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| Cheaper by the Dozen DVD Review |
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Order this DVD from Amazon.com
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Cheaper by the Dozen
(Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment)
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| DVD Release Date:
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April 6, 2004
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| Length:
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98 mins.
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| Rated:
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PG
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| Format:
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Widescreen ( 1.85:1)/Full Screen (1.33:1)
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| Audio:
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English 5.1 Dolby Surround, Spanish Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround
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| Subtitles:
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English, Spanish, Closed Captioned
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| Extras:
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Full-Length Audio Commentary by Director Shawn Levy, Full-Length Audio Commentary by the Baker Kids, Deleted/Extended Scenes with Optional Commentary, "Director's Viewfinder" Featurette
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In Cheaper by the Dozen Steve Martin plays Tom Baker, a man with a lot on his plate. Not only is he a successful football coach, but he's also a successful football coach who is on the move. He's just gotten a new job offer - as head coach of his alma mater. It's his dream job. Bonnie Hunt plays Tom's wife, Kate. Kate is successful in her own right. Her book has just been published, and she's been sent on a whirlwind promotional tour. They're the perfect couple. They have it all. Oh, and did I mention that they also have 12 kids! And just like that, their perfect life isn't so perfect anymore. I have two kids, and my hands are full. I can't imagine twelve. Hell, I have difficulty imagining three.
Cheaper by the Dozen is the perfect family movie. Short on the violence and language and high on the laughter and love. It's not too difficult to see why this movie was such a success. Steve Martin is in top form. Hollywood's most under-appreciated talent, Bonnie Hunt is a joy. And, of course, there's the kids. While names like Hilary Duff, Tom Welling and Piper Perabo stand out, it's the unknowns that steal the show. And they all come together to form an incredible ensemble cast. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll want to own this movie. Maybe I'm biased - not everyone out there is into family fare, but having kids of my own makes enjoying this movie simple.
For the DVD release of Cheaper by the Dozen, you get some decent features. First up, there is a feature commentary by director Shawn Levy. Levy doesn't shut up, and this is a good thing. He makes the commentary interesting, delving into info about the film's production. It sounds like they had a lot of fun. Levy previously directed films like Just Married and Big Fat Liar - and he let's us know it here, continually referring to the films and working with the same crew that he worked with on those two productions. I mention this because he previously worked with Ashton Kutcher in Just Married - but listening to the commentary, he never once mentions Kutcher. Levy gave time and props to every single person here - from the biggest stars to the lowliest grips, but he never even once acknowledged Kutcher. Odd. I wonder what happened there.
Another commentary features the Baker kids, including Kevin G. Schmidt (Henry), Liliana Mumy (Jessica), Alyson Stoner (Sarah), Jacob Smith (Jake) and Morgan York (Kim). Occasionally, Piper Perabo pipes in with her thoughts on filming some of her scenes in the movie. This commentary is mildly entertaining. I still don't know why some DVDs feature kids commentaries. I don't know a lot of kids out there who will take the time to listen. For the most part, the kids talk about what a great experience the movie was, and how fun it was. And I guess it shows as the commentary seems pretty fun for them.
In our next feature, "Director's Viewfinder: Creating a Fictional Family" director Levy looks at the beginnings of the movie, how he came on board, choosing the leads, choosing the kids and what life was like working on the set. Nothing too special here, but it is brought to life by Levy, who's enthusiasm for the project is infectious.
Flip the disc, and you'll get the movie in full frame, plus some deleted scenes with optional commentary by Levy. Nothing too great here. Some touching performances in scenes that all make sense, but cutting them also made sense. The best had to be "The Nanny" featuring a cut performance by Eileen Brennan, best known for Private Benjamin.
So, there's some decent features here. If anything, I think there should have been more. I would have liked to have heard from Steve Martin and/or Bonnie Hunt, but the DVD doesn't really suffer without. The movie itself makes this one worth owning.
| The Movie: |
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8/10 |
| The Extras: |
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6/10 |
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