Parental Guidance (2012)

Artie and Diane agree to look after their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents need to leave town for work. Problems arise when the kids' 21st-century behavior collides with Artie and Diane's old-school methods.

Director:

Andy Fickman

Writers:

Lisa Addario, Joe Syracuse

Stars:

Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Billy Crystal	...	Artie Decker
Bette Midler	...	Diane Decker
Marisa Tomei	...	Alice Simmons
Tom Everett Scott	...	Phil Simmons
Bailee Madison	...	Harper Simmons
Joshua Rush	...	Turner Simmons
Kyle Harrison Breitkopf	...	Barker Simmons
Jennifer Crystal Foley	...	Cassandra
Rhoda Griffis	...	Dr. Schveer
Gedde Watanabe	...	Mr. Cheng
Tony Hawk	...	Tony Hawk
Steve Levy	...	Steve Levy
Cade Jones	...	Ivan Halloran
Mavrick Moreno	...	Cody
Madison Lintz	...	Ashley

Storyline

The parents of Alice, a controlled mom, agree to take care of her 3 crazy children, Harper, Turner and Barker, because they feel they don't see their grandchildren enough, when Alice and her husband Phil go on a business trip for Phil. But when everything goes downhill, they need to find a way to prove to Alice, Phil, and themselves that they can be great grandparents.

---

Plot Keywords:

helicopter parents | chores | punishment | father figure | in laws | 

---

Taglines:

Here come the grandparents. There go the rules.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Family

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some rude humor

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Us & Them

Filming Locations:

Fresno, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$14,554,053 (USA) (28 December 2012)

Gross:

$77,264,926 (USA) (17 May 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Walden Media, Chernin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (ACES)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bernadette Peters was rumored to play the role of Diane.

---

Goofs

When Artie is doing play by play for the Braves vs Giants game, he mentions Hudson as the starter for the Braves. When the game is shown on TV it is clearly Derek Lowe who is the pitcher for the Braves.

---

Quotes

Harper Decker Simmons: Just type in 'get to school'.
Artie Decker: Why is that easier than you just telling me how to get there?

---

Crazy Credits

There is one final scene, after the end of the credits.

---

Connections

Featured in Chelsea Lately: Episode #6.194 (2012)

---

Soundtracks

You Made Me Like It
Written by Michael McGaughrin & John McKeown
Performed by 1990's
Courtesy of Rough Trade Records
By arrangement with Beggars Group Media Limited

User Reviews

Great Family Movie

This was an excellent family movie, had plenty of laughs and some really heartwarming moments. Billy Crystal and Bette Midler made a great pairing, I don't know why it hadn't been done before. Crystal brings his great acerbic wit combined with Midler's warm demeanor and the great comedic timing of both makes for gold medal hilarity. Marisa Tomei is great as a new-age parent with high anxiety when it comes to allowing her parents into her automated life. Bailee Madison is a little fireball, and she is one to keep an eye on. With her innate acting ability she will have you on the edge of tears one moment and laughing till you pee the next. Madison is an absolute joy to watch and it was great to see her paired up with classic comedic talent like Crystal and Midler. The writing is fair, but luckily with such a well-placed cast you hardly notice those short-comings. This is definitely one I would take the whole family to, it's got enough for all to enjoy. I highly recommend it for the holiday season, it will have you walking out with a smile.