Summary
This article discusses abuse and gun violence.
35 years after its premiere, Ron Howard’s 1989 filmParenthoodis still a classic, despite a few harsh realizations on rewatch.The film focuses on the four Buckman siblings, all of whom are raising their children in their own unusual methods. The film is known as an authentic portrayal of different family structures, which doesn’t rely on easy jokes or absurd scenarios. Twotelevision shows have been based on the movie.
The movie has many iconic actors, including Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Keanu Reeves, and a young Joaquin Phoenix.Parenthoodis considered one of Martin’s best movies. The film alsoranks highly in director Ron Howard’s movie catalog, making a divergence from his usual comedy work. The movie was a box-office success,earning $126 million at the box office on a mere $20 million budget. Even after 35 years, the film still holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Ron Howard’s 10 Highest-Grossing Movies, According To Box Office Mojo
The man who made a name for himself as Opie has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s most reliable, prominent, and prolific filmmakers.
10The Origins Of Cool’s Name
Larry Probably Named His Son Recently
The raucous youngest Buckman son, Larry (Tom Hulce), appears as a surprise after years of not seeing the family. Part of the shock of his arrival is the presence of his young son, named Cool (Alex Burrall).Larry explains that he also didn’t know about Cool’s existence until recently,when the mother delivered the child to his door and fled the country. He claims Cool resulted from a brief affair with a Las Vegas showgirl.
Cool is an undeniably Larry-inspired name. The young Buckman sibling loves to gamble and is generally a loose cannon. He would likely have chosen the almost comical name Cool for his son because he thought it would be a cool name. That would mean thatCool only received that name within the past few months since he reconnected with his father. Perhaps Cool had a different name from his mother, but the instability of his parents and family life has given him multiple identities within a short lifetime.
9Larry Often Takes Advantage Of His Parents
His Parents Have Come To Expect Schemes From Him
When Larry arrives at the family dinner, he is quick to pitch a new career path to his parents. When he tells them he has a new plan, his mother, Marilyn (Eileen Ryan), asks if it’s “another get-rich-quick scheme.” He assures her it is not, but then says it would include a financial investment in hydroponics.Marilyn’s subtle question adds a lot to the story.
It establishes Larry as a schemer who often has these far-fetched ideas about money. It also shows that he doesn’t have a stable job and usually relies on fast and unreliable money-making plots.
It establishes Larry as a schemer who often has these far-fetched ideas about money. It also shows that he doesn’t have a stable job and usually relies on fast and unreliable money-making plots. The question indicates thatLarry has tried to get his parents to invest in these schemes before. Throughout the film, it is clear Larry takes advantage of his parents' trust in him, as they lend him money and are more lenient towards his errors. It’s a minute but sad detail that suggests how Larry has exploited his parents' charity.
8The Characters And Movie Encourage Mental Health Stigmas
Gil And Karen Make Kevin Feel Different
When Gil and Karen learn that their son Kevin has difficulty focusing and relaxing in class, they become distraught. The school says that Kevin will have to switch to a “special education” school since it has become too distracting for the teachers to focus on Kevin during class. This news causes Gil great distress, ashe begins to imagine how poorly Kevin will turn out if he attends an alternative school. He even offers to work extra hours so they can afford to send Kevin to private school instead of special classes.
Parenthoodis available to stream on Max.
The movie endorses a stigma around mental health issues. While Kevin might need special attention in school,his parents reacting poorly to this news makes him feel like this will become a weakness.Kevin also shows no strange behavior patterns, just mentioning a tense, thoughtful face and a tendency to overreact. Gil believes he can help heal Kevin by making him better at baseball and throwing him an impressive birthday party. Through Gil and Karen’s reactions, the film shows little tolerance for those with learning disabilities.
7The Campus Shooting Scene
An Unnecessarily Brutal Addition
After Kevin is embarrassed by having to play second base at Little League, he yells at Gil. Feeling like he failed as a parent,Gil begins to imagine all the ways he might have ruined Kevin’s life. Gil’s prediction of adult Kevin is in a scene on a college campus, where Kevin is actively shooting up the quad. In his rampage, the imaginary Kevin makes a point to blame his father for making him play second base. This hallucination fuels Gil to lie later in the movie.
What once might have been a funny or comically absurd idea, this scene did not age well.School shootings are much more prevalent in modern society and a more sensitive topic. The outlandish scene is not recurring or mentioned later in the film. It is unnecessary to the movie’s plot and could easily be replaced by another example of Kevin’s strangeness in adulthood.
6Susan And Nathan Have A Devastating Lack Of Communication
This Is An Example Of Underlying Issues In Their Relationship
Susan’s (Harley Jane Kozak) desire to have more kids is revealed in an unusual way. Her husband, the neurotic and controlling Nathan (Rick Moranis), shows her thathe knows she has been putting holes in her contraceptive diaphragm to get pregnant.Neither of their behaviors is especially acceptable, as Susan should not be altering her birth control regime without telling her partner, and Nathan exhibits controlling behavior by checking her diaphragm regularly and without her knowledge.
