DVD Review: The War at Home - The Complete First Season

I do not like this show, pure and simple. I wanted to like it. I like Michael Rapaport, but here he, and the rest of the cast, are stricken with a bad case of writers block and are left to portray characters that are, quite frankly, unlikable, annoying, and enough to send you scrambling for the remote. The War at Home is a show that seeks to portray the modern American family, or at least what they think is the modern American family.

The series focuses on Dave, Vicky, and their three kids. The attempt is to show parents today who play by a different set of rules than the ones they grew up with. To that end, Michael Rapaport as Dave begins the pilot episode with a speech about the differences in raising kids today versus when they were young. The rules have changed, and seemingly, there are no rules, no one quite knows what they are doing. It seems the same rules apply to the writers, as they do not need to write anything interesting or worth watching.

The series subverts the usual family dynamic, it is the anti-Cosby, taking a more Married... with Children style tack, without the heart that was buried deep within that show. When you dig into this show you will find emptiness, or a small piece of coal, depending on just how far you dig. The writers attempt to be clever by giving these little asides directly into the camera, giving us the inner thoughts and feelings of our family members. However, it is not nearly as effective, clever, or funny as it was in Titus or The Bernie Mac Show, for example.

I don't require all my entertainment to be populated with nice people, but one thing that I have learned about television is that you do need them on the small screen. You will be spending a good deal of time with these people, and if the networks honestly expect you to want to tune in, you damn sure better have somebody there for us to like.

The War at Home is all in your face with their issues and I couldn't care less about any of them. The parents don't like the kids, the kids don't like the parents, they have to be forced to do the right thing, and it never feels like it is coming from the heart.

Audio/Video. The colors are kind of flat, but it is reminiscent of the times I watched this on television. There is something that I have to believe was a mistake in the transfer, the fantasy aside sequences are presented widescreen, just like the show proper is, but they are not anamorphic, so they pop in with a black box all the around it. A big thumbs down on that account. Audio is stereo and does a fine job, nothing to complain about.

Extras. There are a couple here. There are a few deleted scenes scattered throughout. There are the "Living Room Confessions" which feature cast and crew members talking about the creation of the show and life on the set. Lastly there is a gag reel with the usual flubbed lines and such.

Bottomline. The show has its fans, but I am not one of them. I had hoped that DVD would be kind to the show, make it a little more palatable, but I guess I was wrong.

Not Recommended.