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Parenthood (1989)


Kids don't get the parents they want or need; that seems to be a common idea, and the Buckman kids certainly didn't have the best dad.

On the other hand, maybe parents don't get the kids they want or need. Everyone seems to be something of a disappointment to everyone else, and in the end, everyone may be too self-centered to be the person that others need them to be.

Is that the message of this film?

Gil (Steve Martin) doesn't want to turn into his dad Frank (Jason Robards). He wants to spend time with his kids. He wants to be a good dad. Even though he tries hard, he still isn't able to have perfect kids. That bugs him.

Frank knows he wasn't the perfect dad. That might bug him, too, but in a rare heart-to-heart, he tells Gil that parenthood never ends. His 27-year old son, Larry, is kind of deadbeat with a gambling problem. Frank wants to be there for him and makes him a deal. Larry, however, isn't able to change. He just takes off. Frank can't do anything more than shake his head. He tried, and Larry didn't.

But maybe that's part of the issue, too. Not everyone is "trying" at the same time, and maybe that's life. We all have different moments when we are at are best, and if they line up with someone else's best moment, great. Usually, however, they don't seem to line up, and when someone gives you themselves at their worst, the effect may be long lasting.

The film is funny and enjoyable to watch. Lots of good characters in this one, and it's fun to see a young Joaquin Phoenix and Keanu Reeves in this one, but all of the ensemble cast does a nice job.
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