The story is about Michael, the reluctant heir to the family business in his father's absence, and his two brothers and one sister who make up the rest of the family.
If you think I'm talking about The Godfather (playing this weekend at the Tower theater), you're right. If you think I'm talking about Arrested Development... you're still right.
The similarities between these two series (the first made up of three films and a handful of spinoffs, including a relatively recent novel sequel and a video game; the second is three seasons with a spin-off film in the works) are alarming. Here I've taken the definitive blog post on the matter and made my own additions for the sake of completeness.
MICHAEL CORLEONE and MICHAEL BLUTH:
In The Godfather, Michael Corleone wants to leave his family business behind and find a normal life on his own terms. However, he is forced into the family business when his father is hospitalized (after an attempt on his life), as he is the only one qualified amongst his brothers and sister to continue the family business. As the films progress, we realize this seeming everyman is just as capable of evil and corruption as the rest of his family. Michael looks after his father, helping to evade further attempts on Don Vito’s life while he is incapacitated in the hospital. He has a spouse that dies during his stay in Italy, and is unable to sustain a functional relationship with his girlfriend/wife Kay because of his devotion to family affairs.
In the pilot episode of Arrested Development, Michael Bluth wants to leave his family business behind and find a normal life on his own terms. However, he is forced back into the family business when his father is taken to jail, as he is the only one qualified amongst his brothers and sister to continue the family business. As the series progresses, we realize this seeming everyman is just as capable of selfishness and awfulness as the rest of his family. Michael visits his incarcerated father frequently. He has a spouse that died at some point in his past, and is unable to sustain functional relationships with various women because of his devotion to family affairs.
DON VITO CORLEONE and GEORGE BLUTH, Sr.:
Don Vito Corleone is the patriarch of an olive oil manufacturing empire that is a guise for an organized crime syndicate that has connections with powerful individuals in America and abroad (Cuba in Part II). An attempt is made on his life and he is incapacitated, but still tries to run the family business and exercise power through his son, Michael.
George Bluth, Sr. is the patriarch of a real estate empire that is a guise for an illegal syndicate organization with a powerful individual abroad, Saddam Hussein (about which we learn more in Season 2). He is arrested and sent to jail, but still tries to run the family business and exercise power through his son, Michael.
SANTINO “SONNY” CORLEONE and GEORGE OSCAR “GOB” BLUTH:
Sonny Corleone is the hot-headed oldest son of Don Vito Corleone. Though he is the eldest and therefore first in line to run the family business after his father, his eccentric personality and arrogant temper prevent him from being qualified. When he acts on his own decree, he makes dumb, shortsighted decisions that threaten the efforts of the family as a whole. He is a relentless womanizer, and his illegitimate son (Vincent) comes back later to play a significant role in "Part III."
George Oscar Bluth II (“GOB”) is the hot-headed oldest son of George, Sr. Though he is the eldest and therefore first in line to run the family business after his father, his eccentric personality and arrogant attempts at magic (and other occupations) prevent him from being qualified. When he acts on his own decree, he makes dumb, shortsighted decisions that threaten the efforts of the family as a whole. He is a relentless womanizer, and his illegitimate son (Steve Holt) comes back later to play a significant role in Season 3.
FREDERICO “FREDO” CORLEONE and BYRON “BUSTER” BLUTH:
Fredo Corleone is the sort-of effeminate second oldest son of Don Vito Corleone, but is unfit to run the family business. He's slow-witted, lacks confidence, and is more socially awkward than his brothers, all of which prevent him from being taken seriously by any member of the family. Despite his attempts at success, integration into the family usually comes to no avail. He is often humored by deciding family members (Michael), and given menial business tasks (i.e. casinos, whorehouses) for the family. Also: Fredo loses his life on the lake.
Buster Bluth is the extremely effeminate youngest son of George, Sr., and is unfit to run the family business. He's slow-witted, lacks confidence, and is more socially awkward than his brothers, all of which prevent him from being taken seriously by any member of the family. Despite his attempts at success, integration into the family business usually comes to no avail. He is often humored by deciding family members (his mother), and given menial tasks (i.e. learning cartography) to distract him. Also: Buster loses his hand in the ocean.
CONNIE CORLEONE-RIZZI and LINDSAY BLUTH FUNKE:
Connie is the only daughter of Don Vito. In "Part II": Though she and Michael care for one another very much, she often abuses what little power she has and requests money with spite. She is lazy and unmotivated, treading on the comforts that her familial status gives her. She rebels against the values of the family by remarrying somebody that the rest of the family despises.
