The Bottom Line
There's Hilary Duff for the teen girls, Tom Welling and Ashton Kutcher for older teens, and a pretty entertaining group of younger actors to get the attention of little kids. "Cheaper by the Dozen" is cute family entertainment that doesn't require any analysis to enjoy.
Pros
- Fun family film - if a little bit sappy
- Steve Martin's style of acting really works
- Good selection of bonus features
Cons
- The kids' hijinks get a little old halfway through the movie
Description
- Extended and deleted scenes including one funny segment with babysitter Eileen Brennan
- "Director's Viewfinder: Creating a Fictional Family" - Shawn Levy talks about the cast and filming
- Commentary by director Shawn Levy
- Commentary by "Cheaper by the Dozen" kids
- DVD Release Date: April 6, 2004
Guide Review - "Cheaper by the Dozen" DVD Review
Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt head up the gang of 12 in this 2003 remake of the classic 1950 film. Tom Baker's (Martin) a small town football coach with aspirations to make it in big city college football. Finally offered the opportunity of a lifetime, Tom packs up his family (the majority of which is reluctant to move) and heads off to a new job. Meanwhile, stay-at-home mom/writer, Kate (Hunt), sells her book and is off on a whirlwind publicity tour. Left with just their dad to watch over the motley crew, the kids take full advantage of the situation, creating havoc and generally making dad's life miserable. It all comes to a head when Tom must decide if family or work come first, and Kate has to choose between luxurious hotel rooms and the insanity she calls home.
While not for everyone, "Cheaper by the Dozen" works well with its target audiences - families with younger children. The film moves fairly quickly, there's enough action to keep young teens entertained, and Ashton Kutcher pretty much steals the show with his lines and ability to do physical comedy. The DVD release features a fair assortment of deleted scenes (most of which look to have been cut out due to time constraints more than content) and the behind-the-scenes featurette allows audiences to get a look at the casting process.
