There is something brave and original about piling up most of our worst parental nightmares in one movie and then daring to make a midsummer comedy out of them. It really shouldn't work, but it does.
Comment
02/02/09
Parenthood (1989)
92 %
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 37
Fresh: 34
Rotten:3
Average Rating: 7.1/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: The trials and tribulations of middle-class family life are depicted in director Ron Howard's humorous and loving ode to the joys of parenthood. Middle-manager Gil Buckman struggles to reconcile... [More]
Starring: Steve Martin, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen, Rick Moranis
Director: Ron Howard
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Reviews for Parenthood
Top CriticWhile Parenthood crosses the border into schmaltz a number of times, the movie runs the gamut of realistic emotions, and one scene or another is bound to hit home with the parents who see the film.
02/02/09
An ambitious, keenly observed, and often very funny look at one of life's most daunting passages...
02/02/09
Top CriticNothing more than sitcom material stretched to two hours.
02/02/09
Funny, even perceptive, adult/family comedy.
05/25/07
Parenthood is a middlebrow masterpiece. Not a masterpiece of middlebrow but a middlebrow masterpiece, with the latter word being the subject, not the modifier.
04/29/07
Steve Martin's manically over-conscientious dad steals the film, whether chewing the pitch as his small son fumbles at baseball, or entertaining a kids' party as an unconvincing cowboy.
06/24/06
No review available.
10/26/05
No review available.
09/21/05
No review available.
07/18/05
No review available.
01/12/05
One of Ron Howard's best with a great cast.
01/08/05
Ron Howard's pithy and poignant look at domestic disillusionment...a pure joy to behold!
06/23/04
No review available.
08/12/03
Even being the most sensitive parent, the film reminds us, has its limits. No matter how hard you try, you can't live your children's lives for them.
05/20/03
Top CriticOne-dimensional characters and 1st grade humor combine to make a self-important film that takes itself seriously. Horrible.
03/02/03
A funny, uneven look at the ups, downs, joys and sorrows of being a parent. It's a bit heavy-handed, but stll touching.
02/14/03
Maybe you need to be a parent to like this, because I thought it was lifeless.
02/05/03
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