Lindsay is the only daughter of George, Sr. Though she and Michael care for one another very much, she often abuses what little power she has and requests money with spite. She is lazy and unmotivated, treading on the comforts that her familial status gives her. She rebels against the values of the family by marrying somebody that the rest of the family despises.
CARLO RIZZI and DR. TOBIAS FUNKE:
In "Part I": Carlo Rizzi is Connie’s first husband. He exploits and abuses the status of the Corleone family, selling them out for his own personal gain (i.e. giving information that leads to the death of Sonny). He openly does not love Connie--he beats her and cheats on her regularly--and no one else in the family seems to care much for him either (so he gets whacked).
Dr. Tobias Funke is Lindsay’s husband. He exploits and abuses the status of the Bluth family, selling them out for his own personal gain (i.e. his acting career). He openly does not love Lindsay (not romantically at least), as the nature of his sexuality is frequently in question, and no one else in the family seems to care for him much either.
TOM HAGEN and BARRY ZUCKERKORN/ANYANG:
Tom Hagen is an attorney who works exclusively for the Corleone family. An Irishman adopted at an early age into a very Italian family, he is good at his job in a very unfunny way. The family lawyer character is replaced in "Part III."
Barry Zuckerkorn is an attorney that is not directly related to the Bluth family, but works almost exclusively for them. He is bad at his job in a hilarious way. The family lawyer character is replaced in Season 3.
Anyang is a Korean adopted at an early age into a very American family.
BJ HARRISON and BOB LOBLAW
When Robert Duval decided not to return for Godfather III he was replaced by a slick fish lawyer played by George Hamilton. When Henry Winkler didn't return for season 3, he was replaced by a slick fish lawyer played by Scott Baio.
MAMA CORLEONE and LUCILLE BLUTH:
There are very few similarities between Mama Corleone and Lucille Bluth. Mama Corleone is an unspoken matriarch who has little knowledge of, or involvement with, the family business. Lucille Bluth, on the other hand, is a drunken bitch who constantly manipulates Michael’s involvement in the family business.
HYMEN ROTH and UNCLE JACK
Both older men on the brink of death who are business associates of the father from way back. Roth ran alcohol with Don Vito and Uncle Jack helped provide money to start the Bluth Company. Both men have traveling sidekicks Johnny Ola and Dragon. Both have untold millions stashed aside that can be lent with a heavy price attached.
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OTHERS:
DON VINCENT MANCINI-CORLEONE and GEORGE MICHAEL BLUTH & MARY CORLEONE and MAE “MAEBY” FUNKE:
In "Part III," Vincent Mancini, Sonny Corleone’s illegitimate son (and next in line to run the business), falls in love with Mary Corleone, Michael’s daughter, despite the fact that they are first cousins.
George Michael Bluth, Michael’s son, has an unrequited attraction to Lindsay and Tobias’ daughter, Maeby, despite the fact that they are first cousins (well, maeby).
Also in love with Maeby is Steve Holt (Gob's illegitimate son and, consequently, also Maeby's first cousin--maeby).
HORSE HEAD IN A BED and BICYCLE HEAD IN A BED - Tom Hagen severs a prize horse's head and leaves it in its owner's bed: an offer no one could refuse. In a very similar shot, Michael wakes up to find the head of a bicycle left in his bed by Gob.
"THE FAMILY" and "THE FAMILY" - Innumerable references to "the family," "the good of the family," etc., etc.
Anything else I've forgotten?
Comments
This is amazing.
George Michael's attraction to Maeby is not unrequited.
It really, really is.
I've finally been watching all of "Arrested Development" with Bianca the last many months, and been like, "Whoa. This is 'The Godfather: The Comedy'." So now I'm introducing her to "The Godfather" movies.
You forgot one thing, the Godfather movies are the best films ever made. Arrested Development is garbage.
I think Tobias really does love Lidsay, he just happens to not be attracted to her physically and their relationship is really messed up.
I think Berry is in the third season? Did he really not want to be in it?
Haha, that's awesome. Just when you think you've unpeeled every layer from this show you find something new.
SonnyK....bite your tongue!!! Arested Development is pure gold. by far the best sitcom ever. Perhaps it's just to deep for you. And as for the Godfather movies, eeh!
Another similarity between Sonny and GOB is that both men have illegitimate sons who show up in their families' lives many years later and romance their nieces--Sonny's is Vincent Mancini, and GOB's is Steve Holt!.
