PARENTHOOD
A film review by Craig Good
Copyright 1989 Craig Good
The promotional campaign for PARENTHOOD would have you believe that it's a light-weight comedy about yuppies and their puppies. While it does have many, many funny moments, it is also about the kind of exquisite pain and embarrassment you can only feel as a parent, child, sibling, or spouse. PARENTHOOD is a movie that wants it both ways. The good news is that it succeeds.
Easily director Ron Howard's best film yet, bouquets also go to the fine cast and the clever, sensitive writing. PARENTHOOD deals deftly with a large cast, providing a panoramic look at several generations of a family. Just when you think a character is going to be a cliche, they do something unexpected as their humanity shows through. And just when you think a sequence or situation is going to be tied up in a neat television bow, in flies a twist right out of reality's quiver.
Unless you were born on another planet you will find yourself identifying with at least a few of the characters and their situations. And you'll care about the rest of them. I'm not a baseball fan at all. It's not that I dislike it, but that it reminds me of watching paint dry. But I've never cared so much about the outcome of a movie sports event as I did about the Big Play in the Little League game. The boy who plays Steve Martin's eight-year-old son evokes such a deep sense of child terror and loneliness that I cared about *everything* that happened to him.
PARENTHOOD is an adult film about being a child, and a childlike film about being adults. The giddy heights and hurtful depths of human relationships make it a delightful roller-coaster ride. Do yourself a favor and see it.
You'll be glad you did.
--Craig
...{ucbvax,sun}!pixar!good
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