A combination of clever writing, top-notch comedic leads, winning performances from the youngest Bakers, and a genuine affection for old-fashioned (read: big and loud) families elevates Cheaper above the dreaded kid-movie dreck.
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:109
Fresh:25
Rotten:84
Average Rating:4.5/10
Consensus: In this family of twelve children, much chaos ensues, but little hilarity.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for language and some thematic elements
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Dec 25, 2003 Wide
Box Office: $138,507,634
Synopsis: College sweethearts Tom (Steve Martin) and Kate (Bonnie Hunt) both dreamed of having both fulfilling careers and a huge family. But after they had a few kids, Kate gave up her career as a... College sweethearts Tom (Steve Martin) and Kate (Bonnie Hunt) both dreamed of having both fulfilling careers and a huge family. But after they had a few kids, Kate gave up her career as a sportswriter, Tom abandoned his hope of becoming the coach of their alma mater's football team, and they moved their brood from the city to the country. Now, after 12 children and a happy life in rural Illinois, Tom has been offered the chance to live his dream and coach the Stallions. No sooner does the family pack up and move to Chicago to pursue Tom's dream job than Kate's ship comes in as well: a publisher has picked up her manuscript based on her experiences raising 12 children. Of course, there's a hitch. Kate has to go to New York for a few days, leaving Tom as the primary caregiver for his clan. Can Tom hold it together with his kids--who didn't want to move in the first place--pulling him one way and the university pulling him the other? Shawn Levy directs this likable update of the 1950 film of the same title, which was based on a true (and very different) story. [More]
Starring: Bonnie Hunt, Steve Martin, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo
Starring: Bonnie Hunt, Steve Martin, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo, Hilary Duff, Kevin Schmidt, Jacob Smith, Alyson Stoner, Morgan York, Liliana Mumy, Forrest Landis, Blake Woodruff, Brent Kinsman, Shane Kinsman, Ashton Kutcher
Director: Shawn Levy
Director: Shawn Levy
Screenwriter: Sam Harper, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow
Story: Craig Titley
Producer: Robert Simonds, Michael Barnathan, Ben Myron
Composer: Christophe Beck
Studio: 20th Century Fox
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Reviews for Cheaper by the Dozen
OK, so I haven’t read the original book or seen the previous movie. But I’d bet the family dog never rooted its snout furiously in a kid-hating boyfriend’s crotch.
For a brief moment, I wished I was watching From Justin to Kelly again.
This isn't a film made for reviewers, it's made for kids, and for them it's mildly successful.
it's a good movie if you're kid thinks he's a bit of a misfit - or if there's any discussion about adding another mouth to feed.
Cheaper by the Dozen is yet another fast-food film, going through the motions of a plot with milk-and-cupcake dialogue that leaves you dry and crusty.
Most advertisements possess more creative spunk in their few brief seconds than in all of Cheaper by the Dozen's 98 minutes put together.
Not a brilliant comedy, but sturdy and reliable, with plenty of laughs.
An overstuffed, undernourished Brady Bunch episode, only not as funny.
It's not just a feel-good holiday movie, though audiences, especially youngsters, will certainly walk out of it feeling good.
Another disposable and quick-witted vehicle aimed at securing the generic feel good vibes for those begging for conveyor belt family fare that’s syrupy and indistinguishable.
Director Shawn Levy tries to alternate between slapstick humor and life-lesson pathos, and the blend is just too sweet.
Steve Martin plays by the numbers in “Cheaper by the Dozen”… but it’s a funny family flick nevertheless.
This is a movie that knows its audience and realizes it doesn't need much of a story to hit that audience, literally, where it lives.
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