Nuclear Family is an American documentary miniseries directed and produced by Ry Russo-Young. It follows Russo-Young's mothers as an unexpected lawsuit sends shockwaves throughout their family's lives. It consisted of 3 episodes and premiered on September 26, 2021, on HBO.[1]
| Nuclear Family | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Documentary |
| Directed by | Ry Russo-Young |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 57 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | September 26 – October 3, 2021 |
Plot
editSandra Russo and Robin Young have two children, Ry and Cade, each through a different sperm donor. Initially the relationship with the donors was pleasant, until one of them sued for paternity and visitation rights.
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Original air date [2] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Ry Russo-Young | September 26, 2021 | 0.131[3] |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Ry Russo-Young | October 3, 2021 | 0.081[4] |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Ry Russo-Young | October 10, 2021 | 0.062[5] |
Production
editRy Russo-Young had wanted to tell her story of her childhood for many years, and initially wanted to make a narrative film about her experience, but instead decided to make a documentary.[6] She initially decided against making a documentary, feeling it would be a "me-and-my problems movie".[7] Russo-Young had been shooting footage of her family over the course of 15–20 years.[8] Russo-Young and her editors went through footage of her childhood and material documenting the case.[9] Because of Tom Steel's death, Russo-Young interviewed his friends and family, and his former legal team to explore his motivations for the lawsuit.[10]
In August 2021, it was announced Russo-Young would direct a documentary series revolving around her family, with Liz Garbus set to executive produce under her Story Syndicate banner, with HBO set to distribute.[11]
Release
editIt had its world premiere at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021.[12][13]
Reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 91% based on 11 reviews.[14] On Metacritic, the series holds a rating of 83 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[15]
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Documentary | Nuclear Family | Nominated | [16] |
| 2021 | Peabody Awards | Documentary | Nuclear Family | Nominated | [17] |
References
edit- ^ "Three-Part HBO Documentary Series NUCLEAR FAMILY Debuts September 26". WarnerMedia. August 18, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ "Nuclear Family". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (September 28, 2021). "Showbuzz Daily's Sunday 9.26.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (October 5, 2021). "Showbuzz Daily Sunday 10.3.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (October 12, 2021). "Showbuzz Daily Sunday 10.10.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ White, Abbey (September 26, 2021). "'Nuclear Family' Director Ry Russo-Young on Examining Meaning of Family and Gay Parenthood in the '90s". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Soloski, Alexis (September 22, 2021). "In 'Nuclear Family,' a Filmmaker Frames Herself". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Spector, Emma (September 26, 2021). "How Making Nuclear Family Helped Documentarian Ry Russo-Young Come to Terms With Her Past". Vogue. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Carey, Matthew (September 22, 2021). ""Incredibly, Intimately Personal": 'Nuclear Family' Tells Story Of Lesbian Moms And Daughter Caught In Monumental Custody Battle — HBO TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Carlisle, Madeleine (September 23, 2021). "Inside HBO's Nuclear Family—and a Lesbian Family's Fight To Exist". Time. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Baumgartner, Drew (August 18, 2021). "'Nuclear Family' Teaser Trailer Shows Same-Sex Couple Fighting to Keep Family Together in HBO Docuseries". Collider. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ Hammond, Pete (September 1, 2021). "Telluride Film Festival: Will Smith's 'King Richard', Peter Dinklage Musical 'Cyrano', Joaquin Phoenix In 'C'mon C'mon', Ken Branagh's 'Belfast' Set To Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ "Telluride Film Festival Program Guide" (PDF). Telluride Film Festival. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ "Nuclear Family". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
- ^ "Nuclear Family". Metacritic. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ^ "The Nominees for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards". GLAAD. 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ "82nd Peabody Award Nominees Announced". PeabodyAwards.com. 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2022-04-14.