Cette sacrée famille

I have been a grouchy, childless, curmudgeon for the last 30 years. OK, 40. I especially get cranky with movies of easy sentimentality and clumsy "messages", eg., about patriotism or religion or love or whatever.

So, I have no idea why I bothered to tune into this movie, (other than it featuring Cary Grant), since the listing told me everything I needed to not watch it: children, family, adoption, disabilities, etc. Once into it, however, I just had to keep watching. It surely has all sorts of sentimentality, and blatant messages about adoption and the Boy Scouts; however the writing is so wonderfully deft, and the performances (including those of the children) so perfectly understated that I was fully engaged and easily able to forgive the more obvious "message moments" such as Jane being the belle of the ball, and Jimmy-John's predictable physical and emotional transformation into an Eagle Scout.

Perhaps being a boy scout, and perhaps remembering a sister's first big dance helps to suck you in, but there are eye-stinging moments enough for anyone, such as Jane refusing her (foster)mother's kiss, and the kids in the orphanage playground stopping their noisy play to watch anxiously the visitors looking at them from the balcony.

Next Sunday I'm going to watch the golf, dammit.

Lesser known Grant comedy is a sweet-natured look at the challenges of adopting older children and blending them into an already existing family.

Cary Grant could have played his part as an exasperated father in his sleep but he does his usual charming job of it and at 48 displays a body that people half his age would be proud of.

Betsy Drake, Grant's wife at the time of filming, is all warm understanding perhaps a shade too calm for all the situations she finds herself in but very right for the part.

The focus is on them and the two challenging children they take in, whose problems honestly are resolved a bit too quickly but this being a 50's movie that such a situation is being addressed at all is rather remarkable.

Grant, Drake and the two young actors playing the adoptees are fine but a shortcoming of the picture is that it wastes two very good performers, Lurene Tuttle and George "Foghorn" Winslow, in throwaway parts.

A nice film rather than a laugh out loud comedy.

I have always loved Cary Grant. I think he is wonderful with children.

Father Goose was truly enjoyable. I remember seeing Room for One More when I was child. I get nostalgic thinking about it. I haven't seen it for years. It's not on video and I haven't seen it listed. If you ever get chance to see it, I recommend that you do! Good family

Heartwarming tale which proves that environment is a great factor than heredity with regard to placement of children.

Cary Grant and Betsy Drake are absolutely fabulous as the couple with 3 children and limited finances; despite this, they take in two difficult foster children.

With patience and a firm hand, they are able to succeed beyond the expectation of what many would feel.

They did a wonderful job raising their own three children as well. The three knew when to help out.

The film excellently pointed out the problems of coping with a foster children; one who comes into your home with an array of problems looking for love and understanding.

This is definitely a film that will tug at your heart. It is so nostalgic yet it represents the best of human kindness and dignity. You'll have a tear in your eye, but you will certainly come away with that good feeling of accomplishment.

Bless those who take in foster children and are able to work with them.

Of all Cary Grant's films "Room For One More" shows what might have been had Grant taken a different road with his career and done a television show. The film plays like a well written sitcom and is very entertaining and touching in its own way. Of course, arguably the greatest movie star of all time would never have condescended to do TV...and that's how it should have been... but IF he had chosen to, here is work to show he would have become perhaps one of the greatest television stars of all time. Would you rather be remembered for being the "perfect" male or as a befuddled and decidedly overmatched father? As for myself , I would choose the former... though I am much closer to the latter.