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The Dunphys: Phil, Clare, Alex, Haley, and Luke

mad_typist

By mad_typist
in Modern Family [V]

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mad_typist

mad_typist

Use this thread to discuss just how unlikeable Clare really is (and maybe grouse about how Julie Bowen's Emmys are a sham).

One thing that amuses me is that Sarah Hyland (Haley) has seemingly not grown/aged at all, whereas the other two kids look radically different than when they first started the show.

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Cranston

Cranston

I guess I'm not the only one so turned off by Clair (Clare?) I have to FF scenes she's in.  And why she's winning awards for being so incredibly annoying is beyond me.   I do love  her children, however.  I think physically she is very distracting.  Too skinny, too nervous and jerky.  I'm sure the actress is a lovely person and perhaps that's just the way the director wants her to be.  Eeeekkk! 

  • Love 2
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Fostersmom

Fostersmom

I'm actually more turned off by Bowen than the character. As she's aged and become more of a name, she's gotten very, I don't know, famewhore-y maybe, to me. I can't stand her when I see her on talk shows or awards shows. 

I am surprised at how much Phil has grown on me. He seemed like such a buffoon she the show first came on, but not so much anymore. He's had a lot of funny moments and always has the most touching moments with the kids. 

  • Love 2
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Cranston

Cranston

Phil annoyed me a lot more at first, too.  But he's still a nerdy buffoon and definitely not one of my favorite characters.  As I said...I do enjoy the kids -- the characters and the young actors are wonderful and fun to watch.  But, oh that Clare, get off my screen. 

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Goldielocked

Goldielocked

Two thoughts as to why Sarah Hyland hasn't changed much--she's 23 years old now, making her what--18--when the show started?  Probably not as many physical changes at that age than the two younger actors you mentioned.  Second, she's had kidney disease all of her life and had a kidney transplant a few years ago--this probably slowed her growth and makes her appear younger than she really is.  Just my opinion, though!

 

  • Love 3
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LucyEth

LucyEth

The Dunphy's are my least favorite family.  Can't stand Claire, Luke and Haley.  Phil and Alex are OK.  Claire is just one mishap after another, Haley is a mean bully, treat Alex like crap and basically thinks she is super hot.  Luke is just plain weird.

  • Love 1
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prican58

prican58

Love this family! I also didn't like Phil at first. But he has grown into my favorite in this family. He is so genuine in his attempts at being an all around good guy. He wants his kids and wife to be happy and he will do whatever it takes. So goofy but so endearing. And his relationship with Luke is hysterical. Love the Disneyland episode.

I like Claire. I think Bowen does a very good job portraying her as someone who seems to have a grip on her life but is so scared to have her family find out how insecure she is. 

 

This show is still funny. 

  • Love 8
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FavFable

FavFable

The Dunphy's are my favorite family. I wish they would have more episodes with either Phil or Claire with Alex. I feel like she is the forgotten kid. I get tired of seeing Haley solve every issue each week, while still being the recipient of the dumb jokes.

  • Love 1
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AriAu

AriAu

Saw the one with the RV trip-generally did not like it except for when Phil walks on and sees them doing a dance routine and says "I don't even need to know the context". Perfect Phil reaction

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kitticup

kitticup

I hated Phil at first.  He was trying to hard to be cool for his kids.  That bothers me because parents need to be parents first and not the cool friend-parent.  However, he has really grown on me.  He is one of my favorite characters.  He means well.

 

Initially I hated Claire; now I can take her in small doses.  Claire strikes as very hypocritical and too neurotic thinking she knows better than everyone else.  She is not a nice person.

 

Luke is the one I really don't like and I feel like they put too much emphasis on him recently. 

  • Love 2
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jjj

jjj

If that was a link to a picture, it needs a URL.

 

I understand the Clare character -- controlling everything and everybody as much as possible, so that the world does not start hurtling toward the sun.  What saves her for me is that every now and then, she has some self-awareness of her own nuttiness.  And she loves her family as much as Phil does. 

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CleoCaesar

CleoCaesar

It's an Internet meme, not an actual link - when someone misses a joke (in this case, missing that Phil being the "cool parent" is what's being mocked by the show itself), you write thatsthejoke.jpg. I'll see myself out now.

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DrSpaceman

DrSpaceman

Clare is the one that has grown on me more than anyone. I disliked her at first, being so controlling and neurotic. She has not bugged me nearly as much the last few seasons. She is definetly self aware of her neurosis and has admitted to them on more than one occasion.

