Parenthood (Widescreen DVD + Digital Copy) (1989)

"...funny and touching...  Empire
"...brave and original...  Time
"...Parenthood works so well...  Washington Post

Editor's Note The Buckmans are a modern-day family facing the age-old dilemma of trying to raise children the "right" way. At the center of the storm is Gil, who manages to keep his unique sense of humor while maintaining his career, and being a loving husband and parent.

	Joaquin Phoenix
	Dianne Wiest
	Martha Plimpton
	Steve Martin
	Keanu Reeves
	Rick Moranis
	Mary Steenburgen
	Tom Hulce
	Jason Robards
	Ron Howard - Director

The trials and tribulations of middle-class family life are depicted in director Ron Howard's humorous and loving ode to the joys of parenthood. Middle-manager Gil Buckman struggles to reconcile his ambitions at work with his loyalty to his family, particularly to his troubled son, Kevin. His divorced sister Helen has a sullen and withdrawn son and a sexually active teenage daughter. Gil's other sister, Susan, is a schoolteacher married to an ambitious yuppie determined to make a genius of their 3-year-old daughter. Their long-lost brother, the irresponsible Larry, has always been daddy's favorite and returns home with an illegitimate son named Cool. Rolling Stone
"...Heartfelt and howlingly comic..." 08/24/1989 p.38

New York Times
"...[A] sophisticated sitcom of a movie....A rich evocation of the swirl of suburban family life..." 08/02/1989 p.C15

Los Angeles Times
"...[Howard's] fine touch with ensembles reaches real maturity here, as he pulls together the script's tendency to skitter between sociology and sitcom, making it into one perceptive, delicious whole..." 08/02/1989 p.C1

Los Angeles Times 9 of 10
Ron Howard reaches real maturity here, as he pulls together the script's tendency to skitter between sociology and sitcom, making it into one perceptive, delicious whole.

Chicago Sun-Times 10 of 10
Ron Howard's Parenthood is a delicate balancing act between comedy and truth, a movie that contains a lot of laughter and yet is more concerned with character than punch lines. It's the best kind of comedy, where we recognize the truth of what's happening even while we're smiling, and where we eventually acknowledge that there is a truth in comedy that serious drama never can quite reach. - Roger Ebert