Rated PG
Directed by Shawn Levy (Just Married, The Pink Panther)
Starring Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt and Ashton Kutcher
Ever wonder what happens when mom and dad both get a chance for the job of their dreams at the same moment? Or what happens when they happen to have twelve children AND the same scenario?
There you have it. “Cheaper” is about a husband (Steve Martin) and wife (Bonnie Hunt) trying to balance their careers and their family of twelve kids when they move to a new town. Mom has to leave town for a few days, and Dad says he can handle it. Yeah, right. “Cheaper By the Dozen” is Mr. Mom meets the Little Rascals.
Steve Martin . . . parent . . . trying to manage his kids. Okay, okay, so we saw him do it in Parenthood, Father of the Bride I and II, and in Bringing Down the House. But maybe Steve Martin fits the “superdad” role like Vin Diesel fits the “I’ve never lost a street fight” role.
Is it a good film? If I hadn’t compared it to Parenthood, Father of the Bride and Bringing Down the House . . . yeah, it’s an enjoyable film. But if I had a choice, I’d watch Ron Howard’s Parenthood any day. Parenthood is just as funny as “Cheaper,” but also incredibly deep and thought provoking. Yet “Cheaper” still makes a good rental if you’ve seen the others.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
I let my kids see it. It has very little objectionable material (very tame compared to most films of the day). Most of the sexual references are mild statements made by the parents like “12 kids later, and we still have the heat.” Kinda nice to see two married people portrayed as actually happy with their sex life. But check out www.screenit.com for the complete breakdown.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
