The Measure of a Man (2011) User Reviews

It's a movie of its time escalation point

[funteachabc · 8/10 · 20 October 2020]

I watched this movie on pureflix. It was just as expected. Yes it's a little cheesy but that's what I expected! People are judging it about the way the husband acted toward his wife and his children. And that there were no people of color. This was what it was like during that time and also in California during that time! We can't go back and change history to fit everybody's opinions, to not offend. Life was what it was then. This is this women's story to tell about her life. Why should she change it to fit into today's standards! If she did it wouldn't be real! And yes a lot of these family\Christian flicks are cheesy, but you expect that!

An enviable life.

[emark-25601 · 9/10 · 2 July 2019]

The way the story is told is a little disjointed but a welcome change to how movie story lines are currently made. In the end, men should be left inspired to be a better father and husband. Family was everything to Don Baily. The traditional and wholesome values presented here are lost in today's modern world. Maybe it won't touch everyone personally, but it makes me wish to be a better man. This movie is worth the time watching. It's a low budget production, but does it's job abundantly well.

This is a true story of a man and his wife and seven children, told by his eldest daughter Elizabeth. It's inspirational, romantic and a keeper!

[jannetgregory · 10/10 · 7 June 2014]

This isn't one of those cookie cutter sophisticated, action packed, violent tales found on the super screen these days. This film stands alone on the merit of the story. It's a reminiscent journey of a happy, mature and loving father.

By no means is it cheesy or low budget- it is a well made film beginning with the casting, art and cinema direction and of course post production. It's not a fast moving story, rather a happy stroll down memory lane and to my delight was an hour and a half long, which made the entertainment even better.

I was sorry when the movie ended and left wanting to see the sequel.

Strong Family Movie

[tball3748-539-146807 · 10/10 · 26 November 2012]

This is a VERY family friendly movie full of the kind of realism that is hard to make up. With flashbacks for most of the story, we are briefly introduced to characters who grew up poor during America's post-depression who marry and have a large family full of love, discipline and values that are rarely seen in movies today. Though most of the flashback falls somewhere in the late 1950's or 1960's, the daughter who narrates shows what her family life was like living in suburban Bakersfield, California. There are a few brief mentions of Christianity, but the way the family lived and breathed, their faith was evident. With this said, I didn't feel like this was a "Christian" movie, but a family movie because it was wholesome, real and came away feeling good!

Don't Waste Your time

[rachel-mcbrayer · 1/10 · 8 January 2013]

The trailer for The Measure of a Man looks great, I immediately wanted to see the film. Now I wish I had just stuck to the trailer. The movie is very disjointed, especially at the beginning jumping from present day to 1920's era to 1950's and back to 1920's. Basically the movie is the story of a father and his nine kids. A lot of scenes are just the father and various family members singing random songs that have nothing to do with the plot. The father is a bit sexist, forcing his daughters to do the household work while the boys enjoy playing most of the film. Granted the boys do mow the lawn and take out the trash, but that doesn't take nearly as long as the girl's chores. His wife even gets frustrated with him about the lack of boys help, but he refuses to listen to her. The acting is sub-par at the best. And in one scene they try to pass off a 40 year old women as a 16 year old girl. I'm not sure why they didn't get someone younger to play this part. It was so awkward watching a 40 year old play a teenager, jumping up and down for joy, going to the prom. The ending instead of being rather sad had me laughing aloud, you'll understand if you chose to waste your time watching the film and make it to the credits.

Great Show! Man was an anchor for his family!

[traviskillough · 10/10 · 22 July 2023]

Having 9 children is tough enough, but this family made the best of every situation. They didn't have a lot of money but they got by and the kids learned good work ethic also. Watch for the most creative vacation plan ever. I don't want to give it away. They handled controversy between their kids in many awesome ways. The mom was 14 when they were married. That's a situation headed for divorce for sure. They were a team and raised wonderful children. The middle daughter of the nine siblings reps the story of their childhood and parents while at her fathers side in the hospital. The dad is dying of cancer.

Grossly Disappointing and totally Bond Bread

[montythedog · 1/10 · 25 September 2015]

I understand Ms. Waite felt compelled to write about her memories of her father. However,I must say this was one of the most unrealistic and absurdly stupid movies I have ever watched. I can only say Mr. Bailey was an opportunist, a sexist, guilty of a misdemeanor,and possibly felony 1. He's a cotton farmer who returns from work every day as if he just walked out of REI catalog in his spotless truck. He dismisses his wife's request for more help, takes advantage of a car salesman, surrounds himself with nothing but white people (the only workers you ever see in the field, for a hot flash, is his family minus him)no migrants,no people of color. Do not waste you time-nothing to do with integrity and honesty.

