Parents' Guide to Greatest Days

British pop group Take That have a pretty extensive back catalog to pull from, and many of their biggest hits are accounted for here. Sadly Greatest Days' narrative isn't woven particularly skillfully around the throwback tunes. The movie introduces a band of youngsters, literally called "the Boys," who do a perfectly good job of gyrating with their shirts open to renditions of Pray, Could It Be Magic, and Relight My Fire. But links to the plot itself are often dubious at best.

Where the film does excel is tugging on the heartstrings, even as it wears its predictable formula on its sleeve. Young Rachel (Lara McDonnell) being comforted by the Boys while her parents fight shows the power of music as escapism, and the other girls are offered similar respites and moments of encouragement from the band. The friendship is particularly well played among the younger cast, who are at once carefree teens and individuals with their own burdens to carry, stoically supported by each other. Comedian-turned-actor Bea, in particular, keeps the adult storyline on track, balancing her natural comedy timing with a believable vulnerability. The costumes and sets are colorful and engaging -- Athens looking like something straight out of a tourist guide and a performance on a bus going full disco with the driver emerging as a shimmering drag queen. The three remaining members of Take That also make a short cameo, which will no doubt delight fans. Elsewhere, loose ends are tied up so tightly its borderline suffocating and there's an outrageously cheesy final number. But the movie has heart and undeniably catchy numbers that will keep viewers watching to the final bow.