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Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Jason Robards, Rick Moranis ... see more see more... , Tom Hulce , Martha Plimpton , Keanu Reeves , Harley Jane Kozak , Leaf Phoenix , Helen Shaw , Dennis Dugan , Eileen Ryan , Jasen Fisher , Paul Linke , Isabelle Cooley , Sherry Ferguson , Clint Howard , Rance Howard , Louisa Marie , Hillary Matthews , Alisan Porter , Ivyann Schwan , Max Elliott Slade , Lowell Ganz , Todd Hallowell , Alex Burrall , Connie Adams , Aspen Autrey , Jonathan Bouck , Lloyd Cleek , Billy Cohen , Emil Felski , Greg Gerard , Claudio Jacobells , Paul Keeley , Jordan Kessler , Richard Kuhlman , Julie Lander , Zachary Lavoy , Lamont Lofton , Mark Dana , Michael Mickens , Janet Moore , W. Bruce O'Donoghue , Maxie Pontius , Erika Rafuls , Charmin Talbert , Cindi Vicino , Walter von Huene , Steve Zurk , Jane Jenkins , Janet Hirshenson

This feel-good ensemble comedy tracks a quartet of suburban siblings and their families over the course of a single summer. Hardworking Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) and his stay-at-home wife, Karen (Mar... read more read more...y Steeenburgen), have just a few months to help their oldest son, Kevin (Jasen Fisher), overcome his high-strung behavior problems before he'll be relegated to special-education classes. Gil's difficult relationship with his own father, Frank (Jason Robards), has led him to become a would-be super-dad for his three kids, so he takes his son's difficulties more than a little personally. Gil's sister, Helen (Dianne Wiest), is trying to raise a moody, adolescent son (Leaf Phoenix) and an independent-minded daughter (Martha Plimpton) with no help from her well-off ex-husband, who's more interested in his new wife and family. Gil and Helen's sister, Susan (Harley Jane Kozak), meanwhile, must participate in the too-scripted Big Life Plans of her anal-retentive husband, Nathan (Rick Moranis), whose overachiever zeal infects even their toddler daughter. When long-lost brother Larry (Tom Hulce) show up with yet another get-rich-quick scheme, he brings with him a surprise addition to the family. Screenwriters Babaloo Mandel, Lowell Ganz, and Ron Howard negotiate their varied subplots with a deftness and comedic touch that transforms this conflicted clan into a suburban everyfamily. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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68% liked it

47,085 ratings

Critics

93% liked it

40 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 4 min.

Directed by: Ron Howard

Release Date: August 2, 1989

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DVD Release Date: March 31, 1998

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Stats: 1,524 reviews

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Parenthood Mary Steenburgen in Parenthood Dianne Wiest in Parenthood Dianne Wiest in Parenthood Parenthood Dianne Wiest & Mary Steenburgen in Parenthood parenthood parenthood Mary Steenburgen and Dianne Wiest in Parenthood Mary Steenburgen and Dianne Wiest in Parenthood Mary Steenburgen in Parenthood parenthood Dianne Wiest in Parenthood Dianne Wiest in Parenthood Dianne Wiest in Parenthood Dianne Wiest in Parenthood Parenthood Miles Heizer
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Flixster Reviews (1,524)

  • CloudStrife84
    December 7, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    Parenthood is a wonderfully written family film, directed by the infinitely brilliant Ron Howard. Now, I don't have any kids myself, but I can bet the farm on the hypothesis that there's a lot of parents out there who can relate to the situations in this story.

    I remember when ... read moreI was a teenager and watched this with my mom, and she loved it for its honesty and thought it perfectly encapsulated everything it means to be a parent. Not a single a detail has been overlooked, from the teen boy who just discovers the wonders of sex (resulting in a lot of sneaking around with a paper bag full of porn), or the father who raises his 5-year old daughter to be the next Nobel Prize winner. Every type of family and behavior is flawlessly covered. And as if that wasn't enough to wow us, comical genius Steve Martin gives one of his all-time greatest performances, along with the rest of the cast whom are all stellar as well.

    One thing I didn't notice until now (by my third viewing or so), is that the previously mentioned adolescent is actually played by Joaquin Phoenix. He's so young in this film, that it had previously escaped me. Keanu Reeves is really fun also, with a character that reminded me a lot of his Bill & Ted days (that is to say, before he got all corpse-like and humorless).

    By far the best movie Ron Howard has ever made, and that's should be saying a lot, considering he's the mastermind behind such cinematic jewels as Cocoon and Frost/Nixon. From the deepest places in my heart, I love this film to bits. It's hilarious, yet dashed with melancholy and pathos. Wacky and out of control, yet always down-to-earth.

    Simply put: the greatest film I've ever seen about family life, parenting and the beautiful bonds that ties it altogether. I couldn't possibly give it any higher recommendation. It's just one of those movies you have to see!
  • blkbomb
    November 6, 2011
    blkbomb
    Julie: He said that he loved me. 
    Helen: Men say that. They all say that. Then they cum. 

    "It could happen to you."

    There's so much great stuff going on in Ron Howard's Parenthood. The movie is a hilarious take on the serious issues that come from the responsibility. It is kind... read more of like the saying, "If you don't laugh, you'll cry." That's how it is with these characters and sometimes they do laugh. Other times they can't and they cry. 