I've always loved Phil. ANd the Dunphy's are my favorite family of the 3.

  • Love 5
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wovenloaf

wovenloaf

(edited)

I just hate Clare's exaggerated hand motions all the time. The jerky, crazy hand motions every time she speaks seem too over the top. Like, yeah, we get it, she's high-strung. Her being a high-strung character isn't really what bothers me, it's just the constant hand motions.

 

Julie Bowen is irritating as herself too though. She was a shrill nightmare when she was the guest judge on Project Runway this season. 

Edited by wovenloaf
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mansonlamps

mansonlamps

 

Julie Bowen is irritating as herself too though. She was a shrill nightmare when she was the guest judge on Project Runway this season.

Omg she was annoying! Quite honestly I thought she was drunk.

I absolutely hated Phil in the pilot since I know more than my fair share of parents whose greatest interest is being cool, but he quickly grew into my favorite character on the show. His earnest oblivious nature has really grown on me. Also love Jay, Mitchell, Haley and Lily. Manny is definitely growing into his personality too. The rest I am more lukewarm on, though they have all had their shining moments. One minor character I could do without is the male nanny.

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AriAu

AriAu

The episode where the kids walk in on Claire and Phil is not all that funny, but the first few minutes crack me up-watching Alex washing her eyes out, Haley pacing around and Luke being Luke (whatever they were doing, I think Dad was winning!), followed by Phil saying that Claire was on fire never ceases to be funny.

  • Love 2
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truthaboutluv

truthaboutluv

(edited)

Not sure if this belongs here or in the media thread, so Mods please feel free to move if I'm in the wrong place. So wow, the young girls on the show have had quite the drama in their life. So remember Sarah Hyland and her seemingly adorable boyfriend who broke up "amicably" after 5 years this summer...well turns out he was actually an abusive psycho the entire time and she's just taken a restraining order out against him.

 

Apparently Julie Bowen was there for her when she went to break up with the guy because she was scared of being alone with him. Between this and Julie being there for Ariel when the courts were deciding on her custody issues, I have to give Julie props for being there for these girls almost like they are her own.

 

http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/91253867.html?view=15912713323#t15912713323

Edited by truthaboutluv
  • Love 8
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barbarylane

barbarylane

A month or 2 ago, I realized that the names of the girls (Alex and Haley) are the names of the author of Roots. Has this ever been mentioned on the show? Is it some kind of inside joke? Just curious.

Never thought about that!  Interesting.  Now, from where did the name "Luke" come from?

  • Love 1
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Driad

Driad

(edited)
 

The "Alex Haley" names were discussed on TwoP during the first season of the show, but AFAIK the origins of the names have not been mentioned on the show.  

Edited by Driad
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DrSpaceman

DrSpaceman

(edited)

And James earl Jones is connected to roots (he played alex haley in Roots : the next generation miniseries) and Star Wars. I recall this from the TWOPs thread as well, was the common connection of the names but is just conjecture, never confirmed if this is coincidence or done purposely by the writers.

Edited by DrSpaceman
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kaygeeret

kaygeeret

I have grown to increasingly dislike Clare/Julie as the series has gone on.

 

The directors need to reign her in - the hand and head gestures are so over the top they border on overacting - and possibly cross the line.

 

Also, on an extremely shallow note, someone feed the girl - possibly two big corned beef sandwiches a day until she puts some WEIGHT ON!  I hate, hate, hate the super boney look and she has it in spades.

 

SO.....tone down the exaggerated gestures - hand/head/face - and put on 10 lbs to look like a healthy human being.

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obxgirl

obxgirl

Glad to see I'm not the only one who finds Claire super annoying. She has a few endearing moments (like comforting Alex after the first kiss fiasco), but she's just such a wet blanket that her good qualities are overshadowed. Not sure if it's how the actress portrays the character or just the character herself.

 

Alex is one of my favorite characters, I think in part because I was similar to her growing up and can relate to what she's going through. She's the smart, awkward kid who will eventually come into her own, and I like that her character always seems to be learning and growing. Phil was just too goofy and, well, stupid at first, but he's really grown on me. He's basically a big kid at heart, and you can tell that he loves his family and means well.

 

Luke was so cute as a kid, but as he's gotten older he's just painful to watch.

  • Love 3
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biakbiak

biakbiak

I think Phil said they named Luke after one of Jay's relatives (father?) who wasn't very nice. Don't remember what season that was, though.

