If you ever thought your family was big, then you haven't seen anything yet.
In the new remake of the 1968 comedy "Yours, Mine and Ours," which originally starred Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda, widows Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid) and Helen North (Rene Russo) meet up after years of separation and on the spot decide to tie the knot.
Now the dilemma is convincing their children — all 18 of them — that it is the right thing to do.
One could only imagine what it would be like for 20 human beings of all ages to live under one roof. The words "living hell" probably come to mind, but laughter should accompany those words.
Frank is a career-driven military officer. His eight children resemble a young regiment programmed to be organized and to follow orders like robots. Helen is a successful fashion designer, who has raised her children to be liberal free thinkers. One could easily see the conflict that would arise from putting all of these kids together in one house. It's a disaster waiting to happen, but as long as the audience is laughing, it's okay.
To make the plot twist and to add an even more comedic element, the teenage children plan to break up their parents to bring things back to normal. Frank's two eldest children are a stereotypical cheerleader, Christina (Katija Pevec), and an overachiever, William (Sean Faris). Helen's eldest are the artistic Phoebe (Danielle Panabaker) and talented musician Dylan (Drake Bell). Together these four teenage minds plot against the common enemy: mom and dad.
What results from this is a must see family-oriented movie where you can be assured to stay laughing throughout the short length of the film.
Most of the laughs are the result of Quaid's character, Frank. Somehow, Frank is always the butt of the jokes and ends up either being pushed from a boat into the water or has paint poured over him. Quaid did a superb job switching from his more serious roles to a comedic role.
Russo is wonderful in the role of a heart-warming loving mother who nurtures her children to be free-spirited. Her skills must also be congratulated for also being able to play an upset and nagging wife.
This excellent movie never gets boring, no matter what age you are. It is enjoyable enough be classified as a date movie or simply a movie you can take a younger sibling to.
If you have a chance to go see a movie, you should check out "Yours, Mine, and Ours." It can be guaranteed you will get a good laugh and a good cry. Like every movie, there has to be a weepy scene, so keep a tissue or two within reach.
Grade: A