Critically,
I think "Cheaper by the Dozen" is worth three stars, but I laughed so
hard I must give it five to be honest.
Remember those old Disney movies
from the 1960s that were good, clean fun? This is just like Disney used to be,
in the farcical style of "Love Bug." There's no fantasy, but there is
the improbable 14 person, one dog family.
For
a movie to be a "good clean family movie" there must be no adult sensuality
scenes, humor every generation will appreciate, and the end of the movie must
encourage family love. A little slapstick is appropriate, but no real violence.
"Cheaper by the Dozen" has all of that. Outside of one daughter, age
22, living with her boyfriend, the movie sails sharply away from anything scandalous.
When
Tom (Steve Martin) is offered his dream job, he gets the chance to make something
of himself. His current job is as a football coach at Lincoln College, a small
school in central Illinois. The new job, which he takes, is at Illinois Polytechnic
University (essentially Northwestern University).
For
Tom, the drive is the usual: Could he make it as the coach of a Division I school,
especially at his alma mater? He wasn't unsatisfied with his job or his life at
Lincoln. The IPU job fell into his lap, but it promised potential accolades he
never received as a football player, a big multiyear salary, and the resources
only a big school coach has access.
For
his family, the sell was hard. Tom pointed out they would have more material things,
a relevant concern with a family with a dozen children. A few wore hand-me-downs,
and Tom rightfully wanted the best for his brood. Still, the kids loved their
home and friends. Leaving that life seemed unimaginable.
They
move north to Evanston in a beautiful home with stereotypical aloof wealthy neighbors.
No one is friendly. The high school football team teases the oldest boy, Charlie
(played by TV 'Superboy' Tom Welling with the same personality but no superpowers).
As
if the old lady already had so many children, Kate (Bonnie Hunt) takes off for
a few weeks in New York to publish her first book. The family is still acclimating
to Chicago and can't bear this loss of parental leadership. Everything falls into
humorous disarray.
One
downside in considering it as family fare is the attitudes of the children when
Kate is gone. Most are selfish and conniving, looking for ways to manipulate their
father into returning the family back to their small town lifestyle.
Tom's
desire is to have it all -- the good job, the solid family, the wife who can explore
her professional goals. His ability to pull it off is where it becomes hilarious,
in the manner of "Father of the Bride" and "Planes, Trains, and
Automobiles."
Some
extremely, gut-hurting funny scenes can be found in "Cheaper by the Dozen,"
so long as you can tolerate one of the kids slipping in vomit, a dog chewing in
an unmentionable area of Hank, a boyfriend (Ashton Krutcher, playing the same
personality as "That Seventies Show"), and some pranks that are almost
lifted out of "Home Alone."
The
movie only toys with the relationship between one family and the Bakers, but seems
bent on making a statement "Big city bad, small town good."
"Cheaper
by the Dozen" follows a predictable path. No surprises in the plot, the ending
or any of the smaller adventures within the subplots. Not everything is realistic,
and not every storyline is provided an ending. However, for a fun, silly movie
that finishes off with a strong pro-family sentiment, I fully recommend it.
Anthony
Trendl
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