Dominic "Dom" Toretto's (Vin Diesel) apparent obsession with family was explained by one line in Fast & Furious is known for unbelievable car stunts and action-packed sequences, another major motif is at the forefront.
One of the most famous elements of the franchise in recent years has been its theme of family, with Dom becoming synonymous with the "family meme." Dominic Toretto's family remains the main characters of the movies, with Dom himself having been the face of Fast & Furious from the beginning. Yet the family plot point makes a lot more sense given the surrounding lore that notably comes up in Fast Five, during a key conversation between Dom and father-to-be Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker).
Dominic Toretto Was Raised To Value Family & Friends Thanks To His Father
Dom Continues His Father's Traditional BBQ
In Fast Five, Dom reveals that he was raised to value family and friends, following the example set by his father. While talking to Brian, Dom is asked what he re about his father, and replies: "I everything about my father." Dom goes on to describe the way his father used to host a barbecue every Sunday for the churchgoers in the neighborhood and how he used to help Mia (Jordana Brewster) with homework:
"He used to have a barbecue every Sunday after church. For anybody in the neighborhood. If you didn't go to church, you didn't get any barbecue. Every single day he was in the shop, and every single night, he was at the kitchen table with Mia, helping her with her homework. Even after she went to sleep, he'd stay up for a few more hours so he could learn the next chapter and help her the next day. I everything about my father. Everything.?
Dom's father obviously influenced how Dom treats his own family, and this scene is just one moment that illustrates how Fast Five's success changed the Fast & Furious franchise in a big way.
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Dom's idolization of his father can be seen through the continuation of his tradition of hosting a barbecue for his friends and family. With Dom claiming that he re everything about his father, it shows how important the man was to him, and it makes sense for Dom to live by the same principles. However, the movies went one step further with this theme following Paul Walker's death, because Brian's absence from Fast and Furious is justified by wanting to spend more time with his family; Dom's father's principles have not only influenced his son but others.
Why Fast & Furious' Family Themes Became A Meme (Despite Making Sense For Toretto)
Recent Fast & Furious Films Have Dulled Dom's Personality
Despite the rather heartwarming reason for Dom's dedication to family, the Fast & Furious family theme became a laughable meme. Diesel's character can often be seen repeatedly saying "family" in various formats to poke fun at his one-dimensional personality in later movies. In The Fast and the Furious, Dom is initially established as a morally ambiguous person due to his criminal side, making him an interesting character to explore. Yet, as the franchise developed, Dom's character noticeably changed as he became traditionally "good" to fit the later films' narrative.
When the team became the "good guys," Dom's character had to focus on something more universally acceptable, such as his family.
Recent Fast & Furious movies have moved away from the criminal aspects of the first film, focusing more on what action-packed drama the franchise can deliver. Therefore, when the team became the "good guys," Dom's character had to focus on something more universally acceptable, such as his family. While this is not a drastic change, as Dom has always been a family man, recent films seem to reduce his character to someone with no other purpose than family. As a result, Dom has one of the worst arcs in recent Fast & Furious films, arising from his repetitive (and thus, meme-able) motto.
Memes Aside, Fast & Furious Wouldn’t Be The Same Without "Family"
Fast Five Changed The Franchise For The Better
Regardless of the mocked "family" memes, Fast & Furious would not be the same without this integral theme. Fast Five assembling the team was one of the best decisions for the franchise because it brought together everyone that had been previously established and gave them a family-like dynamic, bolstering subsequent films. Instead of being an action-packed franchise about cars, Fast & Furious morphed into a character-driven story about a family and community of racers. If Fast Five's $209 million box office success reveals anything, this new approach focusing on family worked and spawned more films.
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Following Fast Five, the ensemble cast has defined the franchise and led to speeches about the importance of family — which prompted memes about it. However, the shift in theme is partially responsible for Fast & Furious' box office success, so its significance for the franchise cannot be understated, irrespective of Dom's character. Furthermore, 2023’s Fast X copied elements of Fast Five in an ode to the "classic" Fast & Furious movie, proving that Fast Five's efforts in establishing a character-driven (and family-driven) approach have carried the rest of the franchise.
Fast Five
- Release Date
- April 29, 2011
- Runtime
- 130 Minutes
- Director
- Justin Lin
Cast
Paul Walker
WHERE TO WATCH
The fifth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, Fast Five continues the Fast Saga in a high-octane thrill ride. When Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Conner's (Paul Walker) gang become international fugitives, they are hunted by Luke Hobbs, an agent of the DSS. They also fall foul of a Brazillian drug lord, deciding to perform a heigh-stakes heist in order to steal $100 million from him.
- Writers
- Justin Lin
- Sequel(s)
- Fast & Furious 12
- Franchise(s)
- Fast and Furious
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures
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