Review of Parental Guidance (2012) by Mark F — 02 Jan 2017

This has some good messages that it clearly wants to get across. The bit about parents not overindulging kids and learning to say no. The bit about mums not being too hard on themselves trying to be the perfect parent. The bit about not neglecting the husband because after the kids leave, he's the one who stays. It's full of these moral messages. It's never hilarious, but it's got one or two bits that raise a smile.

But it's an 'oboe movie', and that ruins it for me. You know how Hallmark movies always have an oboe and a plinky plunky piano to give you an audio cue that you're meant to be feeling heart-warmed? Even though it's not Hallmark, it's got a lot of that. Which makes the emotion feel contrived and forced. And as the time passes it also gets a little boring.

Might be different if you have kids, but otherwise, you're not missing anything here.