Review of Parenthood (1989) by Compi24 — 29 Feb 2020

You won't have to look far into the deepest recesses of the cineaste crowd to found someone with a "hot take" on Ron Howard. Many find his films plain, lacking in thematic depth and sometimes just downright inferior in quality.

With a movie like "Parenthood," however, you're reminded of just how many good ones there really were for the filmmaker, especially in the late eighties and early-to-mid nineties. This is an -- at times -- masterful exercise in ensemble storytelling, all built around a kernel of thematic content that's so endearing and relatable, it's hard not to get caught up in the up's and down's of these (fictional) characters' very hectic lives.

Featuring a veritable who's who of talent all throughout, you're given well acted yarns involving love, life, child-rearing and worthwhile commentary on the numerous relationships that can occur within one big family.

Toss in some occasional directorial flourishes from Ron Howard and you end up with a thoroughly entertaining, stunningly contemporary look into the complexities that can occur within an American family.