Search - Cheaper By the Dozen on DVD

Jennifer D. (jennicat) from ST AUGUSTINE, FL
Reviewed on 12/30/2014...

I liked this movie but it made me nervous. I don't have any kids.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Christine B. from LONGVIEW, WA
Reviewed on 3/21/2014...

Very funny

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Larisa C. from BIG PINE, CA
Reviewed on 3/19/2014...

Great movie for the whole family!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Amanda D. (sophiesperspective)
Reviewed on 2/13/2013...

This movie definitely deserves it PG rating for thematic elements, but it is one funny movie. Based off of the book Cheaper by the Dozen* the movie tells the story of a football coach (Steve Martin) with twelve kids whose wife (Bonnie Hunt) gets a career after they make the big move from the country to the city of Chicago. The family becomes highly dysfunctional and catastrophe happens everywhere. Of course, I do not advocate the parenting method used in this film, but this is a good movie for laughs. Just make sure your kids know its totally not OK to repel from the roof, or use a sibling as a human dart board.

*I, unfortunately, have not yet read the book. From what I hear, all the book and movie have in common is the name, and perhaps the names of characters. I have also heard that the book is riddled with cursing. Thankfully this was eliminated in the movie. So know I am not suggesting you go out and read the book. It may be fine, but I do not know for sure either way.

(Review originally published on:http://sophiesmindset.blogspot.com/2007/08/family-friendly-movies.html)

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

A Dozen Points

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 04/25/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a family movie, so you can buy (or rent it) without really flinching about dirty words or inappropriate behavior. Here are a dozen reasons why it's OK and not so OK.1) (Good) Steve Martin is perfect for these kind of roles. He remains the personification of the unflappable leading man that he's portrayed in films like "Parenthood" and "Father Of The Bride."2) (Bad) Bonnie Hunt is wasted. She comes off well, but ultimately the kids and Martin have to carry the film.3) (Good) The kids are likable, and, at times, very touching (Especially Mark/Fed Ex). None of them utter curse words or make smutty jokes.4) (Bad) That the kids frequently flagrantly disobey house rules without any kind of discipline. (Although the pants and meat gag is the film's best joke.) They plot and scheme sadistic traps ala "Home Alone" lite, and spend a fair amount of time saying how badly the parents' work is interfering with their lives, never minding the fact that Dad's new job is putting them into a higher standard of living then they've ever known before. (Tom Welling in particular.)5) (Good) Nice to see parents who are willing to try to live their dreams, not shut everything else out of their lives and do so without resentment towards each other. 6) (Bad) Does anyone really believe you could practice a College football team in a back yard?7) (Good) Despite having twelve kids on screen (OK, so Nora, the oldest, is living on her own), each kid gets some time to chew the scenery and does so without getting overtly cute or sugary.8) (Bad) The DVD sports a serious lack of extras. Fox couldn't fit a trailer on the disc but found space to promote the upcoming "Garfield?" Boo and hiss.9) (Good) Ashton Kutcher playing right into type as Nora's narcissistic boyfriend.10) (Bad) I am getting really tired of all things Hillary Duff.11) (Good) Any soundtrack that features 10,000 Maniacs and Fountains of Wayne is all right by me.12) (Ultimate Good) The final messgae is that families can ultimately be happiest if they stay honest to themselves. Even in a movie as slight as "Cheaper By The Dozen," it is a message that is usally ignored or, even worse, mocked by most current Hollywood fare, here it is movie's strongest core statement. That alone makes "Cheaper By The Dozen" worth at least a viewing."

A PIFFLE OF A COMEDY, AND IN THAT IT PROBABLY WORKS

Shashank Tripathi | Gadabout | 01/10/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Turn loose some gratingly, implausibly screaming 13-year olds and you've got 75% of your flick. Steve Martin seems oddly miscast - there's a few moments when he goes into his "schtick" that stand out like a sore thumb (like when Mom drives away to New York and he does "mad scientist Steve"). But basically this is a guy running his family into the ground because of putting his personal dreams before his kids. Bonnie Hunt is likeable enough as always - Tom Welling seems pretty much wasted as a sulky teenager who gets picked on and goes through several changes of character for no reason. I'm heading home, Dad. I'm moving out. I'm going to stay. I hate you. You were right. Welling doesn't have that much screen-time and it seems every time he appears on screen he's got a different personality. Hillary and Piper are tolerable. Ashton Kutcher is...well, Ashton Kutcher. He's annoying but since we're supposed to be rooting for the family against him, that's not too surprising. he's a bit too broad, though.The movie probably pivots around the kiddies - Bill Mumy's kid is cute, as is the Landis boy, a newcomer. They're all annoyingly precocious but that's pretty much par for the course with such movies. The supporting cast of non-family members don't have much to do and truth be told, the film is busy enough with the family subplots as it is. By the end the father's learned a valuable lesson (so presumably have we), but one suspects most of the kids would be traumatized for life with such ludicrous parenting antics. Overall, CBTD seems to go a bit too far into the third-act pit of depression and tragedy before pulling it together for an upbeat conclusion. A worthy rental maybe if you have some early teens in the house to "enjoy" the doozy predicament with."

Why this movie stinks

Kate Smart | Private | 07/16/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"In Hollywood films, kids are mean. They tell their siblings to drop-dead, roll their eyes at dumb-old-dad, barf all over the floor and run away, and always seem to have a snarky come-back for every situation. They are cynical, jaded, suspicious, and totally lacking in innocence; they represent the worst aspects of adulthood.

In my opinion, films like this are like extended sit-coms - although most sit-coms are better written. My family was quite stunned by how nasty everyone was; there wasn't a kind moment anywhere except in the last 5 minutes, when syrupy-violins prompt us to recall how much they really "love eachother".
If you want to see a film where kids act and talk like real kids, try to get your hands on a British film called "Melody", made in the early 1970's. It'll knock your socks off."