No it's after Skywalker, Phil mentioned he wanted to say "Luke, I am your father."

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indeed

indeed

(edited)

Well, it is possible the writers gave more than one explanation for Luke's name. Sitcoms play fast and loose with facts when there is an opportunity for a joke.

OK, so it was Jay's father-in-law, according to this site. (It's in Season 2, Episode 10.) Close enough.

Edited by indeed
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Ciarrai

Ciarrai

My brother compares me to Alex (I was the nerdy, book-obsessed, anti-social girl in high school), so I can't help but like her. I also like Phil, though he has had to grow on me. I liked Luke when he was younger but Nolan Gould is getting worse and worse as an actor.

 

I wish Julie Bowen would gain a bit of weight. She's skeleton-like.

  • Love 1
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Miss Scarlet

Miss Scarlet

I'm over sitcoms where they don't know how to write girls/women and you can be either intelligent and unattractive or attractive and unintelligent. I know some people will say that Haley has a lot of social and street smarts, but I don't like that they tend to write her intelligence as being manipulative. 

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readster

readster

I think Alex is intelligent and attractive. She is really bad at interpersonal relationships, though.

 

Her superior complex doesn't help either, in fact that is what drives her problems. 

  • Love 2
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AriAu

AriAu

Ty Burrell was on Mike & Mike in the morning on ESPN Radio andMike Greenberg said that his daughter is afraid that when she brings a boy home for the first time, Mike will be all "Let me meet this playa......I'm Phil Dunphy yo". Even Ty Burrell was cracking up!

  • Love 1
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DrSpaceman73

DrSpaceman73

Ty Burrell was on Mike & Mike in the morning on ESPN Radio andMike Greenberg said that his daughter is afraid that when she brings a boy home for the first time, Mike will be all "Let me meet this playa......I'm Phil Dunphy yo". Even Ty Burrell was cracking up!

I heard that interview as well with Ty. He comes across as very down to earth and likeable.

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AriAu

AriAu

What is Alex's full name?

I'm asking because I saw the episode where she is giving the graduation speech from middle school and I noticed that the principal introduced her as "Alex Dunphy", which is odd if her full name is Alexandra or Alexa etc...

I don't recall ever hearing her full name.

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mansonlamps

mansonlamps

What is Alex's full name?

I'm asking because I saw the episode where she is giving the graduation speech from middle school and I noticed that the principal introduced her as "Alex Dunphy", which is odd if her full name is Alexandra or Alexa etc...

I don't recall ever hearing her full name.

According to Wikipedia it's Alexandria Anastasia Dunphy. No idea where they got that from on Wiki, but they do list Haley as Haley Gwendolyn Dunphy and I seem to recall hearing that one on at least one episode, so maybe they're correct.

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AriAu

AriAu

According to Wikipedia it's Alexandria Anastasia Dunphy. No idea where they got that from on Wiki, but they do list Haley as Haley Gwendolyn Dunphy and I seem to recall hearing that one on at least one episode, so maybe they're correct.

 

 

I knew Haley's middle name was Gwendolyn from the Dud Ranch episode when Dylan proposed to her and "bossy" put an end to them....by the way, that episode has the best Dylan lines of any episode other than Bringing Up Baby when he tries to talk Claire into letting him move in. However, I can't recall hearing Alex's full name ever used. Maybe it was in an episode I didn't love!

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ShutUpLutz

ShutUpLutz

On 5/1/2015 at 4:05 PM, readster said:

 

Her superior complex doesn't help either, in fact that is what drives her problems. 

Alex is the worst.

She whines and blubs and crybabies about how she doesn't have any friends and can't understand why. Seriously? You make Debbie Downer look like the life of the party. You hold your supposed high IQ over everyone else's head and yet when you went off to Cal Tech you pussied out and came crying back home to mommy and daddy like a bitch, because "It's SO UNFAIR!!!! THERE'S TOO MANY SMART PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO ARE SMARTER THAN I AM!!!!!!

Of course the writers had to have her drop out and move back home because there was no way her agent was gonna let go of that 20% of $400,000 she gets for every episode.

  • Love 9
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ShutUpLutz

ShutUpLutz

Phil can get annoying with his gags and jokes, but Haley is right, "I have a cool dad." He's got that mama grizzly bear in him that leaps out occasionally, and i love those moments. To wit:

1) The episode shot entirely on Claire's laptop, when Phil talks about walking Haley down the aisle at her wedding and giving the groom the "Eyes." "That's my little girl. You take care of her."

