Positive OAD Families in TV/Movies

[elsie44olivier]

I loved the recent post about children's books featuring only children. I'm not 100% OAD myself but it's very likely for a variety of factors and as a teacher of young kids, I just appreciate seeing all kinds of families represented in fiction. Often when a family has an only child in TV or movies there's divorce, parent death, or other traumatic issues involved. So I'm wondering if anyone can think of some good examples of OAD families with a strong marriage, no untimely deaths, etc. in media (not specifically shows or movies for kids but that's good to see too).

The following come to mind for me:

-Joel and Sheila in Santa Clarita Diet. Loving parents to their teenage daughter and keeping their marriage together even through many, many zombie-related issues.

-Emily and Josh in Close Enough. Clearly based on creator's JG Quintel's real life (he and his wife have one daughter). They aren't 100% because there was an episode where he was going to get a vasectomy but didn't go through with it but the whole premise is about their married life with a 5 year-old.

-Dawn and Scott in Girls 5Eva. They have a young son and when the series starts they are trying for another but she's really not in it and she changes her mind after some reassurances that she's not going to hurt her kid by not "giving" him a sibling, including running into John Slattery, his wife, and their real-life (only) son on the NYC streets, and this amazing song. Gotta love these lyrics:

"He's a boy who's never been punched or kicked

Just observed and enriched

Felt hat, spotless cheese

He likes savory ice creams

He's a boy who's never seen Chuck E. Cheese

Just a host of documentaries

Expertly mixes plaids

Best friends are mom and dad"

Would love to hear about any other really positive examples of this family structure in fictional TV/movies!

 

[fullcircle]

@elsie44olivier Not a strong marriage but a very close bond between mother and daughter: Rory and Lorelai in the Gilmore Girls as long as you completely ignore the revival and the Yale years lol

Moana

Inside Out

Hermione in Harry Potter also seems to have very supportive parents

 

[kingdomkings]

@fullcircle Love these

 

[oncomingstorm]

@elsie44olivier King of the Hill has multiple OAD families

 

[mabris]

@elsie44olivier Harry Potter, Neville, Hermione, and Luna Lovegood are all only children

 

[christian45]

@mabris Dont forget Dudley

 

[iampassionate]

@mabris Harry grew up with his cousin Dudley so I don’t really consider him to be an only child. Their relationship wasn’t great, which can be the way for many siblings.

 

[davehtexas]

@elsie44olivier Jane the Virgin - multi generational OAD

 

[hoodrichhx203]

@davehtexas Yes!!

 

[antuongpro]

@elsie44olivier Luca I think was an only child. Penny from Bolt was one as well.

 

[sebastianw]

@antuongpro Julia from Luca too!

 

[seohce]

@elsie44olivier The podcast Only You has a nice episode on this

 

[frankda4th]

@elsie44olivier During the Christmas season, Christmas with the Kranks is a good example of an only child dynamic

 

[tanananana]

@elsie44olivier Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood features a variety of family structures - two parent homes, single parent homes, multi-generational families, families with multiple children, and families with one child. My daughter is outgrowing him now, but Daniel Tiger was a big part of how I taught my daughter that all families are different and not everyone has siblings.

While she isn't a huge part of the story, Bonnie from Toy Story 4 is an only child with two loving parents.

Moana is also an only child who still has both her parents.

 

[legend28]

@elsie44olivier I rewatched that song on Girls5eva over and over again. Underrated show in general!

 

[doggobloops]

@elsie44olivier Kids show Luo Bao Bei (on ABC in Australia). Only child with both parents and grandparents involved. A lot like our family

 

[jasenismyname]

@elsie44olivier Rory and Loralai in Gilmore girls

Modern family has Many and Gloria (although he does get a sibling at age 14), Lilly en mitch and cam.
And the cherry on top in this show frank and phill

For something totally different baby shark is also an only

 

[jimoski]

@elsie44olivier I know this thread is pretty old but we’ve been home all week with our kiddo sick with covid and watching loads of tv so I wanted to add to this list:

• Finding Dory: Dory is an only child with amazing parents who teach her how to be independent despite her disability.
• Turning Red: Mei’s parents have a great relationship with each other and their daughter.
• Bao: It’s a Pixar short that my toddler is newly obsessed with. The Dad is a pretty quiet background figure but he’s definitely there and supportive to the main plot.
• Mulan: The whole premise of the movie is how Mulan is an only child who wants to save her dad. She’s very close with her parents and grandma.
• Ant Man: While Scott Lang is divorced from his wife, they have a very supportive relationship and they and the step dad are all super close to the daughter.

 

[walkbyfaith2000]

@elsie44olivier KO and Dendy in OKKO

The title character of Luca