Parental Guidance gallery
What parents need to know
Positive role models
Violence
Sex
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Parental Guidance is a mostly kid-friendly family comedy about the tension between grandparents' old-style parenting and their daughter and son-in-law's Type-A helicopter parenting. There's some rude and scatological humor -- e.g. "poopy head," "fartie Artie," a grandfather being hit in the testicles with a baseball bat, and a man vomiting on a child. A grandfather's suggestion to stick up for yourself leads to his grandson punching his bully and then getting hit in the eye in response. Several brands are mentioned, particularly ESPN, but the product placements aren't generally overwhelming. There's a little drinking by adults, some mild suggestiveness (including references to a couple's romantic role playing), and some kissing.
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Kids say
What's the story?
Artie (Billy Crystal) and Diane (Bette Midler) Decker are slightly estranged from their only child, Alice (Marisa Tomei), who lives across the country with her family. But when Alice and her husband, Phil (Tom Everett Scott), need a babysitter in order to attend a business awards ceremony, they reluctantly turn to her parents. Desperate to see her grandchildren again, Diane convinces a melancholy Artie, who has just lost his job as a minor-league baseball announcer, to be the "A" grandparents for once. After they arrive, the Deckers quickly realize that middle-school music prodigy Harper (Bailee Madison), stuttering wallflower Turner (Joshua Rush), and rambunctious Barker (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf) could use a little of their grandparents' more laid-back approach to parenting.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
It's sad to report that the combination of brilliant comedian Crystal and the multi-talented Midler doesn't amount to much in this uninspired, "everything funny is in the trailer" family movie. All of the bats to the crotch and pee jokes only reinforce how lowbrow and predictable the humor is and how much PARENTAL GUIDANCE squanders its leads' stellar talent.
The interactions between Crystal's grumpy grandfather, Midler's overeager grandmother, and their three wacky grandkids are alternately coy and annoying. Even the one song-and-dance number Crystal and Midler break into ("The Book of Love") is too forced and unnecessary to be entertaining. There are a few Crystal-inspired laughs and gags -- one at the expense of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, who cameos -- but there aren't enough to make you forget how disappointing it is to see such iconic actors in such a blah film.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about how the movie portrays different parenting styles. Is it funny to see how the two generations differ? Is it just a generational "thing"? If not, what accounts for the differences? Is one style "right" and the other "wrong"?
Can you think of other movies that feature comical relationships between grandparents, adult children, and kids? How does this one compare to those?
Who do you think the movie is intended to appeal to most? Why? Does it succeed?
Movie details
| Theatrical release date: | December 25, 2012 |
| DVD release date: | March 26, 2013 |
| Cast: | Bette Midler, Billy Crystal, Marisa Tomei |
| Director: | Andy Fickman |
| Studio: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Topics: | Brothers and sisters |
| Run time: | 104 minutes |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | some rude humor |
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QUALITY
Funny, touching family comedy has an awful first 20 minutes but then becomes funny, enjoyable, and though cliched and predictable, well done. Welcome back to the big screen Billy Crystal
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QUALITY
Great for an older audience.
I did love this movie, but I am after all 14. There was a lot of kissing, and rude humor also once reffering to a girl as really ugly and a man for being blind to propose to her. I felt that was rude and unneccesary, but the audience found it funny. There was some drinking while the couple was on vacation but it wasn't bad at all. No one got drunk, so it was fine. Also, once in the first night scene, the lady wore a revealing top which I don't feel was fit for kids to watch. The movie was very humorous, though, and my family was able to find a connection from the movie into our daily lives. I feel like if you are willing to expose your kids to these things, this movie is a great family movie and it displays a wonderful positive message. It is a very relatable movie, which is what I felt was the most attention grabber for me personally. :)
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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QUALITY
Great movie with great meaning
It's the type of movie I like to see with my family beacuse it's not violent,and after the movie is done you feel good that you chose too watch this movie. I hope more of these types of movies exist.Because these movies make you a great person hope you feel the same way too.
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