years ago

I liked the first actress who played Nancy better; she had a slight "Elaine May" type of goofy charm to her.
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I found her a bit scraggy looking Mr. H and she didn't have the prettiness or presence of Birney. She only did a few episodes, before they replaced her, as they felt she was a weak link. Nancy, is not someone I would care to befriend and she comes over as a bit spoiled. Oldest daughter and apple of her father's eye, I suppose. Willie is kinda cute; but annoying and whiny. I love his loving relationship with Buddy; but he comes over as too knowing also and looks to old for his characters age. He is supposed to be 19 at the moment. In the first episode, I loved it when Doug told him to go up to his room and contemplate why someone who has an IQ of 147, doesn't know how to use it. He had been teaching 13yr old Buddy how to drive and she had taken off with the family car, when she was upset about something. I would have taken my belt to both of them Mr. H.😱

[–] rascal67 10 years ago

Okay, the mom is loving and stable, but she's way too inexpressive for my liking. She's kind of boring, but she's not too bad.
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I have just recently started watching these season's in order and only had the occasional opportunity to watch FAMILY when I was a kid. It was Kristy McNichol, that always shone through for me, her radiance and emotional depth; but also my age at the time, I would have related to her.

I like Kate Lawrence—Sada Thompson—and I think she is a 'sterling' woman. A product of her time and upbringing—as was Doug—but she is an intelligent and compassionate woman and can have the ability to put things into perspective and can admit and humble herself, to her flaws and failings.

I recently watched the episode, where her friend Elaine—a wonderful Priscilla Morrill—had her adopted out baby daughter, seeking her out. Kate had registered her name as the mother, due to circumstance at the time and the lovely young lady, initially thought Kate was her birth mother. The girl was eager to meet Elaine and Kate pressured Elaine into seeing her daughter...."I think you must". She then gets upset with Elaine, for not showing up to meet the girl, when she was supposed too and fails to recognize how Elaine felt about the situation. I was annoyed for the first time with Kate, while watching this episode, as previously, I had seen Kate making attempts to keep her family all together and was also making efforts to empower herself.....like going back to music school and here, she made a misstep of judgement. I love what she said to the girl at the end, when she realised her mistake and Elaine still hadn't seen her daughter.... something like...."Give her time. She has spent her whole life, knowing she could never see you. Now, she has the rest of her life, knowing that she can". 😢 I love these moving episodes and was always part of the reason, I loved seeing the show, when I could.