So bad, that you'll find yourself cheering, out loud, for cancer.

[erandbro70 · 1/10 · 14 June 2013]

After thinking about it, I had to come back and edit my review; it was purposefully 'vanilla' in its critique in order to safely navigate the standards set forth by this site. I don't think that it's fair to potential viewers to risk nearly two hours of their lives, by not being fully candid about this picture. My ONLY positive remark, is that it's family friendly.....that is until you find yourself having to explain to your child why a 19 year old soldier (the lead character) is dating a 14 year old girl. Is that really a man you'd admire? In civilized society this man would be labeled a pedophile, at worst, and a pervert, at best. The movie jumps back and forth between the father's present day convalescence at a cancer hospice under the dutiful watch of his wife (aforementioned 14 year old) and a reverent daughter who narrates much of the movie. The audience is taken to scenes from the dad's teen years, up to advanced age; however, most of the movie takes place in what is probably a 5 year span of early-middle-age. The writer attempts to make the father seem admirable and quirky, but honestly, he comes off as sexist, and simply weird. The attempt was to present a reverent depiction of a man, but it unintentionally presented a farce. The story line was broken. The dialogue was poor. The protagonist was far from compelling; so much so, I was rooting for the cancer to speed up his demise so the movie could end. In short, this movie was practically unwatchable. It only should be used as punishment for a viewer, rather than entertainment. I will forever feel ripped off that I cannot get my 2 hours of life, back.

Waste of time

[RedPlum · 3/10 · 19 August 2018]

Here one woman with a boring voice speaking the whole time. Can't follow as it is forward and backwards. To me he was no role model.

BRILLIANT but with loose strings.

[Saved2ServeChrist · 8 April 2024]

I think this movie was absolutely brilliant. The kids were so adorable and funny. Though the father was how he was in regards to male female it showed him as a totally dedicated father, loving his daughters, caring for his sons and he showed so much heart and love toward everyone including his wife. I love how he tended to the children. I love how he took time with them one by one. I love how he catered to his wife and their time together. Yes, he was a man that believed a woman's place is in the kitchen. Now, I am a 47-year-old female that was not offended by that part of him. I understood it to be who he was in the story and who he was in his daughter's life. It was not a deal breaker by any means. I found his love for his children and his love for his wife to be the key elements of who he was. We all have areas in our lives for different beliefs that may be flawed but it shouldn't be a deal breaker just something that prayerfully someone will come along and shed enough light on that we can see those things differently and change our opinion to a better one. So I judge him not on that. The whole of him was love. The whole of him was compassion. The whole of him was faithful. And that, to me, measured more in him being a man. I love how he would reprimand his sons adequately with the punishment always fitting the crime. Not too extreme and not too light. Which equals just right. The only thing about the movie that I didn't like was the fact that there were too many loose strings. For instance, I wanted to know what was the reason the mother cried and ran out the house and was hitting the dad in the chest? It would have been very nice for the daughter to have asked the mother in her older years and had got the answer. I also would have loved to understood and have seen the other eight children in relation to the parents in those last stages. It seemed that Elizabeth stayed close and lived next door to the mother but I would have loved to know what the other children were like with their parents as they grew up. Just seeing them at the end of the movie didn't feel complete to me and it seemed rather awkward...especially when the daughters were leaving the house and the mother just touched their arm and they left out after the funeral. Very awkward. I also would have loved if they would have taken that last scene and when they showed a close-up of the kids now all grown up I truly wish they had placed a picture of their young self next to them at each close up so we could know who was who. That would have been key for me since we had developed a relationship, if you will, with the kids throughout the movie. But that all being said. Excellent film! The acting was not stellar but I wasn't looking for it to be. I'm not too particular as long as the film is wonderful. If the story is wonderful then I can accept the children not being on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A good movie is a good movie. I know some movies with people whose names ARE on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and I was bored out of my mind. But this was a really good watch from first scene to last. Loved it. And as far as no people of color, I too am a woman of color and none of that bothered me. A good movie is a good movie and this was a good movie.