The Wonder Years
1988
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
- family
The story
The story of Kevin Arnold facing the trials and tribulations of youth while growing up during the 1960s and 70s. Told through narration from an adult Kevin, Kevin faces the difficulties of maintaining relationships and friendships on his enthralling journey into adulthood.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-washed suburban daylight fills the kitchens, backyards and wood-paneled family rooms, with autumn leaves, station wagons and the soft yellows and browns of the late 1960s and early 70s. The camera stays close and unfussy, mostly sitting with a family at the dinner table or a boy on his bike, and the period rock and soul on the soundtrack carries much of the mood. A wistful adult voice-over threads through each half-hour, gently amused and tender about its younger self. The vibe is nostalgic and good-humored, with a bittersweet undertow, the kind of show that suits a lazy weekend, a comfort rewatch or background while folding laundry. Pacing is unhurried and episodic, and the emotional register swings between awkward comedy and quiet sincerity. Its people, mainly a teenage boy, his friends, his sister and his parents, grow and stumble through crushes, friendship rifts and family friction. Intensity is low: teen language, puberty and sexual talk played for laughs, some family arguments and sadness, but no graphic violence, gore or explicit content. It is for viewers who want a gentle, reflective coming-of-age story with a sense of time and place.
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