📅Release Date: 18 March 2022
🎬Platform: Disney+
📜Official MPAA Rating: PG
🌟226Flix Rating: Parent Pick
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Proverbs 15:1
Violence & Action ⚔:In “Cheaper by the Dozen (2022),” violence and action are relatively mild. There are a few comedic scenes involving physical comedy, such as a boy accidentally biking into a door and getting a bloody nose. In another scene, the same boy runs into a door, also played for comedic effect. Towards the end of the film, two boys engage in a brief fistfight at school as one stands up to bullying. These instances are not intense or graphic but are meant for humor or to illustrate character development rather than to depict real violence.
Language🗣: The movie contains mild language, including occasional use of words like “damn,” “butt,” “stupid,” “suck,” “dumb,” “jerk,” and infrequent use of “oh my God.” The language is not pervasive or particularly strong, and it aligns with the film’s PG rating. It also touches upon issues of racism, racial profiling, and White privilege, providing an opportunity for discussions about these important topics with your family.
Romantic Themes❤: Cheaper by the Dozen (2022)” features some romantic elements, primarily focused on the parents’ relationship. There are scenes of kissing and flirtation between the married couple. There are scenes when the mother is on top of the father and has pretty intense and inappopriate flirtatious scenes. Additionally, there are discussions about “college girls being free with their bodies” (one of the sons looks online for pictures of those girls) and references to a woman’s backside (a boy asks about a woman’s butt). In addition, one of their teenage daughters sneaks out to spend the night at her boyfriend’s house. These elements are moderate to mature and not suitable for the entire family.
Introduction
This is a remake of the classic movie, “Cheaper by the Dozen”. At 226Flix, our mission is to guide families towards movies that not only entertain but also resonate with Christian values. This film, with good intentions, offers a fresh perspective on blended families, love, and acceptance. However, it merely throws in some major issues, through argumentation, without coming to any resolution.
Summary
The narrative unfolds around Paul and Zoey Baker, a couple who bring together their families from previous marriages. As they navigate the challenges of raising a large family, they also adopt an orphaned Indian boy, adding another layer of cultural diversity. The story gains momentum when Paul’s culinary venture prompts a move to an upscale LA suburb, throwing the family into a whirlwind of change that the kids are struggle to get used to.
Overview of the Movie
Cheaper by the Dozen is not just a movie; it’s a reflection of many modern families. Each child, with their unique personality, brings forth the joys and challenges of parenting. The film doesn’t shy away from addressing the complexities of a blended family, making it relatable to many of our 226Flix families. However, it doesn’t dive deeply into those complexities. It is difficult to talk about certain topics such as racism, but the movie makes it a problem to be brought up repeatedly, while other valuable lessons get missed.
The subplot of Paul’s restaurant serves as a metaphor for balancing work, passion, and family – a challenge many families face today. There are funny moments like when Paul (the dad) tries to dress cool in his kids’ clothes for a business meeting and walks right out of his son’s too-big sneakers. A lot of the comedy is geared towards a much younger audience, but only the comedy, Everything else seems to be very mature.
The overall lesson of money not always meaning happiness is a great one. As the family determines whether their lives overall have improved.
Key Takeaways
The film, “Cheaper by the Dozen (2022)” has a few lessons and messages. It emphasizes the importance of understanding, patience, and communication in a family. The challenges of a blended family are portrayed with sensitivity, highlighting the Christian values of acceptance, forgiveness, and unconditional love. The movie also subtly touches upon the importance of faith during challenging times, a cornerstone of the 226Flix ideology.
There is a lot of mention of racism and how some of the white people in the film would not understand what the biracial and black children go through. In addition, the mother doesn’t want her biracial twins to play with a gun, because of the optics of it. This is a constant commentary that takes place throughout the movie. These conversations are important ones and should take place, but the movie does struggle to make them understandable and edifying for children.
As a platform dedicated to guiding Christian families towards wholesome entertainment, “Cheaper by the Dozen” is a film that aligns with a few of our values. It captures the essence of modern family dynamics: conflict and forgiveness. However, it does deviate from the original. In the original movie, the parents have to juggle raising twelve children. In this version, there are nine children and then some dogs and a nephew. We would’ve liked to see more scenes with the children and their antics. It’s a movie geared towards family so why not show more of those fun moments between the children themselves? There just wasn’t enough focus on the children and some of the child actors didn’t get to really shine. There needed to be less focus on the parents, especially on the romantic parts of their lives. We know that the parents are married, but there are other ways to show that; there are other ways to show the love between a husband and a wife. It seems that the movie defines romance as just physical and that’s not what we feel should be conveyed to children.
The portrayal of a diverse family, the challenges, and the triumphs resonate with all of us, on some level. And it’s not just racial. The family has a daughter who is in a wheelchair. There are elements in this movie that we can all relate to. Some of the lessons of change, challenges and love could’ve been better flushed out. This is definitely a movie that isn’t appropriate for children. It was given a rating for 8 years and up, but we feel this would be more suitable for older teenagers.
Drawing from Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it,” the movie serves as a reminder of this very principle. It underscores the role of parents in shaping the values and beliefs of their children, even in a complex, blended family setting.
What are your thoughts on the film’s portrayal of a modern family? How do you think it aligns with Christian values and teachings?
In wrapping up, Cheaper by the Dozen (2022) is more than just a film; it’s a reflection of the world we live in, making it a valuable addition to the 226Flix library. For those who found value in this, our review on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle offers similar insights.
We encourage our 226Flix family to share their views, subscribe for more curated reviews, and spread the word about movies that resonate with our Christian values.
226 Flix 
Leave a comment