Parental Guidance
2.5/4
Starring: Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Bailee Madison, Joshua Rush, Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, Tom Everett Scott
Rated PG for Some Rude Humor
To me, the only thing that comes close to being as irritating as the proudly nihilistic hipsters that have made Wes Anderson a demigod in independent film are the yuppie suburbanites who, due to their love of their kids, only eat organic food and spout pop psychology despite not knowing a thing about either. They're so "trendy" they've lost sight of reality. These people get the satirical treatment they so richly deserve, but it's neither clever or incisive enough to entertain.
Alice Simmons (Tomei) is embarrassed by her parents, Artie (Crystal) and Diane (Midler) Decker. She considers them out of touch and old fashioned. Alice is raising three kids with her husband Phil (Scott): Harper (Madison), a stressed out violinist who is so busy practicing that she has no time to live, Turner (Rush), who has a stutter and an image problem, and Barker (Breitkopf), who talks to an invisible kangaroo. When Phil is called away on business for a week and asks Alice to come with him, she brings in Artie and Diane to look after her kids, but only the way she does it. Of course, this leads to befuddlement then frustration on the part of the grandparents, who end up putting their feet down and start letting the kids be kids.
The problem with the film is that writers Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse don't go for the jugular. While it's true that the film is aimed at families, that doesn't meant that it can't be clever or have bite. Sadly, that's the case. The funniest stuff is in the trailer.
Billy Crystal and Bette Midler make a good team. Both are proven comic talents and capable dramatic actors (although this film places more emphasis on the former rather than the latter). Marisa Tomei is also good as the helicopter parent who is so concerned with her kids succeeding that she's lost sight of their need to live life. While it can't be said that there's nothing done with her character, there is ample material here that should have been gone after with both guns blazing. Bailee Madison is decent as the pre-teen who has inadvertently been forced to grow up too quickly, and both Rush and Breitkopf turn in unforced performances as well.
The problem with the film is that the film lacks teeth. I'm not saying that the film needed to be darker or edgier, but the targets should have been attacked with more wit and vigor. Consider the scene at the minor league baseball game, where Artie finds out that there are no outs and every game wins in a tie. The film points out how little sense this makes, but it could have gone further. What would have really made this film stand out is if it went after why these people think the way that they do. The film should have shown a mirror to how absurd and counterproductive it is to spend all your time trying to make your kids perfect\ rather than having them learn for themselves and make their own choices. That is, after all, what the film is really about.
Starring: Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Bailee Madison, Joshua Rush, Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, Tom Everett Scott
Rated PG for Some Rude Humor
To me, the only thing that comes close to being as irritating as the proudly nihilistic hipsters that have made Wes Anderson a demigod in independent film are the yuppie suburbanites who, due to their love of their kids, only eat organic food and spout pop psychology despite not knowing a thing about either. They're so "trendy" they've lost sight of reality. These people get the satirical treatment they so richly deserve, but it's neither clever or incisive enough to entertain.
Alice Simmons (Tomei) is embarrassed by her parents, Artie (Crystal) and Diane (Midler) Decker. She considers them out of touch and old fashioned. Alice is raising three kids with her husband Phil (Scott): Harper (Madison), a stressed out violinist who is so busy practicing that she has no time to live, Turner (Rush), who has a stutter and an image problem, and Barker (Breitkopf), who talks to an invisible kangaroo. When Phil is called away on business for a week and asks Alice to come with him, she brings in Artie and Diane to look after her kids, but only the way she does it. Of course, this leads to befuddlement then frustration on the part of the grandparents, who end up putting their feet down and start letting the kids be kids.
The problem with the film is that writers Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse don't go for the jugular. While it's true that the film is aimed at families, that doesn't meant that it can't be clever or have bite. Sadly, that's the case. The funniest stuff is in the trailer.
Billy Crystal and Bette Midler make a good team. Both are proven comic talents and capable dramatic actors (although this film places more emphasis on the former rather than the latter). Marisa Tomei is also good as the helicopter parent who is so concerned with her kids succeeding that she's lost sight of their need to live life. While it can't be said that there's nothing done with her character, there is ample material here that should have been gone after with both guns blazing. Bailee Madison is decent as the pre-teen who has inadvertently been forced to grow up too quickly, and both Rush and Breitkopf turn in unforced performances as well.
The problem with the film is that the film lacks teeth. I'm not saying that the film needed to be darker or edgier, but the targets should have been attacked with more wit and vigor. Consider the scene at the minor league baseball game, where Artie finds out that there are no outs and every game wins in a tie. The film points out how little sense this makes, but it could have gone further. What would have really made this film stand out is if it went after why these people think the way that they do. The film should have shown a mirror to how absurd and counterproductive it is to spend all your time trying to make your kids perfect\ rather than having them learn for themselves and make their own choices. That is, after all, what the film is really about.
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