I've decided to try switching MOVIE WEEKEND to Thursdays. It will give you more time to select a movie for the weekend, or to put a movie in your Netflix queue so you can get it by the next weekend.
Besides, Susie at loonysuse suggested that I add FRANKLIN FRIDAY to my schedule. Franklin loves writing posts, so I think I'll let him help me every week.
Well, all righty then. Today I present for your consideration Parental Guidance (2012, Rated PG, Available on DVD).
Highly organized, career driven, and strict with their children, Alice (Marisa Tomei) and Phil (Tom Everett Scott), need to go out of town for a few days, so they reluctantly ask Alice's parents – who have difficulty following their many rules – to stay with their three children. Artie (Billy Crystal) and Diane (Bette Midler) arrive and soon find themselves in trouble with their daughter and out of touch with their grandchildren.
My initial reaction to this movie was what a waste of talent. Marisa Tomei is a great actress, and this film isn't worthy of her abilities. Billy Crystal delivers his lines as if he's performing a stand up routine. How can these grandparents, who seem pretty lively, have such difficulty with the contemporary world?
But on the positive side, this is a movie you can watch with your children and/or grandchildren. I think kids from about ages 6 to 16 can enjoy Parental Guidance with you, and you won't have to put your hands over their ears or tell them to shut their eyes. It's a cute movie. Predictable, but cute. I think I laughed once while I was watching it. I don't remember.
But because you can watch Parental Guidance with kids and not freak out, I give it The Janie Junebug Seal of Approval.
Happy Movie Watching!
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
Good Morning! I haven't seen the movie - Does it make the grandparents look pathetic and incompetent and the kids really smart? That seems to be the trend these days in movies, tv shows and commercials.
ReplyDeleteThe grandparents aren't pathetic. I don't want to give away too much, but they haven't seen the grandchildren as much as they would like because they don't do things the way the parents want them done.
DeleteI would love Franklin Fridays! And I thank you for your movie reviews. I know it takes time to write these things on a regular schedule.
ReplyDeleteI love the movie reviews, Inger, because I love so many movies.
DeleteYay for Franklin. Movie Thursday is a good idea. Netflix is so prompt, at least for me.
ReplyDeleteNetflix is prompt for me, too. I'm sending back a movie today. I'll have another one on Saturday. I do the streaming on my laptop, too, and usually watch documentaries that are available.
DeleteHow thoughtful of you to give an extra day of notice before the weekend in case we'd like to view these movies! My family and I try to have a movie night on Friday night anyway, so this is perfect!
ReplyDeleteThe credit really goes to Susie since she suggested Franklin Friday.
DeleteI saw previews for this and was worried it would be a little predictable and formulaic, but a movie everyone can watch is a rare thing these days, so I'll add it to the queue.
ReplyDeleteAnd tell Franklin I'm looking forward to reading what he has to woof about~
Definitely predictable and formulaic, yet still somewhat enjoyable. Not everything has to be wild and off the charts, like The Hurricane. Franklin looks forward to Friday.
DeleteTell Franklin I said "Arf, arf!!" That's "Congratulations!!" in Dog. Did you know I was bilingual?
ReplyDeleteWe did not know that speaking Dog is one of your many talents.
DeleteA waste of talent.... unlike Parenthood, which I thought would be silly but was actually very good. It even makes me rhyme, so if that doesn't prove my point, I don't know what will. Marisa is such a wonderful actress, and yet I have only a couple of her movies in my scandalous DVD collection. You're right: such a shame. But excuse me while I go and take a peek anyway. :)
ReplyDeleteParenthood is a Ron Howard movie and a world above Parental Guidance. I think the first time I saw Marisa was in her Academy Award winning performance as Mona Lisa Vito. Do you know the movie?
DeletePredictable, but cute, perfectly describes how I felt about the movie.
ReplyDeleteGlad you felt the same. Are your kids old enough to watch a movie like this, or would it bore the? Or are they so advanced it would bore them?
DeleteHaven't seen it; haven't planned to see it. Just as well. Sounds like such an non-starter.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting, Life in the Urban Forest (poetry).
You can definitely live without it.
DeleteI also thought it looked like dumb adults again in the previews so I didn't even queue it, despite actors I like. Not as dumb as it looked. Okay. Maybe I'll give it a go sometime. Thanks, Janie. :)
ReplyDeleteRita, I gave it my approval because kids can watch it with parents. I don't think you'd like it very much. It's a mild diversion for an adult who can put better movies in her queue.
DeleteAnother movie I have not seen...........
ReplyDeleteI feel quite certain you can live without it.
DeleteGood to know. I'm putting this on the list. It's gonna rain all night, and Tony's left me with the kids while he watches the Bruins with his buddies.
ReplyDeleteI'm making cupcakes.
You and the boys are one of the families foremost in my mind when I consider whether kids should watch a movie. I feel as if I can picture all of you and have an idea of what you would like.
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