This is really a comical soap opera, the combined stories of four siblings, the offspring of the emotionally distant alcoholic Jason Robards who spent more time drinking and living in his own fantasy world, favoring the youngest (Tom Hulce), the blacksheep, while dealing with the others (eldest Steve Martin and daughters Dianne Wiest and Harley Jane Kozak) through ignoring them or wisecracks. Martin and Wiest are equally neurotic, dealing with their own troubled children as best as they know how (sometimes far too nurturing and clinging), while the somewhat sensible Kozak is stuck with the uppity husband Rick Moranis whose advanced ideas of child rearing are far too bizarre to go into practice.
Martin's oldest son, Kevin, gives him and his beautiful wife Mary Steenburgen a lot of worry as their concern over his excessive emotions has them debating their parental skills. Martin has a series of bizarre fantasies over how Kevin will grow up, but their issues are nothing compared to the divorced Wiest who finds that teen daughter Martha Plimpton is sleeping with a boy (Keanu Reeves) she can't stand and son Gary is resentful over being rejected by his remarried father. Wiest (Oscar nominated for her showy performance) and Martin try too hard to be good parents, unintentionally damaging them, although there are some tender moments with them as well, and a surprising one between Wiest and Reeves has a piece of wisdom I've heard from my own mother, although not quite put in the way Reeves says it.
Eileen Ryan, as the mother of the four adults, and especially Helen Shaw as her loveable mother, offer a few scene stealing moments, and every moment with great grandma is a special one, especially each eye roll over her realization that her descendents are all idiots. Moranis and Hulce, fantastic in other films, are completely wasted here, their characters rather unlikeable and underdeveloped. Still with what is there concerning Martin, Wiest and to a lesser point Kozak (who really deserved a better career as an actress, even with her early appearances in contract roles on three soap operas), you've got a fabulous story of family and the types of issues that often question why we keep them around. The writing and direction are very special here with Ron Howard showing wisdom as well as heart. This is the type of film that you can revisit every couple of years and learn something new.
Martin's oldest son, Kevin, gives him and his beautiful wife Mary Steenburgen a lot of worry as their concern over his excessive emotions has them debating their parental skills. Martin has a series of bizarre fantasies over how Kevin will grow up, but their issues are nothing compared to the divorced Wiest who finds that teen daughter Martha Plimpton is sleeping with a boy (Keanu Reeves) she can't stand and son Gary is resentful over being rejected by his remarried father. Wiest (Oscar nominated for her showy performance) and Martin try too hard to be good parents, unintentionally damaging them, although there are some tender moments with them as well, and a surprising one between Wiest and Reeves has a piece of wisdom I've heard from my own mother, although not quite put in the way Reeves says it.
Eileen Ryan, as the mother of the four adults, and especially Helen Shaw as her loveable mother, offer a few scene stealing moments, and every moment with great grandma is a special one, especially each eye roll over her realization that her descendents are all idiots. Moranis and Hulce, fantastic in other films, are completely wasted here, their characters rather unlikeable and underdeveloped. Still with what is there concerning Martin, Wiest and to a lesser point Kozak (who really deserved a better career as an actress, even with her early appearances in contract roles on three soap operas), you've got a fabulous story of family and the types of issues that often question why we keep them around. The writing and direction are very special here with Ron Howard showing wisdom as well as heart. This is the type of film that you can revisit every couple of years and learn something new.