Parents' Guide to

Cheaper by the Dozen

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Inferior remake of 1950 classic has sexual references.

Movie PG 2003 100 minutes
Cheaper by the Dozen Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 13 parent reviews

glide
glide Adult
October 31, 2016
age 13+

turned it off after 10 minutes

I didn't have the energy to explain to my 10 and 12 year old what a vasectomy was - there was a bit too much innuendo - right at the beginning - and it was uncomfortable to watch - so off it went

This title has:

Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
Matt B.
Matt B. Adult
August 28, 2016
age 7+

Great kids movie

This about a family with 12 kids. A must see family movie.
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Steve Martin plays Tom Baker, a coach who is offered his dream job at his alma mater just as his wife Kate (Bonnie Hunt) hears that her book about the family has been accepted for publication. The 11 children still living at home don't want to move, but Tom promises that it will make them a stronger and happier family. But the new job is very demanding, and when Kate has to go on tour to promote the book, Tom is quickly overwhelmed by the challenges of taking care of his children.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13 ):
Kids say (40 ):

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN is not a movie; it's a product, with a script right off the assembly line and direction on automatic pilot. Its intended audience of older tweens and teens will probably enjoy it very much. But those who care about that audience will be disappointed that the people behind this movie don't ealize that they owe those children some imagination and sincerity. The movie takes its title and family size from the classic book about the real-life Gilbreth family but has no other connection to the original and is inferior to it in every aspect.

There are the predictable "aww" moments (death of a pet, reminder that the kids might fight with each other, but they really love each other) and the predictable "ewww" moments (one child barfs and another slips and falls on it). The script is slack and lazy, incapable of a satisfying resolution for even the most reliable family-movie plot devices like a mean bully or snobby, over-protective neighbors.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the parents work together to make sure that they achieve a balance between time for work and time for each other.

  • This movie was a remake of a 1950 movie of the same title that was modernized for contemporary audiences. Why is Hollywood fond of remakes? What would be the challenge in remaking a movie on family that is over five decades old?

  • How is pratfall violence used for the sake of comedy? Why is it funny for some to see people fall over and break things?

Movie Details

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