Parenthood

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Parenthood

PG-13,

1989,

2h 4m,

Comedy/

Drama

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Watchlist

92%

60 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

25,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Perfectionist Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) struggles with the deficiencies of his children, thinking they reflect poorly on his parenting -- and Gil's siblings only add to the stress of his life. One of his sisters (Dianne Wiest) faces difficulty when her teenage daughter (Martha Plimpton) becomes pregnant. Another (Harley Jane Kozak) clashes with her husband (Rick Moranis) when she asks for more children. Gil's immature brother (Tom Hulce) turns up as well, with a young son he can barely handle.

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Critics Consensus

Bolstered by a delightful cast, Parenthood is a funny and thoughtfully crafted look at the best and worst moments of family life that resonates broadly.

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Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

Jul 31, 2013

3/4

The fulcrum of the film is Martin. It's an adventurous and successful stroke of casting that takes advantage of what the audience expects from him.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Jul 31, 2013

This movie has its share of laughs, but it's also Ron Howard's most personal film, and clearly his most ambitious.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Jul 31, 2013

3.5/4

Parenthood easily could have focused exclusively on yuppie parents and their kids; however, the script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel is more sophisticated than that, remembering that every parent is still a child too.

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Candace Wiggins

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

May 9, 2023

This is not just a wild and crazy comedy. This is a slice of life -- contemporary Americana.

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Jul 12, 2022

Consistently pleasant. [Full review in Spanish]

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Jim Rohner

Battleship Pretension

Apr 14, 2021

What better way to deal with it than through catharsis?

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Feb 2, 2019

The best comedy movie ever made!

Draco R

Jan 2, 2019

I recently re-watched this classic with my now adult children and we still love it. Itâ(TM)s a comedy first but so very, very dramatic and poignant in its message.

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Leia M

Aug 21, 2018

Hey it's Steve Martin doing a family comedy. Star studded cast and great dialouge. Maybe a bit much at times and some of the joke can miss but a great look at a closly knit family.

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Finn M

Jul 29, 2018

A touching movie. Truly touching. An incredible cast led by the skilled Steve Martin, this film in many ways is an underrated masterpiece.

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George W

Feb 10, 2018

A brilliant film. Full of charm, humour, drama and parents. A film about the roller coaster ride parents take, and even their parents take, bringing up kids. Steve Martin and Dianne wiest steal the show

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Rey S

Jan 14, 2018

Watched this for the first time in a while last night and introduced Maggi to it. A truly ensemble work that switches effortlessly between comedy, drama and poignancy; however, Ron Howard's directorial hand is skillful enough to rarely make this feel disorienting to the viewer. It goes off the rails into schmaltz a bit towards the end with the everyone having a baby scene, but it's not nearly enough to ruin a very fine work. Grandma's line about rollercoasters and roundabouts, which Howard lets play naturally, free from over-sentimental reaction, is a highlight. The film's sharpest observation though is given over to a young Keanu Reeves: 'You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, to drive a car - hell, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they'll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father.'

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Ron Howard

Director

Steve Martin

Gil Buckman

Mary Steenburgen

Karen Buckman

Dianne Wiest

Helen Buckman

Jason Robards

Frank Buckman

Rick Moranis

Nathan Huffner

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Synopsis

Perfectionist Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) struggles with the deficiencies of his children, thinking they reflect poorly on his parenting -- and Gil's siblings only add to the stress of his life. One of his sisters (Dianne Wiest) faces difficulty when her teenage daughter (Martha Plimpton) becomes pregnant. Another (Harley Jane Kozak) clashes with her husband (Rick Moranis) when she asks for more children. Gil's immature brother (Tom Hulce) turns up as well, with a young son he can barely handle.

Director: Ron Howard
Producer: Brian Grazer
Screenwriter: Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Image Entertainment Inc.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 31, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $99.6M
Runtime: 2h 4m
Sound Mix: Surround

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