Both Jason's and Benji's dads don't exactly have perfect relationships with their sons. Both dads are also somewhat controlling. In Jason's case, his father is always ordering his mother around. He wants people to acknowledge him, such as when he acts up at the dinner with their relatives. He always wants to be correct. When Jason's mother messes up in redesigning the yard, Jason's dad immediately puts her down. At the same time, Jason's dad does care about Jason and Julia, such as when he defends Julia's choice of college and when he goes to fly a kite with Jason and spends time with him. In the end, I think Jason doesn't hate his father, but he definitely doesn't love him either.
As Benji said, his family was a Cosby family, perfect on the outside, problems on the inside. It is clear many of the problems have to do with Benji's dad. The rest of Benji's family have to "prevent flare-ups" by tiptoeing around Benji's dad. Benji's dad and Reggie also don't have a healthy relationship. Instead Reggie avoids his dad as much as possible and his dad calls him "Shithead." There is also the drama with the TV. It seems the main problem in Benji's family is communication. They are not able to talk to each other to solve their problems. Instead, they have problems like the TV, Reggie and his dad, and the fact that their dad is just not a good griller, but everyone is afraid to tell him so.
Although communication is mainly an issue in the Cooper family, the Taylor family also has that issue. With the dad hiding the financial records and the parents hiding the affair and the inevitable divorce from the kids (or at least Jason), tensions are only worsened. I think the main difference between the Taylors and Coopers is that the Coopers are already subdued and under the father. With the Taylors, Julia and their mother try to stand up against the father. Generally, it also seems that Jason's dad is more pleasant with his kids, although whether this is because he is guilty about the affair I don't know.
Both novels end with an anticipation of the future, but I think only one family solved its problems by the end of the novel. The Taylors are able to separate amicably and Jason doesn't seem too much worse for it. Benji on the other hand just doesn't mention his family dynamics in the end, perhaps because that's just the way things are and he sees no changing it.
The upshot of both of these situations is that the kids are pretty much left to fend for themselves, but I generally find Michael more sympathetic than Benji's dad. Benji's dad is funny at times, and you can see why his friends like him, but Michael is less of a natural tyrant, and you more feel bad for him than despise him. For Benji, I agree with Elena: get out when you can, and don't come back. For Jason, there definitely seems a core relationship worth saving. Even if his dad has behaved badly, it's possible to see him as confused and trying to do the right thing all around (and failing, but in a way that inspires pity).
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