Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)

Director:

Shawn Levy

Writers (WGA):

Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. (novel) and
Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (novel) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Tagline:

This Christmas The More... The Scarier!

Plot:

With his wife doing a book tour, a father of twelve must handle a new job and his unstable brood.

Plot Keywords:

House | Illinois | New Job | Hiding In A Closet | Interview

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Steve Martin	...	Tom Baker
Bonnie Hunt	...	Kate Baker
Piper Perabo	...	Nora Baker
Tom Welling	...	Charlie Baker
Hilary Duff	...	Lorraine Baker
Kevin G. Schmidt	...	Henry Baker
Alyson Stoner	...	Sarah Baker
Jacob Smith	...	Jake Baker
Liliana Mumy	...	Jessica Baker
Morgan York	...	Kim Baker
Forrest Landis	...	Mark Baker
Blake Woodruff	...	Mike Baker
Brent Kinsman	...	Nigel Baker
Shane Kinsman	...	Kyle Baker
Paula Marshall	...	Tina Shenk
Steven Anthony Lawrence	...	Dylan Shenk
Alan Ruck	...	Bill Shenk
Richard Jenkins	...	Shake
Holmes Osborne	...	Nick Gerhard
Vanessa Bell Calloway	...	Diana Philips
Rex Linn	...	Coach Bricker
David Kelsey	...	Assistant Coach
Dax Shepard	...	Camera Crew Member
Elon Gold	...	Camera Crew Member #2
Cody Linley	...	Quinn
Adam Taylor Gordon	...	Cooper
Julie Araskog	...	Radio Talk Show Host (as Julie Kay Araskog)
Benjamin Fitch	...	Reporter
Antonio Vega	...	Police Officer
David Bowe	...	TV Interviewer
Kevin Carey	...	Reporter #2
Ossie Mair	...	Cabbie
Amy Hill	...	Miss Hozzie
Ted Rooney	...	Principal
Joel McCrary	...	Gil
Tiffany Dupont	...	Beth
Shawn Levy	...	Press Room Reporter
Dylan S. Shults	...	Party Kid
Regis Philbin	...	Himself
Kelly Ripa	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eileen Brennan	...	Mrs. Drucker (DVD deleted scene) (uncredited)
Merris Carden	...	Teen Nora Baker (uncredited)
Wayne Knight	...	Electrician (uncredited)
Ashton Kutcher	...	Hank (uncredited)
Jared Padalecki	...	Bully (uncredited)
Gary Pike	...	Doctor (uncredited)

Directed by
Shawn Levy

Writing credits (WGA)
Frank B. Gilbreth Jr.		(novel "Cheaper by the Dozen") (as Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr.) and
Ernestine Gilbreth Carey		(novel "Cheaper by the Dozen")
Craig Titley		(screen story)
Sam Harper		(screenplay) and
Joel Cohen		(screenplay) &
Alec Sokolow		(screenplay)

Produced by
Michael Barnathan	....	producer
Dustin Bernard	....	line producer
Carrie Brody	....	assistant producer
Ben Myron	....	producer
Ira Shuman	....	co-producer
Robert Simonds	....	producer
Aaron Wilder	....	development executive

Original Music by
Christophe Beck

Cinematography by
Jonathan Brown

Film Editing by
George Folsey Jr.

Casting by
Nancy Klopper

Production Design by
Nina Ruscio

Art Direction by
Scott Meehan

Set Decoration by
K.C. Fox

Costume Design by
Sanja Milkovic Hays

Makeup Department
Jody Burton	....	hair stylist
Frank Griffin	....	hair stylist: Steve Martin (as Frank H. Griffin Jr.)
Frank Griffin	....	makeup artist: Steve Martin (as Frank H. Griffin Jr.)
Norma Lee	....	hair stylist
Richard Lipinski	....	hair stylist: Bonnie Hunt
Lydia Milars	....	makeup department head
Patricia Miller	....	key hair stylist
Ned Neidhardt	....	additional makeup artist
Douglas Noe	....	key makeup artist
Karen Scales	....	makeup artist: Bonnie Hunt (as Karen J. Scales)

