Modern Family Scenes That Had Fans Bawling
At its very best, "Modern Family" was not only one of the funniest comedies on television, but one of the most touching as well. Created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, the ABC mockumentary series about a large, diverse family featured tons of big laughs, but what really made the show special was its giant heart. Through their many ups and downs, there was no doubt that the Pritchett/Dunphy/Tucker clan would always have each other's backs, and that special blend of laughter and tears brought the show plenty of praise — including five consecutive Emmy victories for best comedy series.
There's no shortage of choices when it comes to picking the show's funniest moments, but what about its most touching? The moments that left us in tears because they so closely reminded us of our own familial trials and tribulations? Let's take a look at 12 "Modern Family" scenes that had fans bawling, from the first season to the last.
Mitchell and Cameron present Lily to the family in Pilot
"Modern Family" established its ability to mix laughter with tears from the very first episode. The pilot introduces us to the show's sprawling clan, which encompasses mixed-race, same-sex, and nuclear families: patriarch Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill), who's newly married to much younger Colombian immigrant Gloria Delgado (Sofa Vergara) and adjusting to life with her son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez); Jay's daughter, Claire (Julie Bowen), who's happily married to Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) and raising three kids (Sarah Hyland as eldest daughter Haley, Ariel Winter as middle child Alex, and Nolan Gould as youngest son Luke); and Jay's son and Claire's brother Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Fergusson), who's secretly adopting a baby from Vietnam with his partner, Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet).
At the conclusion of the episode, the family gathers at Mitch and Cam's for a surprise announcement. Jay, decked out in Fubu and gold chains in an attempt to look younger after being mistaken for Gloria's father, suggests that his son adopt a dog if he and his boyfriend are feeling parental. Yet, when Cameron emerges with baby Lily (later played by Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) as "Circle of Life" from "The Lion King" blares on the speakers, the family immediately welcomes their newest member.
Jay takes Manny to Disneyland in The Bicycle Thief
When Jay married Gloria, he felt he'd earned a little bit of late-middle-aged fun after having raised two children and started a successful closet company. Little did he realize he'd also be getting Gloria's theatrical, sensitive son, Manny. Jay's inability to understand his new stepson provided "Modern Family" with a lot of laughs and a great deal of pathos, particularly in "The Bicycle Thief."
As Jay is planning a weekend getaway to wine country with Gloria, Manny is eagerly awaiting a trip to Disneyland with his estranged father, Javier (Benjamin Bratt). Jay and Manny have just gotten into an argument while trying to install a new ceiling fan, and Manny tells Jay he wishes his mom had never married him. As Jay is getting ready to hit the road, he gets a call from Javier, who is bailing on his son because he's winning at craps. Jay finds Manny sitting on the curb waiting for his dad to arrive, and rather than tell him the truth, he makes up a story about Javier giving up his plane seat to a woman in need.
Just then, the limo Jay rented to take him and Gloria on their trip arrives, and he tells Manny that his dad sent it to take the three of them to Disneyland. The episode ends with Jay delivering a touching coda about being a good father, most of which comes down to showing up, as Manny falls asleep on his shoulder in the limo ride home.
Jay cries over a poem he wrote in Mother's Day
As perplexed as Jay is by his stepson, he's equally ill at ease with his son-in-law, Phil, a realtor and amateur magician. Phil's attempts to bond with his emotionally conservative father-in-law are often comically inept, yet in the case of "Mother's Day," he manages to break through Jay's prickly exterior in a highly emotional way.
With Claire and Gloria trying to enjoy a hike with the kids, Jay and Phil are busily preparing a special Mother's Day meal for their return. While cooking one of Jay's mother's signature recipes, they come across a poem he wrote for her as a child in commemoration of the holiday. When Phil reads it aloud, Jay becomes overwhelmed with emotion, making things a little awkward between the two. Phil tries to comfort him, which only makes things worse. When the family returns for dinner, Phil tells them Jay cried over the poem, which he vehemently denies. However, he can't stop the tears from flowing when he starts talking about his late mother, and the rest of the family comes to give him a hug.
This episode just goes to show that even the toughest men can still miss their mommas.
Phil comes to terms with Haley growing up in Virgin Territory
Sooner or later, every parent has to come to terms with their children growing into adulthood, with all of the messiness that entails. In "Virgin Territory," Phil must learn to accept that Haley isn't a little girl anymore, as she's stumbling towards becoming a grown woman. That means, of course, she'll be discovering her sexuality, which her father isn't exactly ready to deal with.
When Luke and Manny accidentally break Lily's favorite doll, Phil, Haley, and Alex take her to the mall to get it repaired. On the way, Alex accidentally lets slip that Haley has slept with her boyfriend, Dylan (Reid Ewing). Phil can barely hide his disappointment upon hearing this, and while getting the doll repaired, he makes several subtextual references, remarking how his "broken" little girl will never be the same again. Haley, understanding what he's getting at, tells him the "doll" is just growing up, but will still be the same sweet girl he's always loved.
