I always liked 1989’s Parenthood, but as obvious and cheesy as it sounds, this is a movie that you really do appreciate more when you have kids. This is a movie brought to us by Ron Howard and it features a fantastic ensemble cast. I am a big fan of Steve Martin and I would put his role as Gil Buckman up there with his very best work.
How to Download Parenthood
Parenthood was released on August 2, 1989. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. And If you like Keanu Reeves, check out our reviews of Johnny Mnemonic (1995), The Matrix (1999), and Constantine (2005).
The Movie Review
Parenthood is basically a movie about life. Gil takes it really hard when he finds out that one of his kids has issues and that his other two kids also have some problems. Not to mention the fact that his wife is pregnant and he has a ton of pressure from work. Gil wants to be a present and good dad, but he is worried he is going to end up like his workaholic dad, Frank.
Complex Family Dynamics
Gil has a sister, Helen. Helen is divorced and really struggling to raise her two kids, Julie a teenage girl with a wild side and the other a young guy called Gary who is played by a young Joaquin Phoenix who has raging hormones, to say the least, and he worries that there is something wrong with him as a result.
The best part of this story is that Julie has a high school boyfriend called Todd and they decide to get married. Todd is played by Keanu Reeves and at first, he seems like a bit of a loser, but he has a ton of depth. He gives such a great speech about being a father, probably the most memorable moment of the movie actually.
Diverse Sibling Stories
There are two more Buckman siblings. We also have Susan who is married to a guy called Nathan who is hilariously played by Rick Moranis. Nathan is obsessed with their daughter Patty’s development and as a result, is not as loving as Susan would like. We get a great turnaround with these two and it is honestly impossible not to love Rick Moranis.
The last, but not youngest of the Buckman kids is Larry. Larry is Frank’s favorite kid, even though he is a screw-up and is always looking to get rich quickly with some kind of scheme. Larry shows up with his son Cool whom no one knew about and tells his dad that he is in some trouble and needs some quick cash to get out of it. What I liked about the Larry storyline was that it showed a lot of character growth for Frank.
A Relatable Family Journey
We basically just follow the lives of this family, the ups, downs, and the in-betweens. I feel that Parenthood is a very relatable movie and one that even though is over 30 years old, is just as relatable today. It is a movie that does have some very witty and humorous moments, but more than that, Parenthood has a ton of heart.
I watched this for the first time in a very long time via streaming. I always liked this, but watching it again made me realize what a great movie this is. I liked it so much that once it finished, I went straight on Amazon so that I could get the Blu-Ray and add it to my collection.
