Parenthood (1989)

 

Steve Martin stars and is perfectly uptight as Gil Buckman, a family man trying not to freak out on the rollercoaster of parenthood, but there's a veritable Love Actually-sized ensemble here too: a single mother (Dianne Wiest) struggles to raise a teenage boy (a young Joaquin Phoenix) while trying to steer an older daughter (Martha Plimpton) away from no-hopers like Tod (Keanu Reeves playing Ted again), and more (Rick Moranis, Tom Hulce, Mary Steenburgen, and Jason Robards) all in Ron Howard's comedy smash hit about the trials and tribulations of the privileged white raising kids in traditional family units.

★★★☆☆

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Wonder (2017)

When the dog gets sick is about when I started to grow impatient with the many many trials and tribulations of this movie's schoolkids, but the movie, an adaptation of R J Palacio's 2012 book about Auggie, a 10-year-old with Treacher Collins syndrome, has nice performances, often tugs at your heartstrings, and while it may not really be the soaring feelgood hit it is touted to be in advertising, it is certainly as entertaining as, say, an episode of The Wonder Years.

★★★☆☆

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My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

This daggy, feel-good romantic comedy has a nasty edge with Julia Roberts out to sabotage her true love, Dermot Mulroney's wedding but it all turns out ok and there is hilarity along the way plus daggy songs, big hair, suitcase-sized mobile phones, and hideous outfits.

★★★★☆

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