1989 124 mins

dir - Ron Howard

stars - Steve Martin - Gil Buckman
Dianne Wiest - Helen Buckman
Rick Moranis - Nathan Merrick
Keanu Reeves - Tod
Joaquin Phoenix - Garry Lampkin

I would say that Parenthood is half comedy and half a serious drama, which primarily focusing on the Buckman family and the problems and pitfalls that they encounter. There are several different plots intertwining throughout the film each one with a different set of people trying to cope with their separate crises. This is one of the major plus points in my opinion because when it goes into its more serious mode the story is good enough to carry the movie until the jokes come back in again and there are plenty of funny moments.

The acting in Parenthood is excellent and all the characters are very distinct and well developed which helps make the comedy/drama combination work even better and gets the serious element of the story across to the audience without seeming forced or awkward.

Some people have critisised Parenthood for being sappy and a load of lame Hollywood bullshit but if this is so (and it would be an unjustified complaint) it was lame bullshit that I thouroughly enjoyed.

BBM

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