ThedevilChoose
When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Mathilde the Guild
Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Zlatica
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
ComedyFan2010
I started watching it expecting it to be a silly comedy but it ended up more than that. It is funny but it turned out to be also deeper. It shows different type of parents and different issues that they face with their kids that many people can connect with. It never goes over the top and becomes unrealistic. Just portrays the issues we may have faced in real life in a really good way.The acting is also on top level. I enjoyed all the performances. And it was also great to see Martha Plimpton, Keanu Reeves and Joaquin Phoenix in their early years. The younger children who as I see didn't remain in acting as adults were also really good. Much better than one usually sees young children acting.It is nice how it goes into sensitive topics and doesn't exaggerate it. The characters develop in their personality. For example it was nice to see Tod talking to Garry when he needed a man in his life. This adds more depth to Tod's character and shows how there are moments when young boys need a man to help them out, even if he is not much older and mature as one would expect. The ending with the roller coaster metaphor is pretty clever and sums up the movie and the idea on how life is better very well. It was presented to us by grandma who was very well portrayed by Helen Shaw. It is interesting how she started acting pretty late in life and doesn't have that many credits but was really good. Although since I don't know much about her, maybe she did some stage acting before.I sure recommend it to people. I guess it may appeal even more to people who have kids since they deal with parenthood themselves. But even as a child free person I loved the movie.
P_T_Knight
Dianne Wiest continually delivers her lines with a deep emotion. It is absolutely enjoyable to experience someone in her caliber (which I have yet to experience!) This is by far Ron Howard's film, but Dianne Wiest REALLY makes it happen! One example is when her Biology teacher boyfriend replies "I went to Woodstock" - this was after her daughter announced that she was pregnant and Dianne states that she couldn't be a grandmother, grandmothers bake and sew. I was at Woodstock for Christ's Sake!! I peed in a field! I grabbed hold of the Who's helicopter while it flew away!" To which, the Biology teacher boyfriend replies that HE too was at Woodstock. Dianne is pouring herself a tall alcoholic drink and is about to down it and she turns to the teacher and says "oh yeah?! I thought I recognized you!" This is just one example ...... there are MANY more!!
Gideon24
Director Ron Howard nailed family dysfunction and the difficulties of parenting with a warm and entertaining 1989 comedy called Parenthood.This episodic comedy centers on the Buckman family, led by one Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) and his wife Karen (Mary Steenburgen), who serve as the centerpiece for a dysfunctional family that includes Gil's hard-drinking father (Jason Robards), who took Gil to baseball games as a child and used to leave him alone and pay ushers to watch him. Dianne Wiest plays Gil's divorced sister, Helen, who is the mother of two teenagers, one a horny high-schooler (Martha Plimpton) sleeping with her boyfriend (Keanu Reeves) and the other (Joaquin Phoenix) wants to live with his father.Tom Hulce plays the proverbial black sheep brother who has returned home with an illegitimate son and a get rich quick plan. Rick Moranis is effectively cast against type as a stuffed shirt married to Gil's other sister (Harley Kozack) who is raising his toddler like she's a sophomore in college.The screenplay by longtime Howard collaborators Lowell Ganz and Babloo Mandel might play like an extended sitcom, but it is a very entertaining one, that provides consistent laughs without sacrificing realism or realistic situations. The screenplay is insightful and clever and well-served by Howard's hand-picked cast, who give uniformly fine performances down the line, with a standout performance from Wiest that earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.Thanks to a smart screenplay, sensitive direction, some offbeat casting, and some fun performances, this is a very special comedy that got by a lot of people but is worth checking out. Later turned into a television series.
roy-c
We watched this on TV and found that we got into it straightaway And we generally liked it, but ultimately the ending was a let down It did seem to be a genuine comedy-drama, and for the first two-thirds that is what you get But it as though the writer or director lost confidence and it ended up like every other heart-warming film. I like heart-warming, but it needs to be consistent For example, the Steve Martin family was muddling through with a child who might have to be moved out of his mainstream school, a child who struggled with baseball But what happens? The boy becomes a baseball hero! And that makes everything all right! Steve Martin has a problem with his son's party, so he turns into the most entertaining father the world has ever seen And this aspect is replicated elsewhere Would probably watch it again but would have been happier if real life had intruded into the ending
