Todo en familia

This is a wonderful film that takes full advantage of both a great script and an outstanding cast. It shows, with equal measure, the joys and pain of parenting. We see great examples of dysfunction and love. It is sentimental, but not to the point of being unreal.

Steve Martin gives a tremendous performance as a father, who wants to be everything that he feels his father wasn't: loving, caring, and involved in his children's lives in a positive manner. He is torn between his duties as a provider and the need to be there for his children. Mary Steenburgen is wonderful, as always, as a devoted wife and mother. She tries to keep her family on an even keel and to soothe their anxieties, her husband included. She conveys so much with just body language and has a smile that seems to come from her soul. Jason Robards is his usual powerful self, as the patriarch who made himself a success, but at the expense of his family. He recognizes his mistakes and finds a chance to make some amends in his twilight years.

Diana Weist is the single mother, trying to provide for her troubled children, and find some life for herself. She wants to give her kids what they want, but is torn between giving to them and watching them make mistakes. Rick Moranis is the parent who wants their child to succeed, to the point of smothering their childhood. He wants the best for his child, but fails to see that childhood should be as much about play and new experiences, as it is about education. His wife wants the same, but wants their daughter to be a little girl, too. She also wants another child, but feels that she is alone in this area and is losing her husband. Tom Hulce is the irresponsible, youngest sibling, who has run off whenever things have become too tough. Things get tough when you are a parent, and he stays true to form.

The young actors are all tremendously talented and the little ones are quite cute. It is no surprise that these performances are so good, given that the director was a child actor himself. Ron Howard really knows how to bring the best out of young actors, as well as their adult counterparts.

There is so much to savor in this film. There are great laughs and touching moments. There is drama and satire. There is the joy of watching great character actors display their craft. There are the clearly defied roles, with great complexity, that are easy to identify with.

This is a film that all parents should see. Kids should see this, when they are old enough to understand the sacrifices that their parents make for them and why they make the decisions that they do. Parenting: it's the toughest job you'll ever love!

Parenthood is a great comedy film with some emotional moments and brings up serious issues. It's a delight to see both a young Joaquin Phoenix and Keanu Reeves here and Steve Martin, along with Rick Moranis are both fantastic to watch. Furthermore, the children (along with Joaquin Phoenix) are among the best child actors I've ever seen and definitely deserve credit for playing such complex roles.

Plot wise it's quite basic but has a good tempo, the best scene was the party scene with Steve Martin up to his usual antics. Ron Howard did a good job directing.

8/10: Good fun with a lot of hard hitting messages about family

Parenthood is a thoroughly enjoyable comedy drama that you feel doesn't take as many convenient short cuts as many family movies do. Everyone has a colorful family to some extent; most (I hope) are full of good natured people but there are always rotten apples floating around.

Director Ron Howard puts many lives on display and different challenges each one faces and every one of these inspections have something to offer. Steve Martin's reactions to his older son's adjustment problems are very well realized, with many humorous moments, to be sure, but at the core is a maturely handled and moving segment, and Martin has rarely been better.

Diane Wiest's family drama consists of her inability to communicate properly to her two teenage children; the daughter a temperamental rebel with a "loser" boyfriend, the son a nearly recluse loner with raging hormones who thinks something is wrong with him (what guy hasn't been there at least once?). Superb performances form Wiest and (yes, surprisingly) Keanu Reeves really fuel this story which never loses itself despite seeing many humorous aspects in a rather depressing household.

Jason Robards plays the family father who hasn't been all that good to his children since...well ever, and he faces a tough assignment when he has to admit to himself that one of his children, who has learned the most from him, is heading into disaster fast. The scene where he asks Steve Martin for advice is a moving scene in so many ways; it's never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks.

Rick Moranis's tale of his insanely intellectual daughter is my least favorite but it does have a very charming conclusion. And that granny is priceless.

Parenthood may be even better for those who have children and can identify with some situations depicted here but as for me, I think I can learn a thing or two for years to come.

This might very well be the most balanced- and excellent mix of drama and comedy I have ever seen. I already loved "Parenthood" when I was a kid and I perhaps love it even more now as a grownup, when I recently watched it again.

Perhaps the greatest strength of this movie is in its realism. Sure every character and event in the movie are somewhat silly and over-the-top but yet they also feel like very real problems and persons at the same time. This due to the great portrayal of the drama elements in the movie. These are real, recognizable or not, family-issues portrayed in this movie. It handles some delicate subjects but never without a smile as well. It makes this movie both touching and warm to watch, as well as fun and amusing.

Reason why both the dramatic and comical elements all work so well is also thanks to the cast. The movie has many well known actors in it. Tom Hulce especially impressed me and also Steve Martin was a great leading man, from the period when he was still funny in movies. Solid as always were Mary Steenburgen and Dianne Wiest. Rick Moranis surprisingly doesn't play a loser this time but he still is a nutty character in the movie. He shows in this movie that he also has some real acting skills. Keanu Reeves is also good in his role, from the period when he appeared mostly in just comedies. The still very young Joaquin Phoenix also plays a great and quite big role in the movie.

It has some totally unforgettable moments in it, both comedy-wise as in its drama. It all makes this movie one of the most warm and subtle movies ever made. It doesn't try to be funny, it doesn't try to be melodramatic. The end result of it all is an extremely well balanced and crafted mix of drama and comedy that works on both levels. You can watch this movie as a drama or as a comedy, so fans of both the genre will be pleased with this movie that surely does not disappoint in any way.

An early subtle Ron Howard masterpiece, that is criminally underrated here on IMDb.

9/10

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I recall seeing this when it was released in '89. I found it funny but was only a Junior in high school at the time. Much of the humor and pain/struggle was lost on me. I rediscovered this on TV yesterday and just could not turn it off.

Having been married for a while and having kids of my own really brings this picture into focus. It is an amazing rendition of various families and how they are existing and treating their children. I identified so completely with Steve Martin's character that is was a bit scary.

I can see this film lasting the test of time very well. You can watch it as an outsider and enjoy the chaos or find yourself in one of the characters and enjoy the irony. Another Ron Howard masterpiece.