2) the episode where Haley has the sleazy older boyfriend with the ponytail and at the hospital she gets in the elevator and leaves and then Phil goes after her and gives that speech without knowing she's watching.

3) When everyone goes to the cabin and they catch Haley and Andy fooling around and Phil sits Andy down. What is wonderful about it is that Phil doesn't threaten Andy at all, but makes it clear that unless he, Andy is serious about Haley, it is over.

  • Love 7
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Aryanna

Aryanna

On 9/24/2018 at 11:09 PM, ShutUpLutz said:

Alex is the worst.

She whines and blubs and crybabies about how she doesn't have any friends and can't understand why. Seriously? You make Debbie Downer look like the life of the party. You hold your supposed high IQ over everyone else's head and yet when you went off to Cal Tech you pussied out and came crying back home to mommy and daddy like a bitch, because "It's SO UNFAIR!!!! THERE'S TOO MANY SMART PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO ARE SMARTER THAN I AM!!!!!!

Of course the writers had to have her drop out and move back home because there was no way her agent was gonna let go of that 20% of $400,000 she gets for every episode.

The writers have never known what to do with Alex. She should've been so much of a better character than she actually has been. They made her a caricature instead of a character. She became so shrill and annoying. They've tried to tone her down a little but it's still so easy for them to write her as the annoyed, put upon smart girl.

On 9/24/2018 at 11:25 PM, ShutUpLutz said:

2) the episode where Haley has the sleazy older boyfriend with the ponytail and at the hospital she gets in the elevator and leaves and then Phil goes after her and gives that speech without knowing she's watching.

I love that scene at the end where he gives that elevator speech. That's one of my favorite scenes and is the reason I watch that episode in reruns. When this show first began, I thought Phil was gonna be one of the least likeable and annoying characters but he is consistantly my favorite character. He can do some things that ge on your nerves but he has such a big heart and means well in all he does.

  • Love 3
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msrachelj

msrachelj

wow, just saw a segment on the talk: sarah hylands cousin tragically passed away and she went on social media asking for money to pay for the funeral! according to the segment she was told by most of her followers that she should be paying for it since she makes $100,000 an episode. she posted back something like "you don't know how i feel".... which has nothing to do with it.... they are correct! how dare she beg her followers, most of whom make less in a year , i'll bet, than she makes in a week , for money to cover the funeral? the nerve! 

  • Love 5
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biakbiak

biakbiak

(edited)
1 hour ago, msrachelj said:

wow, just saw a segment on the talk: sarah hylands cousin tragically passed away and she went on social media asking for money to pay for the funeral! according to the segment she was told by most of her followers that she should be paying for it since she makes $100,000 an episode. she posted back something like "you don't know how i feel".... which has nothing to do with it.... they are correct! how dare she beg her followers, most of whom make less in a year , i'll bet, than she makes in a week , for money to cover the funeral? the nerve! 

Her cousin, sister of the boy who died and daughter of her uncle who is currently hospitalized thanks to a drink driver, set up the GoFundMe and Sarah tweeted about it most likely at the behest of her cousin. I don’t see the issue. No one was forced by Sarah’s tweet to do shit. Apparently a lot of people didn’t have an issue with it as the request has now been fully funded.

Edited by biakbiak
  • Love 8
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Nordly Beaumont

Nordly Beaumont

6 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I don’t see the issue. No one was forced by Sarah’s tweet to do shit. Apparently a lot of people didn’t have an issue with it as the request has now been fully funded.

No issue for me either. I don't know her life or her family's life. I only wish she would have considered the possibility people would be jumping all over her for tweeting about the GoFundMe because it sucks she had to go through that when she's already grieving.

  • Love 3
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anna0852

anna0852

I don't have a problem with her retweeting. She probably doesn't want to set the precedent for her family of being the Bank of Sarah. We all know Modern Family is going to end in the next year or so and whatever money she's made has to last. She may never get a gig as good as this again. And quite frankly it's not her responsibility to bankroll the adult members of her family.

  • Love 3
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anna0852

anna0852

Since we know Haley is keeping the baby, I wonder if it will be acknowledged that Claire treats Dylan the way Jay treats Phil. I'd love to see Haley reference that "I don't want you to spend the next 25 years acting like Grandpa does to Dad!".

We all know Claire isn't going to react well to this....

  • Love 3
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