Parents' Guide to Goodrich

There's little denying that this scrubbed, predictable dramedy is on the generic side, but it also has Keaton at his best; he lifts up every scene and inspires others around him. Sure, we've seen the type of story at the heart of Goodrich before: A busy, distant dad learns to get to know and love his family (like a grown-up Mr. Mom), with everything coming to a head during a baby's birth. But whether it's thanks to the screenplay by director Hallie Meyers-Shyer or the acting—or both—Goodrich earns plenty of goodwill along the way. Keaton's scenes with the twins aren't played for dumb laughs, but rather warm humor and even some touching moments. Billie informs Andy that "mom puts a glass of water by my bed every night, and it wasn't there last night." We know that Andy will eventually remember and put out the water, but when he does, he does it just right, with a satisfying clink.

Keaton's scenes with Kunis are even better, as Andy and Grace unwrap their feelings around each other (even if one of the scenes is set during a "hike," which is a slightly lazy way to add some visual punch to the movie). There's even a strong scene between Andy and Grace's mother, who's played by Andie MacDowell, who was Keaton's on-screen wife 28 years earlier in Multiplicity. (It feels like they really do have a shared history.) The surprising kicker comes during the aforementioned birth scene, when Grace's husband (Danny Deferrari)—whom Andy sees as a bit of a drip—saves the day with an unexpectedly touching pep talk. And when Andy sheds a tear for perhaps the first time in years, it's earned. It feels like Goodrich could have been as great a showcase for Keaton as Lost in Translation was for Bill Murray, and it falls short of that goalpost, but it still hits all the right buttons and sends you away smiling.