Production Management
Dustin Bernard	....	unit production manager
Demetra Diamantopoulos	....	production supervisor
Patrick Esposito	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard S. Lederer	....	second assistant director: Chicago second unit
John Pontrelli	....	second second assistant director
Brian Relyea	....	second assistant director
Marty Eli Schwartz	....	first assistant director
Catherine Petra Villalobos	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Will Batts	....	set designer
Richard Baum	....	set dresser: Northern California
Matt Callahan	....	buyer
Susan Chooljian	....	art department coordinator
Doug Crawford	....	propmaker
Shannon Curfman	....	lead person (as Shannon Curfman-Dayan)
Jann K. Engel	....	set designer
Neil Gahm	....	propmaker
Stephanie Gilliam	....	set designer
Mark Haber	....	set designer
Dale Haugo	....	scenic artist: Northern California
Gabriel Higgins	....	property master
Allyson Hollingsworth	....	art assistant
Sean House	....	set dresser: Northern California
Matthew C. Kime	....	assistant property master
Jim Krase	....	foreman
William F. Matthews	....	set designer
Jeffrey McMahon	....	construction foreman
Tony Miller	....	lead plaster foreman
Kris Nagle	....	welder foreman
Roderick Nunnally	....	paint supervisor
Steven O'Bannon	....	labor foreman
Ron D. Peake	....	welder gangboss
Jason Puga	....	painter
Steve Roll	....	propmaker
John H. Samson	....	construction coordinator
David Scott	....	graphic designer
Jonathan Woods	....	storyboard artist
Anthony Aguilar	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Michael Grover Forster	....	propmaker gangboss (uncredited)
Teresa Raschilla	....	painter (uncredited)
Ilya Seperich	....	additional props (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Bolt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Derek Casari	....	adr engineer
Andrew DeCristofaro	....	supervising sound editor
Marc Deschaine	....	adr assistant
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer
David Esparza	....	sound effects editor
Dawn Fintor	....	foley artist
Kevin Globerman	....	digital recordist
Tim Gomillion	....	sound recordist
Aaron J. Green	....	post sound services
Michael Hoffman	....	sound mixer: B unit
Jason Johnston	....	cable person
Steve Mann	....	sound editor
Paul Massey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim McColm	....	re-recording engineer
Nancy Nugent	....	dialogue supervisor (as Nancy Kyong Nugent)
David Obermeyer	....	sound mixer
Michael Payne	....	sound effects editor
Thomas A. Payne	....	boom operator
Stephen P. Robinson	....	sound effects editor
Dennis Rogers	....	sound recordist
John C. Stuver	....	dialogue editor
Becky Sullivan	....	supervising adr editor
John Soukup	....	sound transfer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Robert DeVine	....	special effects technician: stunt frog puppet
Franco Goss	....	specialty props
David P. Kelsey	....	special effects director (as David Kelsey)
John Poulter	....	special effects technician
Keith Suzuki	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Cosmas Paul Bolger Jr.	....	visual effects supervisor
Chris Hopkins	....	3D artist
Heather Ignarro	....	production coordinator
Ken Locsmandi	....	animator/modeler
Robert Nall	....	digital artist
Roger Nall	....	digital effects artist: 11:11 MediaWorks
Marco S. Paolini	....	digital compositor
Rich Thorne	....	production executive
Tommy Tran	....	digital effects artist

Stunts
Joe Childs	....	utility stunts
Sophia Crawford	....	utility stunts
John Dixon	....	stunts
David Hugghins	....	stunt rigger
Michael Hugghins	....	stunts
Gita Isak	....	stunts
Brandon Molale	....	stunt actor
Michael Munoz	....	stunt double: kid
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator
Rowbie Orsatti	....	stunts
Clark Tucker	....	stunt double: Wayne Knight

Camera and Electrical Department
Pete Asidilla	....	dolly grip
Danny Barfield	....	best boy grip
Tracy Bennett	....	still photographer
Hans Bjerno	....	aerial director of photography
Kirk Bloom	....	second assistant camera
John Bratlien	....	rigging electrician
Erik L. Brown	....	first assistant camera
Henry Cantor	....	electrician
Damon Doherty	....	key rigging grip
Tulio Duenas	....	film loader
Adam Harrison	....	electrician
Jay M. Huntoon	....	digital video assist operator
Peter Kuttner	....	first assistant camera: Chicago
Elizabeth Miller	....	second assistant camera (as Elizabeth Smith)
Juan Morse	....	electrician
Anthony G. Nakonechnyj	....	gaffer
Brian W. Nordheim	....	b camera / steadicam operator
Paul Plannette	....	first assistant camera
Landon Ruddel	....	grip
Thomas J. Ruffner	....	dolly grip
Mark Sadler	....	set lighting
Ronald Schlueter	....	video assist
Larissa Supplitt	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Jorge Sánchez	....	assistant camera
Sam Urdank	....	still photographer
Andy Young	....	best boy rigging grip

