Review of Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) by Bürn B — 07 Mar 2011

I. Summary.

Tom and Kate was the parents of a dozen Bakers, rearing a number of such, is hard. But not until Tom and Kate are so willing to reach their own dreams, that life for both of them became the harder, and eventually the hardest. Tom, coming home very happy from the promotion he gets, to have his dream job: to coach his alma mater's football team, The Stallions. Plus educational advantages and a new vehicle, who doesn't want it? getting the dream job of yours with good incentives? So to reach his dream, he has to move his family from their home in the country to the suburbs. As they move along, the aspiring author, Kate, receives the all-long-waiting-dream-call, telling her that her new book is perfect and she should go on a promotion tour to New York for two weeks, so here goes her decision to leave her husband one with the 12 children, she trusted him, after all, he's the man. Problems soon erupted, the Baker kids ruined a birthday party of a friend, and lots of lots of things which gone wild and inappropriate. Kate's tour ended, and was greatly depressed and angry at Tom, for not telling her that he couldn't make the necessary disciplinary actions. Kate found a disturbing note on Mark's bed, and now he's missing. The family worried with what had happened, so they tried to look for him. After Tom called the police and soon he realizes Mark's favorite where he would probably hide, Tom hurriedly makes his way to the railway station. He soon finds Mark on a train heading towards his favorite place. They ride the train together and are greeted by the family at the railway station the next morning. They apologize to each other and Tom decides to quit his football career to find a job which would provide more time for him to spend with his family. While they return to the city and begin to adjust to their new life, Kate's book was published and stays at number one as the best seller's list for 12 months.

II. Reaction.

The movie shows a characteristic of middle age as a time of lots of gains and losses, wherein Tom and Kate have reached their dreams with the corresponding problems in rearing children. They have heavy responsibilities and multiple roles yet it shows how able and feel competent they can handle such obstacles. The part wherein both Kate and Tom are worried of failing to meet parental expectations when Mark was gone missing, showed the "where did we go wrong?" syndrome. It shows that middle age is a time of stress as well as a time of achievement. Kate and Tom maybe burdened, they were still able to reach their dreams, Tom's dream of becoming a football teacher and Kate as an author, was a successful experience.