The low star rating meant I held off on this movie for quite some time. My loss. In a Hollywood driven world where everything labeled "family movie" shows how clearly Hollywood has lost touch with what family is and what is appropriate for the entire family to watch, this one is actually a family movie. The whole family (6 people ages 6 to 40) all watched this show and laughed. The closest thing to objectionable in this movie would be fart type jokes. It is actually a clean movie, an abnormality in today's environment.
I think maybe for some it wasn't popular because it hits too close to home. Super yuppie parents who have made their life a icon for pop jargon parenting are forced to ask parents of the Andy Griffith Show generation to babysit for them. These Yuppie parents are over the top. Everything is soy, dairy free, gluten free. One son sees a therapist, the other is so coddled by the parents efforts to make sure he feels his worth that he is never disciplined and is quite bratty. The daughter is in danger of getting an ulcer at age 13 with her over the top high achievement syndrome. The kids email their mother their meal choices, everything is over the top feel good parenting. Those parents really need to read a little Parenting With Love and Logic. In their defense, the parents are sincere and love their kids and seem to truly believe this is the one and only way to parent. Note - my 17 year old son called them sissy parents.
In comes Grandma and Grandpa, a little bit old school but as I would call them, normal. The funny parts are just fun family life. A little slapstick, a little over the top sometimes, but truly funny and the whole family was laughing. Billy Crystal and Bette Midler were their classic funny selves without going over the top. Any reviews that pan these two are off the mark. If you didn't like their style to begin with, you wouldn't like them now, but if you do, these are great performances.
After all the hijinks and misunderstandings come the learning moments. They are really well done. Not heavy handed, not cloying. Parents and grandparents and kids all learn some good things, draw closer to each other, admit wrongs and recognize rights, and again it's done well, it doesn't feel contrived.
Though there are the obvious movie moments (rain just at the right time, a crazy over the top technology house), this really does a good job of entertaining while also showing the true importance and value of family and family relationships. Several things had me laughing my head off at the same time I was thinking "Oh my, do I do that?" I really wish there were more movies like this. My family owns a Clearplay so that we can watch movies without the junk in them. It's frustrating to see "family" shows with so much muted or edited out. It's frustrating to explain to my children over and over why we chose not to watch some things, even edited, and when we do watch some things, to explain parts of the show that really truly aren't family friendly. We didn't have to edit this show, we laughed through it. Well done!
I think maybe for some it wasn't popular because it hits too close to home. Super yuppie parents who have made their life a icon for pop jargon parenting are forced to ask parents of the Andy Griffith Show generation to babysit for them. These Yuppie parents are over the top. Everything is soy, dairy free, gluten free. One son sees a therapist, the other is so coddled by the parents efforts to make sure he feels his worth that he is never disciplined and is quite bratty. The daughter is in danger of getting an ulcer at age 13 with her over the top high achievement syndrome. The kids email their mother their meal choices, everything is over the top feel good parenting. Those parents really need to read a little Parenting With Love and Logic. In their defense, the parents are sincere and love their kids and seem to truly believe this is the one and only way to parent. Note - my 17 year old son called them sissy parents.
In comes Grandma and Grandpa, a little bit old school but as I would call them, normal. The funny parts are just fun family life. A little slapstick, a little over the top sometimes, but truly funny and the whole family was laughing. Billy Crystal and Bette Midler were their classic funny selves without going over the top. Any reviews that pan these two are off the mark. If you didn't like their style to begin with, you wouldn't like them now, but if you do, these are great performances.
After all the hijinks and misunderstandings come the learning moments. They are really well done. Not heavy handed, not cloying. Parents and grandparents and kids all learn some good things, draw closer to each other, admit wrongs and recognize rights, and again it's done well, it doesn't feel contrived.
Though there are the obvious movie moments (rain just at the right time, a crazy over the top technology house), this really does a good job of entertaining while also showing the true importance and value of family and family relationships. Several things had me laughing my head off at the same time I was thinking "Oh my, do I do that?" I really wish there were more movies like this. My family owns a Clearplay so that we can watch movies without the junk in them. It's frustrating to see "family" shows with so much muted or edited out. It's frustrating to explain to my children over and over why we chose not to watch some things, even edited, and when we do watch some things, to explain parts of the show that really truly aren't family friendly. We didn't have to edit this show, we laughed through it. Well done!