While the Fast and Furious film franchise is notorious for its action-packed scenes and car stunts, it’s also known for the meme that sprouted from the overuse of the word “family” thanks to one movie in particular. The Fast and the Furious started out as a simple heist movie starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, and the late Paul Walker. As of today, the franchise is up to 12 films in total. The film series is still going strong, with Fast X set to release in 2023.
Every Fast and Furious film has at least two things in common: over-the-top car scenes and a character mentioning “family”–usually Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel). The first film told the story of Dom showing Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) the ropes of street racing. There’s betrayal, action, undercover cops, and, of course, family. With every new movie, it became clear that family was becoming more important than cars and racing. Dom considers members of his street racing crew family, and builds the understanding that they need to love and protect each other. Due to the repetition of the theme of family, it quickly became an internet meme sensation.
The iconic family meme started going viral in 2021 thanks to Fast and Furious 9, which was released that same year. The meme uses the catchphrase in combination with famous movie & TV scenes. For example, one of the first family memes combined a Star Wars scene with Dom Toretto up in space saying, “You don’t need logic when you got family.” The memes became more and more elaborate and random over time with Dom Toretto popping out of nowhere talking about family. It also gained traction due to a YouTube video that counted the amount of times “family” was said throughout each of the films; it came out to a whopping 33.
Why Family Is More Important To Fast & Furious Than Cars
Cars and races are staples of the Fast and Furious movies, but the overarching theme of family is what holds them all together. What started off as a street car racing film turned into a franchise all about looking out for one another, regardless of being actually related because at the end of the day, “it’s all about family” as Dom Toretto says. With each film, new members are added to Dom’s found family. They’ve all become a close-knit support network for each other, outcasts and petty criminals that came together to find one another and make something greater than the sum of themselves.
Without the found family Dom Toretto built in the Fast and Furious movies, it would just be another dumb action franchise. The characters forming such close bonds with each other endeared them to one another, but also to the audiences watching them. The concept of family tackling even the hardest battles together made for an excellent meme. But what’s more, it’s what sets the Fast and Furious franchise apart from everything else around it.
