The Family (miniseries)

The Family
GenreDocuseries
Directed byJesse Moss
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producers
CinematographyFrederick Elmes
Thorsten Thielow
EditorPax Wassermann
Running time46–54 minutes
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseAugust 9, 2019 (2019-08-09)

The Family is an American documentary television miniseries that premiered on Netflix on August 9, 2019. The series examines a conservative Christian group—known as the Family or the Fellowship—its history, and investigates its influence on American politics.[1][2][3]

The series was executive produced by Jeff Sharlet, who previously wrote books about the same organization, including C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy and The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.[4]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal release date
1"Submersion"August 9, 2019 (2019-08-09)

Douglas Coe is the leader of the Family; he doesn't seek fame and wants to maintain a low profile. His followers are groups of men and women in their 20s in gender-segregated groups. Members of Congress and foreign dignitaries are routinely hosted at The Cedars.

The men live in a dormitory at the Cedars called the Ivanwald.[8]
2"Chosen"August 9, 2019 (2019-08-09)
The Fellowship believes in the leadership of those who are chosen. They adhere to Calvinist doctrines better known as Presbyterianism in the United States.
3"New World Order"August 9, 2019 (2019-08-09)

Abraham Vereide starts hosting the National Prayer Breakfast in 1954 in Washington D.C.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990, Aleksandr Torshin forges close ties with Doug Coe.
4"Dictators, Murderers & Thieves"August 9, 2019 (2019-08-09)
Mark D. Siljander is indicted while campaigning against reproductive rights in foreign countries. Siljander accepted donations from terrorist-linked Muslim groups.
5"Wolf King"August 9, 2019 (2019-08-09)
Donald Trump, raised as a Presbyterian, praises Norman Vincent Peale.

Reception

Critics have generally praised the series.[9] For Decider, Joel Keller described it as having "a lot of potential to fascinate".[6] Joel Mayward of Cinemayard described the series as "chilling" but also wrote that it felt "muddled and redundant".[10] Vulture's Jen Chaney noted that the series focused predominantly on the Fellowship's influence on conservatives, and excluded Democratic involvement.[11]

Release

The Family was released on August 9, 2019 on Netflix.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Netflix's 'The Family' Trailer: Meet the Secret Organization Trying to Un-Separate Church and State". The Wrap. August 7, 2019.
  2. ^ "The Family: It's Not About Faith, It's About Power - Official Trailer". YouTube. August 7, 2019.
  3. ^ "Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Family' On Netflix, A Docuseries About A Secret Religious Organization Infiltrating The Highest Levels Of Government". Decider. August 10, 2019.
  4. ^ Foreman, Alison (9 August 2019). "Netflix's 'The Family' raises an eyebrow at secretive D.C. influence". Mashable. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
  5. ^ "The Family: inside the sinister sect that has infected western democracy". The Guardian. August 15, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f White, Brett (August 10, 2019). "The Real Footage in 'The Family' Is so Scary You'll Wish You Were Still Watching Those Cheesy Reenactments". Decider.
  7. ^ Nicolaou, Elena. "Donald Trump Just Called Himself The Chosen One & This Netflix Documentary Might Explain Why". Refinery29.
  8. ^ "The Patriarchal Allure of 'The Family'". The Atlantic. 14 August 2019.
  9. ^ "The Family: Limited Series". Rotten Tomatoes.
  10. ^ "The Family". cinemayward. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
  11. ^ Chaney, Jen (August 12, 2019). "The Family Puts a Secret Organization in the Spotlight, But Could Use Stronger Wattage". Vulture. Retrieved 2019-08-13.