Wilderness Love

Part The Parent Trap and part Sleepless in Seattle, this engaging family comedy hinges on the promise of second chances set across the backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness. What could be an average setup works here because of smart performances, some clever scenes, and good chemistry between Bertinelli and Nordling. There's also good ground covered here for teens and parents to chew on -- amicable divorce, teens exploring their own matters of the heart, and the tensions surrounding individual goals, careers, and wishes, versus the communities we form around families and the responsibilities we have to them.

Parents can appreciate this frank, funny look at how families navigate divorce and reconciliation. And teens may learn a thing or two from this portrait of a family whose divorced life often looks better than most intact families'. The only ding here is that it's tough to advocate for a movie whose outcome is so unlikely in real life, which means younger kids in divorced families could walk away with some wishful thinking and subsequent disappointment. Better for older kids who can see this as a fairy tale sprinkled with humor and a little truth.