Casting Department
Justine Hempe	....	casting associate
Sharon D. King	....	extras casting: local
Terri Kinney	....	extras casting
Jeff Olan	....	extras casting
Tony Rasmussen	....	extras casting
Bryan Riley	....	casting assistant
Jacquie Schmall	....	extras casting
Tim Sullivan	....	extras casting
Randi Acton	....	extras casting (uncredited)
Christian Kaplan	....	executive in charge of casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Suzy Magnin	....	costume assistant
Lawrence Quon	....	set costumer
Lani Reynolds	....	costumer: Bonnie Hunt
Irena Stepic	....	key costumer
Don Vargas	....	costumer: Steve Martin

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Alexander Garcia	....	assistant editor
Lonnie A. Mathes	....	post-production assistant
Dennis McNeill	....	color timer (as Denny McNeill)
George Missor	....	epk assistant editor
Mark Nakamine	....	colorist (digital color correction)
Brad E. Wilhite	....	first assistant editor
Valance Eisleben	....	high definition editorial services (uncredited)
Nadav Streett	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Celeste Chada	....	music licensing
Mike Deasy	....	musician
George Doering	....	musician
Hilary Duff	....	music crew
Mark Graham	....	music librarian
Dave Jordan	....	music supervisor
Andrew Kaiser	....	composer: additional music
Kevin Kliesch	....	orchestrator
Mike Nowak	....	conductor
John Rodd	....	orchestral scoring recordist
Peter Rotter	....	orchestra contractor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Casey Stone	....	music scoring mixer
Ceiri Torjussen	....	orchestrator
Jojo Villanueva	....	music coordinator
Terry Wilson	....	music editor
Peter Erskine	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Lewis Burnett	....	driver: honeywagon
Margo Hunt	....	driver
Ron Kunecke	....	transportation captain
William Lubin	....	driver
Rhonda Martin	....	transportation office coordinator
Joe Vanis	....	transportation coordinator
Bryce Guy Williams	....	transportation coordinator
Bonnie Yamahiro	....	driver

Other crew
Kyle Alexander	....	assistant location manager
Valentina Aulisi	....	assistant: Steve Martin
Paul Belenardo	....	production accountant
Allan Bragg	....	stand-in: Steve Martin
Carrie Brody	....	assistant production coordinator
Starr Buttler	....	production assistant
Tim Clark	....	production secretary
Mike Crotty	....	production assistant
Heather Deaton	....	assistant: Robert Simonds
Diane Durant	....	script supervisor
Glen Evans	....	production assistant
Heidi Falconer	....	publicist
Mary-Rachel Foot	....	stand-in
Michael Franck	....	aerial coordinator
Josh Geller	....	set production assistant
Marc C. Geschwind	....	extras coordinator
Rhona Gordon	....	studio teacher
Seth William Hansen	....	additional set production assistant
Jeffrey Harris	....	assistant post-production accountant
Sue Jennings	....	production coordinator
Nicki Johnson	....	assistant coordinator
June Jordan	....	stand-in
Greg Kappy	....	assistant location manager
Mark Kelly	....	production secretary
Christian Krieger	....	assistant location manager
Stephen Mapel	....	location manager
Gordon T. Martin	....	tow generator operator
Jerie McBride	....	studio teacher
Joe Morganella	....	production assistant
Alexander Nicolas	....	marketing
Kevin O'Neil	....	production assistant
Gene A. Roepke	....	assistant: Shawn Levy
Troy Rowland	....	acting coach
Karen Shane	....	second assistant accountant
David Simmer	....	assistant: Ben Myron
B.J. Smith	....	medic
Rick S. Sulier	....	post-production accountant
Karla Torres	....	production assistant
Ilene Waterstone	....	executive assistant: Steve Martin
Paige Wilbanks	....	production assistant
Marijan Zoric	....	chef
Dawn Barkan	....	animal trainer (uncredited)
Melinda Eichberg	....	animal trainer (uncredited)
Paul Sarran	....	location production assistant (uncredited)
Donna Tegan	....	additional set production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
• Robert Simonds Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2004) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Castello Lopes Multimedia (2004) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (2004) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (Finland) (VHS)
• Fox Network (2006) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Gativideo (200?) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (200?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• RTL Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing) (RTL7)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)

Special Effects

• 11:11 Mediaworks (additional visual effects)
• Anatomorphex (special effects)
• Digital Filmworks (special visual effects)

Other Companies

• 20th Century Fox Studios  post-production facilities
• American Eagle Studios  extras casting
• BT Industrial Supply  expendables
• BeBee  night lighting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• City of Chicago  special thanks
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• IVC  post-production facilities (digital mastering)
• Inter Video  24 frame video services
• Jeff Olan Casting  extras casting
• L.A. Mad Dogs  adr voice casting
• Movie Movers  production trailers
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• Movie Movers  transportation
• Newman Scoring Stage, Twentieth Century Fox Studios, The  score recording
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Sessions Payroll Management  extras payroll services
• Sonoma County Film Commission, The  special thanks (as Sonoma Film Commission)
• Soundelux  sound design and editing

