Parenthood | Rotten Tomatoes

Parenthood

PG-13

Released Jul 31, 1989

2 hr. 4 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

92%

60 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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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

Joel H

I am a parent, and I enjoy parenthood much more than Parenthood seems to. Yes, every family has its struggles, but this family seems to have all the struggles, and it focuses on the negatives of parenting so much that any positives it shows don't balance out. The direction also feels amateurish, which is odd, because Ron Howard had directed Splash, Cocoon, and Willow by this point. The humor isn't quite up to par, either. Steve Martin seems very restrained in his performance and Rick Moranis' comedic talents are almost completely wasted. I think the screenplay of this family drama needed more time to mature.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/03/23

Full Review

Madie R

Parenthood is like a roller coaster. It's a ride with highs & lows, and moments of fright, nausea, excitement, and thrills. Ron Howard directs a hilarious comedy-drama with a winning ensemble. It's a movie that shows you that you can either go on the boring merry-go-round that just goes around. Or you can get on the roller coaster and have a blast.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/17/23

Full Review

Topi L

Family movie that has got heart and makes me want to be Gil Buckman.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/30/23

Full Review

Gareth v

One of the best comedies of 1989. This clever, multi-layered film's greatest strength is taking the often mundane and turning them into hilarious moments

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/19/23

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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Immediate Family

90%

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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

Full Review

Jim Rohner

Battleship Pretension

What better way to deal with it than through catharsis?

Apr 14, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

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
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
Sound Mix: Surround

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