Radio Days’ and Goodfellas center around families with somewhat strong cultural and traditional values. In Radio Days’ we are introduced to the director, Woody Allen, and his family. Though they have not held close to all their Jewish customs, there are certain things that they have held on to. They continue to hold onto the core of their religion, and the important values that come with it. They continue to celebrate Yom Kippur, they attend temple, and send their children to Hebrew school.
Though the mobsters in Goodfellas were murderers and philanderers, when it came down to it, they did what they could to protect their families. They had different ideas of what was traditional. A mafia family should be a close one, and the members of this family should meet often and have lots of Italian food. And interestingly enough, there is another similarity within the films. Just like in Goodfellas, in the Woody Allen film there is a satire surrounding mentions of death and murder.
Radio Days’ unlike Goodfellas revolves around the lives of a plethora of distinctive characters. Though many of the characters do not actually meet, their lives are intertwined through the broadcasts of the radio. The radio created a sense of unity; it made the world seem much smaller than it really was. People grew close to the characters of the radio dramas they listened to, and mentioned them in conversation. War commercials that depicted America as a superhero power brought feelings of nationalism. And live broadcasts of events like tragic Phelps incident made listeners feel invested in the lives of strangers. These minute-by-minute reports brought families and friends together, reminding the population of what is really important. The radio also allows individuals to somewhat identify with those from different ethnicities and backgrounds through their music. In fact, there is a scene where Allen’s aunt dances to Carmen Miranda with a wrap on her head.
Radio is crucial to the lives of the individual family members because it allows them to pull away from their uncomfortable reality. To listen to the radio is to escape, and they build their lives around their morning shows and superhero-like characters. The programs they listen to are a reflection of their own dreams and aspirations; they are a reflection of the type of lives they want to live. “Now in my family, each person had a favorite show” and that show corresponded with their fantasy. Young Woody Allen longed to be like the Masked Avenger, a brave superhero that did whatever he pleased. Meanwhile his mother loved to listen to the morning programs Breakfast with Irene and Roger, it followed the lives of two New York socialites. “While my mother stood over the dirty plates in Rockaway, Irene and Roger ate their elegant breakfast over the air from their chic Manhattan townhouse while they chatted charming about people and place we only dreamt of.”