    There is no true plot in Parenthood, but just different parents from the same family dealing with the daily hassles of parenthood. Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen play one of these sets of parents. They have three kids and are especially having trouble with one who has to go into special ed classes. Another set of parents are played by Rick Moranis and Ivyann Schwan. They have one daughter and the father is overly into getting her to be as smart as possible. She is 4 years old and he already has her learning foreign languages and memorizing the periodic table. Then there's a single mom played by Diane Wiest, who I normally don't like, but was surprisingly funny here; who has a daughter who just got married and a young son who is separating emotionally from her as a result of his dad leaving. Last, but not least there's the older father, played by Jason Robards. He has a son who is constantly getting in trouble with bookies and he has to decide how to handle it. He also has to atone for being a lousy father to his now adult kids.

    The cast is crazy good in this movie. So many big names and they are all great. The performance I enjoyed the most was from a preteen Joaquin Phoenix, credited as Leaf Phoenix. He plays Garry, a kid who is emotionally distant from his mother and enraged at his father for leaving him and not caring about him. Phoenix shows the power that he would go on to display for years at such a young age in a scene where he decides he wants to live with his father for awhile. When he makes the call and is disappointed by the answer, Phoenix gives an emotional and powerful side to a character that for the first part of the movie just said Bye and left the room.

    The movie is oddly touching because it is so hilarious. A few times I had to stop the movie because I was laughing so hard. A lot of the humor comes from just how true the subject matter is. Ron Howard does a great job adding humor to some of the situations. I was very surprised by just how good this movie was. I expected just another Steve Martin vehicle, but this was much, much more then that.

    Tod: 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. 
  • TomBowler
    October 7, 2011
    TomBowler
    Great family film with some fine performances. Full review later.
  • movieguru12
    August 29, 2010
    movieguru12
    A true family that sticks together :) A great Steve Martin movie :)
  • danperry17
    August 29, 2010
    danperry17
    Honest and surprisingly hard-hitting film-making, despite this film being a more-or-less family-friendly comedy. Everyone is over-the-top in this film in their own way, but believably so - they're no more ridiculous than a lot of real families. A believable classic from the late ... read more80s that's well worth watching.
  • erika250
    July 25, 2010
    erika250
    one of the funniest film that i ever saw.
  • dreamfaeries
    June 1, 2010
    dreamfaeries
    I had to watch it again because of the TV series that started. I was doing a compare/contrast review on my own. I actually thought the film, though very dated now, was pretty darn funny. Wild and crazy but sweet and tender. Pretty good.
  • SirPant
    September 24, 2009
    SirPant
    An average 80?s family comedy
  • stormyweather980
    September 10, 2009
    stormyweather980
    "Parenthood" stars Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen as parents of kids that are growing up and going through their growing pains. The parents have to deal with such things as their kids throwing up all over them, sending one of their kids to a psychiatrist, and even deciding whe... read morether or not to have another kid. There are also other stars in the movie such as Rick Moranis who have families and are also having their tough times with their own kids.
    What makes "Parenthood" a classic comedy movie other than that it's one of Steve Martin's best movies is that it successfully blends comedy with drama both at the same time. Parts of it are hilarious such as when Steve Martin shows up at his son's birthday party pretending to be a cowboy, and there are even some serious and sad parts such as when Steve Martin's dad asks him for advice.

    I recommend "Parenthood" to anybody who likes either comedy or drama movies because "Parenthood" is a classic. Whether you have kids or not, you can really enjoy this movie a lot. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001.
  • aliceinpunderland
    June 6, 2008
    aliceinpunderland
    Heartwarming and sidesplitting like whoa. Oddly enough, one of the best lines came from 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."

View All Parenthood Reviews

Critic Reviews

Richard Schickel
February 2, 2009
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

There is something brave and original about piling up most of our worst parental nightmares in one movie and then daring to make a midsummer comedy out of them. It really shouldn't work, but it does. Full Review

Variety Staff
February 2, 2009
Variety Staff, Variety

An ambitious, keenly observed, and often very funny look at one of life's most daunting passages... Full Review

Stephen Holden
May 20, 2003
Stephen Holden, New York Times

Even being the most sensitive parent, the film reminds us, has its limits. No matter how hard you try, you can't live your children's lives for them. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

It's a shock, and a welcome one, to see Steve Martin cast against type as a doting dad. Martin's nippy wit continually lifts this movie above the swamp of sentiment.

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Punchy entertainment for the open-minded family, the kind that realizes Home Sweet Home is -- well, an interesting idea. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It's the best kind of comedy, where we recognize the truth of what's happening even while we're smiling, and where we eventually acknowledge that there is a truth in comedy that serious drama never ca... Full Review

Rita Kempley
January 1, 2000
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

A veritable diaper bag of laughs, it serves best as a sensitive guy's guide to fatherhood. Full Review

S. Jhoanna Robledo
December 31, 2010
S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media

Poignant family dramedy with lots of adult themes. Full Review

Brian Orndorf
August 26, 2009
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com

Howard juggles all the characters effortlessly, showcasing troubles left and right without losing the film to gloom. It's nimble work, blessed with a cast that knows exactly what they're reaching for ... Full Review

February 2, 2009
TV Guide's Movie Guide

While Parenthood crosses the border into schmaltz a number of times, the movie runs the gamut of realistic emotions, and one scene or another is bound to hit home with the parents who see the film. Full Review

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