Cheaper by the Dozen - Baker's Dozen Special Edition (2003)

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.

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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.

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At the same time his wife has the opportunity of a lifetime as well. Now they have to balance a family of 12 with all of this. She travels, he is not at home, there is family crisis after crisis and things become more insane.

Some of the scenes are touching, there is a sense in the movie that dad, although wrapped up in his career, really is torn by what his family needs and what time he has to give.

There are some things that miss here, otherwise I would have rated it a 5. They agree to work on both of their careers and when his wife finally gets upset with things not working out they are at each others throat. The movie did not develop that well, although you can see why they would be really mad at each other.

There is chaos, it is a little surreal to make the point, yet, in reality you would think the older siblings would be more helpful around the house with such a large family.

The twins, the younger ones, are just hilarious. Remember to watch the outtakes at the end, they are great.

The movie has a lot of irony in it, life in the country verses life in the city. Committed parents who get overcommitted. The children who are torn between the life they had and their new environment.

This movie is fun, and is viewable by a wide audience.

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