Movie spotlight
Cheaper by the Dozen
The Baker brood moves to Chicago after patriarch Tom gets a job coaching football at Northwestern University, forcing his writer wife, Kate, and the couple's 12 children to make a major adjustment. The transition works well until work demands pull the parents away from home, leaving the kids bored -- and increasingly mischievous.
Insights
Plot Summary
Tom Baker and his wife Kate, a couple with twelve children, relocate from their rural farm to a bustling city when Tom lands his dream job as a football coach. The sudden upheaval of moving and adjusting to a demanding new schedule proves chaotic for the large family. The children struggle with their new environment and their parents' divided attention, leading to comical mishaps and family conflicts as they try to adapt to their new life.
Critical Reception
Cheaper by the Dozen received generally negative reviews from critics, who found the humor predictable and the plot thin. However, it was a commercial success, resonating with family audiences who enjoyed its lighthearted tone and large-cast antics.
What Reviewers Say
The film relies heavily on slapstick and broad humor, often at the expense of character development.
While many found it chaotic, some audiences appreciated the family-friendly themes and energetic pace.
Critics largely considered it a rehash of familiar family comedy tropes without much originality.
Google audience: Audiences found the film to be a fun, albeit silly, family comedy with plenty of laughs. Many enjoyed the large cast and the relatable chaos of a big family adjusting to change, though some found the humor to be a bit over-the-top.
Fun Fact
The film is a remake of the 1950 film of the same name, which was based on the autobiographical book by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.
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