On P List of Movie Reviews
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Parenthood (1989)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
1/20
1/20:
There exists an underrated Steve Martin comedy, and it's called Parenthood.
I'm still impressed with it as I was in 1989. Ron Howard seamlessly handles the vignettes of four different families that
crisscross throughout the picture. It's a challenging job, but he pulled it off quite well.
It's hard to say which family is the most interesting, but they're all compelling to follow. Each has a different parenting
style, and as a result, the children come out differently which can be contributed to either nature or nuture.
Giving their best performances are Steve Martin and Dianne Wiest. The former should've been nominated, but 1989
was a competitively tough year for leading actors. The latter was actually Oscar-nominated. Their characters are both
special. Ironically, Steve Martin didn't become a parent until 2012 although it seems to come naturally for him.
On the other hand, the cast of many Oscar nominees and winners is outstanding which includes Tom Hulce, Rick Moranis,
Martha Plimpton, Joaquin Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, Jason Robards, and Mary Steenburgen. True to life with never-ending highs
and lows of parenthood, there are many funny moments.
All in all, if anyone thought of having kids after watching Parenthood, it's understandable.