These life-like comedies have a tendency to reflect Kohan and Mutchnick’s lifestyles with a trend of following Mutchnick’s closely. Some of the major themes in Mutchnick’s life are brought into focus in his various works. Mutchnick was raised in a single parent Jewish household; these aspects of religion and singlehood can be seen throughout Mutchnick and Kohan’s work. Mutchnick also has a very great female friend that he relies on heavily, who has become almost part of his family. Another aspect of Mutchnick’s life that is probably most like his works is his single status (until 2006) and his openness about his homosexuality. Kohan’s life is also mirrored in his work with Mutchnick as he grew up and lived in New York and enjoyed an extensive life in singlehood.
David Kohan and Max Mutchnick met while they were both in their mid thirties while writing for the 1980’s family comedy The Wonder Years. They have been writing and producing as a team ever since. There are two main thematic motifs that can be seen as a common thread relating back to their original work together. These include friends becoming so close they resemble family and the use of witty sarcasm.
The Wonder Years theme song “With a Little Help From My Friends” could be used to describe many scenes from Will and Grace as well as Four Kings.
In both of these shows characters are often seen giving each other advice in the form of wisdom. These scenes can be characterized by their similar locations and use of framing, or camera shots. These words of wisdom are primarily seen around the kitchen table with a medium long shot capturing this as the background and most of the actor’s body. The camera then pulls in to a medium close up, focusing on the actor’s upper body, to get the feeling of closeness between these sets of friends. The use of framing along with dialogue makes the viewer understand the relationship.
The relationship for these characters is one of more than just friends; it is as if they are family. In both of these shows it is as if they rely on the support of one another to get through to the next day. There is also the tendency to see a love/hate relationship between each of them. This can be summed up when Grace says, “My love for you is like a scar, its ugly but it’s permanent.”
Another thematic motif that plays off of the aspect of friends becoming family is the idea of life in singlehood. In Four Kings as well as Will and Grace the main characters are middle aged and still living with their friends rather than creating a family of their own. The characters displayed are predominantly single and are often talking about their dates or lack of luck with dates. In Four Kings this bad luck streak can be seen when Jason and Bobby go to call the girls they met and end up calling a pizza place and the morgue. This bad luck is often also discussed when Will talks about his lack of a love life on Will and Grace.
The luck isn’t bad for all of the characters on these shows. Grace and Jack are often seen dating multiple men at the same time, while Jason from Four Kings also has his own luck with the ladies. The scenes that are set up to pass time in their relationships fade from a dark screen into a camera shot of cars passing by with a short consistent melody. This is a common thread that can be seen in Kohan and Mutchnick’s work.
Witty sarcasm and the use of sexual banter are also evident in Kohan and Mutchnick’s work. They write this sort of humor in and often look for a reaction from each character. This can be characterized by zooming in on the actor’s facial expressions along with their uneasy body language. This technique can be seen with Jack’s wrinkled nose and shift of weight from one foot to another after Grace jokes that lying around the laundry room naked cannot be considered a spa. Another example of this is the focus on Jason’s face when Bobby steps in and kisses him while he is trying to pick up a girl in the bar, thus ruining any chance that Jason may have had. The technique of using sarcasm paired with reaction shots gives the viewer a sense of realness and connection with the character. This is an important aspect that can be linked from show to show and even back to Kohan and Mutchnick’s work on The Wonder Years.
Kohan and Mutchnick use thematic motifs of friends becoming family, witty sarcasm, and life in singlehood to create their life-like comedies. These comedies draw on aspects of both of their executive producer’s lives and mirror characters from real life. Using framing, editing, and spacing Kohan and Mutchnick have created a common thread that can be seen throughout their various works. Their mise en scene, or look and feel, has established their work and can help the viewer establish a connection within their shows.
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