Parenthood

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Parenthood

PG-13

Released Jul 31, 1989

2h 4m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Perfectionist Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) struggles with the deficiencies of his children, thinking they reflect poorly on his parenting -- and Gil's siblings only add to the stress of his life. One of his sisters (Dianne Wiest) faces difficulty when her teenage daughter (Martha Plimpton) becomes pregnant. Another (Harley Jane Kozak) clashes with her husband (Rick Moranis) when she asks for more children. Gil's immature brother (Tom Hulce) turns up as well, with a young son he can barely handle.

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Critics Consensus

Bolstered by a delightful cast, Parenthood is a funny and thoughtfully crafted look at the best and worst moments of family life that resonates broadly.

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Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

The fulcrum of the film is Martin. It's an adventurous and successful stroke of casting that takes advantage of what the audience expects from him.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 31, 2013

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

This movie has its share of laughs, but it's also Ron Howard's most personal film, and clearly his most ambitious.

Jul 31, 2013

Full Review

Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Parenthood easily could have focused exclusively on yuppie parents and their kids; however, the script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel is more sophisticated than that, remembering that every parent is still a child too.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 31, 2013

Full Review

Candace Wiggins

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

This is not just a wild and crazy comedy. This is a slice of life -- contemporary Americana.

May 9, 2023

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Consistently pleasant. [Full review in Spanish]

Jul 12, 2022

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Jim Rohner

Battleship Pretension

What better way to deal with it than through catharsis?

Apr 14, 2021

Full Review

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Grant H

Such a damn good movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/03/24

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Audience Member

Like every other movie he’s in, Steve Martin steals the show in this one. Parenthood is funny, touching, and gives you something to think about. This is one of my favorite movies I’ve watched this year

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/19/24

Full Review

John G

Critic's consensus is right on. There are no perfect movies, but this one comes damned close. Deeply engaging, riddled with good humor, Howard has created something of real value. Exaggeration is necessary in support of the comedy and drama.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/31/24

Full Review

Jenna S

Genuinely laugh out loud comedy, great acting, nobody's life is perfect, a slice of real life and taking the bad with the good. Life is rollercoaster.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/11/24

Full Review

Daniel M

Wonderful movie with a great cast and stories that had me super interested and many were relatable. Shows the real side of what a real family goes through and I really enjoyed it!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/08/23

Full Review

Test T

At first I thought as a comedy, it's wasn't as good as I had hoped. It is an entertaining film, which starts off well, but towards the end it gets more reflective and it started to loose it's appeal for me. In a way, the film is mirroring the real life parenting experience where children grow up and loose their charm, and this might be what the director had intended. However, I decided to give it another watch and pay more attention at the end, and I liked the film better for what it is second time around.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/09/23

Full Review

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Ron Howard

Director

Steve Martin

Gil Buckman

Mary Steenburgen

Karen Buckman

Dianne Wiest

Helen Buckman

Jason Robards

Frank Buckman

Rick Moranis

Nathan Huffner

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Parenthood: Official Clip - Kevin Loses His Retainer

2:58

Parenthood: Official Clip - The Diarrhea Song

0:40

Parenthood: Official Clip - He's Ruining the Play!

2:59

Parenthood: Official Clip - Gil Quits

1:18

Parenthood: Official Clip - Who's a Shi**y Father?

2:58

Parenthood: Official Clip - Kevin the Psychopath

1:48

Parenthood: Official Clip - Something to Help You Relax

1:32

Parenthood: Official Clip - Unbreakable Pinata & a Mouthful of Helium

1:12

Parenthood: Official Clip - She's a Weird Child

3:00

Parenthood: Official Clip - Kevin the Valedictorian

1:40

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Synopsis

Perfectionist Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) struggles with the deficiencies of his children, thinking they reflect poorly on his parenting -- and Gil's siblings only add to the stress of his life. One of his sisters (Dianne Wiest) faces difficulty when her teenage daughter (Martha Plimpton) becomes pregnant. Another (Harley Jane Kozak) clashes with her husband (Rick Moranis) when she asks for more children. Gil's immature brother (Tom Hulce) turns up as well, with a young son he can barely handle.

Director: Ron Howard
Producer: Brian Grazer
Screenwriter: Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
Production Co: Image Entertainment Inc., Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 31, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $99.6M
Runtime: 2h 4m
Sound Mix: Surround

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