This shows the weakening of their relationship, as neither of them is comfortable having a conversation about another child. Instead of telling Nathan that she wants to have more kids, Susan feels the need to sneak and lie about contraceptives. Nathan does not trust her and invades her items without her permission.This is an ethically dubious relationship that lacks clear and open communication.
5The Piñata Scene Is More Dangerous Than It Seems
Someone Would Have Definitely Been Injured
At Kevin’s birthday, a group of kids gathers around a piñata, taking turns swinging. It becomes a montage, with the piñata proving to be much sturdier than it should be. However,withthe crowd’s closeness, the swinging stick’s length, and the blindfolded batters, the scene is much more dangerousthan fun. Any of those kids, or even actors, could have been hit and hurt.
This piñata scene and gag are played to humorous effect.It allows Steve Martin to exemplify his physical comedy as he beats up the unbreakable piñata. However, a missed swing from one of the batters, especially Kevin hitting another child, could have changed the film’s direction.
4Tod’s Abusive Origin Story Makes Him More Sympathetic
Helen Begins To Understand Her Son-In-Law
Initially, Helen (Dianne Wiest) doesn’t like her daughter Julie’s (Martha Plimpton) boyfriend, Tod (Keanu Reeves). However, after he is able to talk to her reclusive son Garry (Joaquin Phoenix), she gains a new respect for him. Then, as he reveals what’s been keeping Garry so shy, he opens up more about his own past.This is the first time Tod and Helen have a genuine conversationwithout Julie.
Dianne Wiest received a Best Support Actress Oscar Nomination for her role inParenthood
Tod tells Helen that it’s essential for boys to have strong male figures in their lives. He tells her that his guardian would flick cigarette butts at him and yell at him to wake up and serve the family.His childhood was clearly less than ideal, but he doesn’t seem to let that get him downor affect him as an adult. Hearing about Tod’s broken past makes Julie like and respect him more as a son-in-law.
3Larry Looks Down On Gil For Having A Stable Job
When Larry and his father, Frank (Jason Robards), argue about Larry’s instability, it turns out that Larry doesn’t want to have an everyday life. He refuses to settle down, turning his father’s words against him.He asks if Frank would be proud of him if he had a regular joband received standard promotions and raises. Larry claims he is better than that, saying, “I am not Gil!”
Larry thinks Gil is stuck in the rat race, not trying to make his mark and stand out.He seems determined to prove he is not like his brotherand can be his own person, showing his priorities over raising his son. Clearly, Frank has a different relationship with Gil than Larry. He excuses Larry in a way he never would with Gil, though he reveals a certain level of trust and respect for Gil. However, though we rarely see them interact alone, it is clear that Gil and Larry also have a complicated relationship.
2Gil Doesn’t Deserve The Promotion
He Is Not Shown Working At All In The Movie
When Gil finds out his coworker will get a promotion, his boss allows him to show off his work ethic and earn the promotion instead.Gil worries he won’t be able to balance this and help Kevin’s emotional development,and spends most of the film with his son. This stresses the difficult decision Gil has to make between work and family. While he’s with his family for most of the film, he only expresses stress over trying to get the promotion at work once.
Later, he finds out he did not get the promotion and is upset. It is passively revealed that when Gil threatened to quit, the company offered him a promotion and added benefits. However,no moments showed Gil working or choosing his work over his family and earning the promotion.While he could have been spending unseen hours working, it is not emphasized in the film, leading viewers to believe he might not have genuinely deserved that raise and benefits.
1Frank Continues To Enable Larry
He Allows Larry To Abandon Cool
After Larry asks Frank to help pay off his significant debts, Frank does some introspection and eventually agrees to lend the money, with a few rules. He tells Larry he expects him to work with him at the store and attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings.Larry accepts and understands these expectations,and he might be able to get his act together enough to be present for his son. However, this hope is short-lived, as Larry brings up another scheme in Chile that might bring him more success.
Frank still allows him to leave the country, even after standing up to Larry’s panhandling attempts. He agrees to watch over Cool and even lends Larry some extra money. Later, when Cool asks about his father, Frank says he doesn’t think Larry will return.He allowed him to abandon his son and continue on this risky lifestyle. Arguably, Frank knew Larry would not be a good dad to Cool, so he let him leave to take the instability out of the boy’s life.
Even 35 years after its premiere,Parenthoodcontinues to engage audiences. While some material hasn’t aged too gracefully, the premise and situations remain classic. There are some harsh realities to rewatchingParenthood, but Ron Howard’s drama holds up for the most part.
