| Genre: | Documentary |
| Director: | Ry Russo-Young |
| Country: | United States |
| Num Episodes: | 3 |
| Language: | English |
| Runtime: | 57 minutes |
| Network: | HBO |
Nuclear Family is an American documentary miniseries directed and produced by Ry Russo-Young. It follows Russo-Young's mothers as an unexpected lawsuit sends shockwaves throughout their family's lives. It consisted of 3 episodes and premiered on September 26, 2021, on HBO.[1]
Sandra Russo and Robin Young have two children, Ry and Cade, each through a different sperm donor. Initially the relationship with the donors was pleasant, until one of them sued for paternity and visitation rights.
Ry Russo-Young had wanted to tell her story of her childhood for many years, and initially wanted to make a narrative film about her experience, but instead decided to make a documentary.[2] She initially decided against making a documentary, feeling it would be a "me-and-my problems movie".[3] Russo-Young had been shooting footage of her family over the course of 15–20 years.[4] Russo-Young and her editors went through footage of her childhood and material documenting the case.[5] Because of Tom Steel's death, Russo-Young interviewed his friends and family, and his former legal team to explore his motivations for the lawsuit.[6]
In August 2021, it was announced Russo-Young would direct a documentary series revolving around her family, with Liz Garbus set to executive produce under her Story Syndicate banner, with HBO set to distribute.[7]
It had its world premiere at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021.[8] [9]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 91% based on 11 reviews.[10] On Metacritic, the series holds a rating of 83 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[11]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Documentary | Nuclear Family | [12] | ||
| 2021 | Peabody Awards | Documentary | Nuclear Family | [13] |