Want similarities with ANOTHER famous family? Check out this blog post: arrested-development-bluth-vs-bush
go to google, search "arrested-development-bluth-vs-bush" - it's the first result
I'm not sure you're up on the Godfather movies, but this is amazing.
Good call on the Sonny-Gob illegitimate child connection. I'll have to update that!
Also, I'd thought of a couple Bush connections myself--I'll have to check that post out!
The only fault I found is that Buster is actually Uncle Oscar's son, which is teased pretty much from season 2 on, but is revealed in the last episode
I wish I could copy and paste this for my Intro To Cinema class (wait, maybe I can if i cite it...) This was amazing!
Sensational!
Yes, Uncle Oscar is the only major character in either who doesn't really have a clear counterpart. The closest we have, I suppose, is Tessio--with Vito from the start (almost), and ultimately betraying him.
Hey, Stacy--I'd be more than happy to let you use the piece for your class (I'm a film student and teacher myself). You should check with the blog post linked in the article as well, since I used that as a template. Even better would be to directly link them to this site :)
It wasn't Tom Hagen that severed the horse's head in the Godfather. It was Luca Brasi. This is stated both in the novel and a deleted scene from the film.
WOW, this is an unbelievably well written article, GREAT JOB!
Carlo and Connie had two children. Connie is pregnant when Carlo beats her (while Michael is in Italy).
The baptism at the end of GF I is of Connie's second child (to whom Michael acts as Godfather).
SonnyK clearly has no use for laughter in his life and/or is not smart enough to understand "AD." (Pssst, I'm betting on the latter.)
Ever hear the Bush Family parallels?: George Bluth = George H.W.; Michael = Dubya; J.E.B. Bush = G.O.B. Bluth. The parallels sort of fall apart thereafter but it's fun to speculate.
bravo
Why had I never noticed!
Great comparison!
I'm nitpicking, but I'm pretty sure the bicycle head is purely an homage to The Godfather.
Fredo buys it on the lake and Buster loses his hand in the ocean? too thin?
superb, great post, fantastic
Hmmm. I'm not sure if the God Father is an accurate comparison or if it should be The Addams Family. There is something very Gomez about Father Bluth. I do get Fredo-- all that was left was a hand and Buster only had a hand taken.
Surprised nobody has mentioned this, but Lindsay isn't really related to the Bluths, she was adopted. And hence, George Michael and Maeby aren't really related.
1st mistake: Sonny was not disqualified because of "eccentric personality and arrogant temper", but because he is killed by his enemies.
Gob eventually complains because he has been surpassed by his younger brother. He is "the eldest", he should "have been in charge" of the family business. But that is not a parallel with Sonny, but with Freddo, who also complains for the same reason!
The comparisons are great. However I find it disappointing that, in order to intensify the resemblance, you intentionally "modified" versions of the truth by writing the same texts for the compared persons.
For instance, you wrote about Freddo and Buster that "His stupidity, lack of confidence, and otherwise child-like behavior prevent him from being taken seriously by any member of the family."
But it is incorrect to say that Freddo has "child-like-behavior". He is simply "slow", but not retarded!
The same could be said about Michael being "the only one qualified" to run the family business. Sonny is as qualified, but he was killed, hence why Michael took over. I mentioned this mistake in a previous post, and it was probably due to your ambition to make the two "totally similar".
Other such "exaggerated" comparisons:
- "Michael [Corleone] is practically the only one who looks after his father" (the whole family is close!)
- Don Vito "still tries to run the family business and exercise power through his son, Michael" (No, Vito is Michael's official adviser, while George Bluth is going behind Michael's back!)
- Sonny's "eccentric personality and arrogant temper prevent him from being qualified. When he acts on his own decree, he makes dumb, shortsighted decisions that threaten the efforts of the family as a whole" (Sonny got killed, but took care of the family business nonetheless until his death, and while he made "shortsighted decisions", I wouldn't go as far as calling them dumb, unlike Gob's)
- Tom Hagan "is good at his job in a very unfunny way" (while the phrasing is good, I wouldn't make that a "reversed" comparison: Tom's job is neither "funny" or "unfunny". The Anyan comparison does stand though)
Great job for the rest! Hope you accept cri
Ok, the people who are nitpicking this article and looking for "exaggerated" comparisons - do you truly have nothing better to do? I thought this article was great!! Never would have noticed any of those if you hadn't pointed them out - great job!!
The insights this article has given me is astounding. Well done.
In the episode Best Man for the GOB George Senior has to deal with an accountant who is going to rat out their fraudulent spending. They were going to get him drunk and make him think he killed a prostitute like the senator in the Godfather Part II
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