Cheaper by the Dozen ** (2003, Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Hilary Duff, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo) – Classic Movie Review 1894

Steve Martin stars in the old Clifton Webb role of crusty patriarch in director Shawn Levy’s fairly feeble, rather bad-tempered 2003 remake of the 1950 comedy classic Cheaper by the Dozen about a couple of desperately harassed parents coping with bringing up 12 children.

Martin plays Tom Baker, who lands his dream job to coach his old college’s football team. But that means the family would have to move from small-town rural Illinois to be just outside of big city Chicago, and the kids just do not want to move.

Martin just can’t compete with the memory of Webb, and isn’t really very much good in his own right in this role. He is brisk and professional, but doesn’t seem the right fit for the role of the dad, and none too comfortable with some of the dumb slapstick comedy he’s required to do. Bonnie Hunt has the thankless task of trying to re-create the magic of the Myrna Loy part as mom, who sets of on a promotion tour for her book about the family, leaving football-coach dad to look after the kids as well as his job. Tom has a hard time keeping the house in order as chaos breaks out and the once happy family starts falling apart.

But, like Martin’s previous 2003 dodgy comedy, Bringing Down the House, this was a huge hit.

The pleasing Tom Welling, Hilary Duff and Piper Perabo also star. Ashton Kutcher appears uncredited as the eldest Baker daughter’s boyfriend, Hank, with some funny stuff to do, so it is a pity he doesn’t have more to do. Alan Ruck and Paula Marshall are also funny as the family’s neighbours, the Shenks, and they could do with more screen time too.

Cheaper by the Dozen spawned a sequel, Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005).

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1894

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The way they were. Ashton Kutcher with Demi Moore at the premiere of Cheaper by the Dozen.