Phil still has a difficult time expressing to Haley that as a cool dad, she can always talk to him about this, and reaffirms his trust in her when he asks her to grab a table at the food court. He says he trusts her to make the right decision choosing between a booth or a table. The two hug, and Haley, in a direct address to the camera, says, "I have a cool dad."
Haley reads her dad's book of Phil's-osophy in Schooled
Parents will also eventually have to deal with their children leaving the nest, and "Modern Family" dealt with that anxiety in "Schooled." The family gives Haley an emotional sendoff as she prepares to leave for college. After Alex and Luke bid their sister farewell, Phil and Claire drop her off at campus, and they quickly embarrass her — starting when Phil reveals he's wearing a "Haley Dunphy Moving Company" t-shirt and ending with Claire mistakenly putting "My Little Pony" sheets on her dorm bed.
In one of the best Phil Dunphy moments on "Modern Family," he tries to present his daughter with a book of "Phil's-osophy," a collection of all the life lessons he's learned, including gems like, "Always look people in the eye, even if they're blind." Embarrassed, Haley rushes them out, desperate to keep them from humiliating her further, and simply tosses the book aside before her dad can truly gift it to her. Feeling nervous and alone on her first night away, Haley reads Phil's book, and takes comfort in one particular lesson: "Never be afraid to reach for the stars, because even if you fall, you'll always be wearing a parent-chute."
She calls her mom and dad, who are still on the way home, to thank them for their help, and goes to bed wearing the "Haley Dunphy Moving Company" shirt.
Phil gets emotional talking about his mom in Goodnight Gracie
Any television episode dealing with the loss of a parent is bound to be emotional, and that's certainly the case with "Goodnight Gracie." The family travels to Florida to be with Phil after his mother dies, and discover that she's left behind special gifts with attached notes for her loved ones. When Phil reads his note, he's shocked that his mom's final request was for him to set up his widowed father, Frank (Fred Willard), with Annie Fitzsimmons (Anita Gillette), one of their neighbors in the retirement community. Phil is reluctant at first, but decides to go through with the plan to honor his late mother's wishes.
When Phil and Claire first show up at Annie's door, they're greeted by a man, and understandably mistake him for her husband (they pretend to be vacuum salespeople and make a run for it). But when they learn the man is, in fact, Annie's brother, Phil returns, and tries his best to explain his mother's request to a total stranger. He acknowledges the oddity of the situation, but assures her his late mother just wanted to ensure that his dad would be taken care of after she was gone. As he remembers all the ways in which his mother looked out for him throughout his life, Phil becomes overwhelmed with emotions, and Annie gives him a comforting hug, assuring him that he's a good son.
Mitchell tells Jay not to come to his wedding in Message Received
Sometimes, the people who are the closest to us can hurt us the most, and more often than not, it's a member of our own family who does it. This dynamic is explored in "Message Received," which anticipates the build to Mitchell and Cameron's wedding. As the impending ceremony proves increasingly costly, the soon-to-be newlyweds are trying to pawn some of their items for extra cash, rather than ask Jay for help. Mitchell wants to sell a rare "Spider-Man" comic. However, chaos ensues when he drops the valuable issue in a puddle. He and Cameron rush to Jay and Gloria's to find a hairdryer to save it, but it's too late: the comic is ruined, and they've lost $5,000.
When Jay asks Mitchell why he and Cameron don't just have a scaled-back ceremony, Mitchell counters that if it were Claire's wedding, he'd be pulling out all the stops to have the event at his country club. When Jay lets slip that he wasn't happy about Claire's wedding either, Mitchell asks his father why he hasn't invited any of his golf buddies. Jay finally admits the truth: he isn't comfortable with the idea of a gay wedding, and he doesn't want to invite his conservative friends to one. Mitchell storms out, telling his dad to not bother coming at all. The episode ends with Haley, Alex, and Luke listening to a voicemail Mitchell left Phil when it was discovered he had gotten Claire pregnant, where he offered his support in spite of his opposition as a father.
Jay has a big surprise for Mitchell and Cameron in The Wedding (Part Two)
"Modern Family" ended its fifth season with a two-part episode focused on Mitchell and Cameron's wedding, which proved to be an emotional highlight for the series. In "The Wedding: Part One and Two," the prospective newlyweds are desperately trying to make their special day as perfect as possible, which proves difficult when the outdoor venues they've booked keep getting evacuated due to forest fires. Things go even more haywire when their very pregnant friend, Sal (Elizabeth Banks), suddenly goes into labor, leaving them without anyone to officiate the wedding. They decide to move things to their apartment, but it's so small that most of the guests have to hang out in the yard. Mitchell takes all of this as a sign that perhaps his father was right, and his marriage was a bad idea.
