Are you tight with your family? Or would you describe yours as dysfunctional?

The definition of family has certainly changed over the years. The once traditional family of mom, dad, two kids, a dog and a white picket fence is no longer. The new family has morphed into a multitude of ways – two dads, two moms, single mom or dad, step-parents, half-brothers and sisters, grandparents, foster parents, friends… Today’s modern family can come with quirks and a whole lotta love.

This month on Netflix, there are some great family themed shows and movies to enjoy. Grace and Frankie is Netflix’s new funny and fearless original comedy featuring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston. This show is a perfect example of how today’s families can shift, rearrange and blend in unexpected ways. When Grace and Frankie’s husbands leave them after 40 years of marriage—to be with each other—the women find themselves facing a change they never expected. They shift their perspective to get through it together, with the support of their new blended family and, of course, a sense of humour.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The affluent Banks family finds their lives turned upside down when street-smart Will, a Philadelphia relative, moves into their California mansion.

Party of Five

After their parents are killed, the five siblings of the Salinger clan must somehow make do, with eldest brother Charlie stepping in to lead the way.

The Addams Family

Stepping out of the pages of Charles Addams’ cartoons and the 1960s television series, members of the beloved, macabre family take to the big screen.

Despicable Me

Villainous Gru hatches a plan to steal the moon from the sky. But he has a tough time staying on task after three orphans land in his care.

Full House

Sisters D.J., Stephanie and Michelle grow up with three devoted father figures: their widowed dad, his goofy best friend and their cool uncle.

All in the Family: Top Picks for Netflix May 2015

American Beauty

While struggling to endure his tightly wound wife, an unfulfilling job and a sullen teenage daughter, suburbanite Lester Burnham falls deep into a midlife crisis and becomes infatuated with one of his daughter’s friends.

Pride & Prejudice

In this retelling of Jane Austen’s novel set in 19th-century England, Mrs. Bennet is all atwitter in hopes of marrying her daughters to prosperous gentlemen callers, especially when a wealthy bachelor moves nearby.

Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson’s quirky drama follows the frantic search that ensues in a small New England town when two 12-year-olds fall in love and run away together. As the townsfolk hunt for the vanished kids, a storm causes even more profound communal upheaval.

Mommie Dearest

Based on Christina Crawford’s scandalous tell-all memoir, Mommie Dearest paints a portrait of a Joan Crawford the public never knew. The film portrays Crawford as a wicked, abusive mother who lives as though she’s perpetually onscreen.

Boyhood

After divorcing, a mother and father continue to share the task of guiding their young son through youth and adolescence, and finally to adulthood. As the years roll by, the relationships among the three characters continue to evolve as well.

All in the Family: Top Picks for Netflix May 2015

Author

Maria Lianos-Carbone is the author of “Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year”, and publisher of amotherworld.com, a leading lifestyle blog for women.

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