The Brady Bunch Movie

Starring: Shelley Long, Gary Cole, Michael McKean, Christine Taylor, Jennifer Elise Cox, Oliva Hack, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Paul Sutera, Jesse Lee Soffer, Henriette Mantel

Year: 1995

Running Time:  85 minutes

The cultural touchstones of The Brady Bunch were absent from my South African upbringing although I was aware of the chronically cheerful family through various cross referencces.  The American sitcom was on air for five seasons from 1969 to 1974 and explored the age-old themes of sibling rivalry while also delving into the challenges of adolescence within a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three girls, living in an unnamed suburb in Los Angeles. According to Britannica, although it “never approached the top of the ratings chart during its network run, The Brady Bunch gathered devoted fans in later years, particularly among new generations of children who encountered the show in syndicated afternoon time slots”.

I first got to know the Bradys in their 1995 film, The Brady Bunch Movie, which was a parody of the iconic original series.  In this film, the wholesome Brady family is plucked from the 1970s and dropped into the 1990s, where their outdated fashion and quaint family morality clash with modern sensibilities. The central conflict arises when the family home is threatened with repossession over unpaid taxes. The family’s patriarch, Mike Brady, must find a way to save their home while also dealing with the sabotage of his scheming neighbor, Larry Dittmeyer. The movie's comedy is driven by the amusing contrast between the Bradys' innocent, traditional world and the more cynical, liberal society they now live in.

After seeing some clips from the film resurfacing on TikTok, including RuPaul’s appearance as Jan’s guidance counsellor, Mrs Cummings, I recently purchased the film (and the fittingly titled sequel, A Very Brady Sequel) on DVD and I decided to give it another watch. The opening sequence of the film includes the iconic theme song and the accompanying visuals: nine squares lighting up in a specific order, with family members (and housekeeper Alice) looking at one another from their respective boxes. The retro sitcom look and feel extend into the design of the Brady’s home and backyard - a sharp contrast to their modern and chaotic neighbors, the Dittmeyers.  

Here are some of my favorite moments and quotes from the show:

• Unlike the show, the movie features numerous sexual innuendos and puns
• The introduction of Jan’s conflicting inner voices, one of which questions why Marsha gets everything, leading to Jan’s classic “Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!”
• Jean Smart as the sexually frustrated lush Mrs Dittmeyer - and her flirtations with the various Brady males, such as this scene:
• [Mrs. Dittmeyer tucks mail into Greg's pants]
  Mrs. Dena Dittmeyer: “My, you've gotten so big. You're almost as big as your daddy.”
  Greg Brady: “And I'm still growing.”
  Mrs. Dena Dittmeyer: “Right before my very eyes.”
• Jan riding her bicycle into the fence and hedges because she can’t see without her glasses
• RuPaul as the aforementioned guidance counsellor, Mrs Cummings, and her advice to Jan: “You better werk” as Ru’s song with the same title plays
• “Why don’t you hop back on the Swiss Miss package where you belong huh?” - Mr Dittmeyer to Cindy
• “But, Jan, you don’t have any friends” - Marsha to Jan when Jan expresses concern about moving to a new school and making new friends
• School supplies tumbling out from between Mrs Whitfield's legs when Bobby shakes her down for stealing the supplies
• Marsha’s comically crooked nose after being hit by a football - and Jan happily reliving the moment in her dreams
• Jan’s attempt at a makeover - nothing but a comically oversized afro wig
• The actress who originally played Alice as the truck driver who picks Jan up after she runs away
• [evil sounding voice inside Jan’s head] “Let's knock over a 7-Eleven!”
• The Brady Bunch children’s performance at Search For The Stars and their catchy song Keep On Movin’
• The cameo by the OG Mrs Brady, Florence Henderson