Just as Mitchell is about to announce that the wedding is off, Jay steps in to tell him he can't have the ceremony in his apartment — not because he objects to it, but because he's already booked his country club as the venue. A proud Jay and Gloria walk Mitchell down the aisle, while Cameron walks with his parents, Merle (Barry Corbin) and Barb (Celia Weston), who were on the verge of divorce because of separate conversations with — well — Jay and Gloria.
Alex breaks down about the pressures of perfection in Under Pressure
While Haley is often considered a screw-up and Luke is a goofball, Alex has always prided herself on being the perfect middle child. Yet, her driven nature weighs heavily on her mental health, which becomes evident in "Under Pressure." When Alex suffers a breakdown at her 16th birthday party, she books an emergency session with her therapist, Dr. Clark (John Benjamin Hickey). During her session, she recounts a spelling bee competition she participated in as a child which she desperately wanted to win, despite the fact there was no prize money, trophy, or even a ribbon. Ultimately, she reveals she feels no one in her family understands the constant strain that's put on her to be the model kid.
At the same time, Phil and Claire are trying to better understand what their children are going through at school by taking their classes at a parent-teacher conference. Phil gets the easy job of taking Luke's classes, while Claire takes on Alex's herculean workload. After just one night of Alex's homework, Claire suddenly understands the pressure and anxiety her daughter has been keeping to herself. She meets Alex after her therapy session, and the two share a mother-daughter hug that remains an emotional highlight of "Modern Family."
The Pritchetts mourn Dede's passing in Good Grief
Shelly Long's appearances as Dede, the eccentric ex-wife to Jay and mother to Claire and Mitchell, were always a highlight of "Modern Family." As a result, it was truly sad when Dede passed away in the episode "Good Grief." The family gets the news on Halloween, with everyone mourning in full costumes. Claire is upset to learn that while her last phone call with her mother ended in a fight, Mitchell's ended with him telling her how much he loved her. Mitchell tells Claire that during their last call, their mother told him she regretted fighting with her and was going to call to make up. Claire plays the last voicemail she received from her mom, in which she apologizes (and criticizes her daughter's greasy hair).
Jay, meanwhile, deals with his grief through food. He spends hours waiting in line to buy a special sub sandwich, but it goes missing when he puts it in the fridge. He later reveals to Mitchell and Claire that the sub was made with the same French bread that Dede would make his sandwiches with during the happy years of their marriage, and that he was sad to see the bakery she used to buy it from had since closed. The three hug each other as they remember the complicated yet ultimately loving relationship they all shared with the late Mrs. Pritchett.
Phil spends one last day with his dad in Legacy
The emotional gut punch of "Legacy" sneaks up on you, and in that way, it's a perfect dramatization of its core message: death is sudden and unexpected. You never know when a moment with a loved one might be your last. In this case, that loved one is Phil's father, Frank, and this episode, one of the show's saddest, took on special significance when Fred Willard passed away on May 15, 2020, just four months after it aired.
Phil travels to Florida when he hears his dad has been seen wandering around the grocery store he used to run. When he tries to broach the subject over lunch at a local diner, Frank changes the subject, pointing to a photo of some giant penguin footprints that teenage Phil made on the beach as a prank. After accidentally flipping the car they're driving on its side trying to perform a simple tire change with one of Frank's newest inventions, the two hitch a hide to the barbershop, where Phil gives his father a haircut. He asks his dad if he would've been happier with another child who could've taken over the family business, and Frank tells Phil that he actually did take over the family business, which is keeping life light and fun for everyone. Phil later reveals in a direct-to-camera address that this was the last day he spent with his father, and subsequently pays him tribute by walking across the beach at night in his giant penguin feet slippers.
The family bids farewell with one last selfie in The Finale (Part Two)
Fans who had watched the Pritchett/Dunphy/Tucker clan throughout the 11 seasons of "Modern Family" surely experienced a range of emotions during the two-part series finale. With Cameron and Mitchell moving to Missouri so Cameron can accept a football coaching job, Jay and Gloria going to Colombia while Manny travels the globe, and all the Dunphy kids starting their own respective lives away from home, the family gathers at Phil and Claire's house for one last goodbye. They decide to huddle up for a selfie to commemorate the moment, and the large, expansive group squeezes in for a hug. The problem is, they just can't seem to let go. Phil tries to set an example by walking away first, but he quickly rejoins the group. Eventually, they break apart and go their separate ways.
This is hardly a final goodbye, as there's little doubt the family will always keep in touch. As Jay says during his final coda, "It's the comfort of family that helps us sleep at night." While Phil and Claire take Frank's old RV on a road trip, they decide to leave their front porch light on, so that they'll know everyone in their ever-growing family will always have a home to return to.