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Cheaper by the Dozen
Release Date: December 25, 2003
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Shawn Levy
Screenwriter: Sam Harper
Starring: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Hilary Duff, Missy
"Misdemeanor" Elliott, Piper Perabo, Tom Welling, Ashton Kutcher,
Brent Kinsman, Shane Kinsman, Alyson Stoner
Genre: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG (for language and some
thematic elements)
Official Website: CheaperbytheDozenmovie.com
Plot Summary: A remake of the 1950 classic. Married with children- twelve--
Mary and Tom Baker are satisfied with their lives, even though they both put
their career ambitions on hold for a while. But with the eldest, 22 year old
Anne, out of the house and the youngest twins Nigel and Kyle ready for
pre-school, things come together when Tom gets a job coaching Northwestern
football and Mary gets her book published. However, a move to a new city and the
increased demands on their parents mean that the eleven children remaining at
home feel shortchanged and angry- and with the lively Baker clan, that spells
trouble.
Review by Peter Veugelaers © 2004
- Almost phony baloney
Steve
Martin reprises a role he took on in Parenthood (1991) as the doting
father tested by his formidable children. Back then it was about
thirty-something’s struggling with bringing up their kids the right way. Now
it’s about family solidarity when careers compete for the children’s attention.
Quite relevant today, still quite an unfunny film.
This is a solid wholesome family film and although some parents may get inspired after
spending money to get the same message a family therapist could give in quadruple
the time (and tenfold the price), I’d be reluctant to pay the price of a ticket
for a lightweight comedy hour-and-so.
Steve Martin is known for wacky off beat roles spanning back to the 70s and 80s like in
Little Shop of Horrors, All of Me, The Lonely Guy, Dirty
Rotten Scoundrels and Roxanne. Suddenly he’s gone gooey and seriously
paternal, acting his age in other words, his comedy acting muscles needing some
exercise.
Admittedly he was okay in The Father of the Bride as a protective parent, but as the
straight guy it takes a little while to get used to. As Cheaper by the Dozen
moves along he grows on you in a kind of appealing way and becomes more believable
than when we first try and reconcile the Martin we love with the Martin that’s
gone flabby.
The end result of having 12 kids is supposed to look like a disaster, but the situation
isn’t really explored here. It ends up a hodgepodge of cheap comedy routine and
cliché’s of the family genre.
The running gag would seem to be twelve is enough – but this potential isn’t utilised. It
instead leverages for sentimentality in the Baker’s relationships and what’s at
stake if family ties are strained, all family values speak but not much fun.
It’s coy about the scenario rather than taking risks, and so for even a family film is
undemanding but still enjoyable viewing. There are appealing performances from
twenty-something’s Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly) and Tom Welling (Superman
from T.V series Smallville). The kids are not saints by any means, but this
basks in the increasing glow of an ideal family considering the circumstances.
Everything just feels dandy.
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