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for language and some thematic elements

Runtime:

98 min | Germany:94 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:G | Germany:o.Al. | Norway:5 | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:PG (certificate #40326) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Brazil:Livre | Portugal:M/6 | Finland:K-3 | South Korea:All

Filming Locations:

357 S. Lorraine Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

At the beginning of the movie, Kate reveals the title of her new book to be "Cheaper By The Dozen". Although this movie is loosely based on a book by that title about a real-life family, the book was written by one of the sons, Frank B. Gilbreth Jr., along with his sister, Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Although this film is based on that same book that inspired the 1950 film (Cheaper by the Dozen (1950)), the only element it retains from the original is the idea of there being 12 children in one family. Even the names of the characters are changed.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Dylan is taken to the hospital after the birthday incident, he has a black eye and a broken arm. When Kate asks his parents if they have seen Mark after he ran away, there is no trace of the black eye or the broken arm. Broken arms usually take a couple of months to heal in a cast.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Kate:[voiceover] I guess you could say that when Tom and I left Midland we had a mess of theories about how to raise children. We still have a mess of children, but no theories. Sure, 12 is still our number. It's the number of months my book was on the bestseller list. It's the number of job offers Tom turned down before we found one close to home. And each day it's the number of times I'm thankful there's such a thing as family.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #7.126" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: 'O Fortuna' from Carmina Burana

'Name Only' Remake of 1950 Classic is Warm, Funny Film...

While the CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN opening titles credit the authors of the best-selling book the original 1950 film was based on (Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey), don't expect to see a remake of the charming, early-20th century comedy about two efficiency experts (Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy) running a complex but happy family...and this is not a BAD thing!

While the 1950 production is a minor classic, the thrust of the earlier film was with the parents, and oldest daughter (the late Jeanne Crain). Clifton Webb was a gifted, acerbic actor, best known, previously, as 'child hating' author Lynn Belvedere, who proved he was as adept at raising children as he was at EVERYTHING he attempted, in the 1948 hit, SITTING PRETTY. The film was such a success that two sequels were made, and Webb would do several more 'family' comedies before his death in 1966. Playing Frank Bunker Gilbreth, the father of twelve, was a 'natural' for the actor, and the 61-year old Webb 'stole' the film with his self-effacing, 'scientific' approach to child rearing. As his wife, Lillian, Myrna Loy, who had graduated from being 'Nora Charles' in the "Thin Man" series, to being Hollywood's favorite wife/mom, shared Bonnie Hunt's sweetness, sense of organization, and dry humor, but lacked a sexual chemistry with Webb that would have actually produced twelve children (perhaps because of the less 'permissive' time the film was made, or perhaps because of Webb's screen persona). Jeanne Crain, one of 20th Century Fox's favorite ingénues for over six years, had a large fan base, which the studio capitalized on (She was actually second-billed in the film, behind Webb). Her scene at a 1920's prom, with Webb as her 'date', is a film highlight. While the eleven other children were given 'moments' in the film, they barely registered, individually.

Would 2003 audiences have gone to see Martin in a period comedy set eighty years earlier? I doubt it. And had the original story had been simply 'updated', would it have been truly faithful to the source, even in spirit? Unlikely, as so much has changed over the years. Ultimately, the film makers erred, I believe, in using the title of the earlier film, but not in the approach of making a 'family-friendly' comedy about a household of massive proportions.

With Steve Martin, who has become Hollywood's quintessential 'Dad', as a loving, unconventional father/football coach given an opportunity to head his alma mater's team, he displays the same kind of sensitivity that made PARENTHOOD such a wonderful film. Bonnie Hunt, as his wife, is completely believable as a successful author who could handle her large family and still-frisky husband equally well. She is, as always, a treasure!

The children are really the stars of the film, though, and each is special, and individual, from the eldest daughter (Piper Perabo), who, at 22, wants the family to accept the guy she's living with (Ashton Kutcher, in a funny, brief role), to the youngest pair of twins (Brent and Shane Kinsman), who make an art out of wreaking havoc. Tom Welling is quite likable, and proves that he is more than just 'Clark Kent' (For you trivia fans, Kutcher almost got the part of 'Superman' in an upcoming film, which would have put two 'Men of Steel' in the cast). The only discordant note is Hillary Duff's annoyingly brittle second daughter; she may be a 'teen idol', but she is more grating than endearing.

Director Shawn Levy's previous film, JUST MARRIED, was a loud, unpleasant, clichéd bore; in CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, he redeems himself with a more enjoyable, richer film.

While the movie will never earn the 'classic' status the earlier film achieved, it stands very well on it's own merits!