Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid) and Helen North (Rene Russo) are complete opposites. Frank is an admiral in the military. He runs a tight ship, his four year old son habitually calls him "admiral" instead of dad, and calls his family his "crew". Helen, however, allows free expression among all her children; her house is crawling with painters, gardeners, musicians, dogs, cats, and a pig. This movie stresses the old cliché "opposites attract".
The two were old high school sweethearts and meet again at their high school reunion. Then, during and romantic dance on the ballroom floor, they fall in love again, then they reveal their secret: Frank has eight kids, Helen has ten. Chaos erupts when the eighteen children move into a lighthouse together.
They play hilarious, not to mention creative, pranks on each other. One such is when the North kids set of the smoke alarms while the Beardsley children are in the bathrooms. It becomes clearer to their parents that no one is happy with this except them with the situation.
The eighteen soon realize that, in order to be sure they never have to see each other again, they have to break up Mom and Dad. Who better than them to know what best annoys their parents? Now their teamed up against the "greater enemy" and begin focusing their energies towards splitting their folks up and they suddenly forget to hate each other.
A cute comedy with more than it's share of funny and family moments. It's great to bring the kids to, and the adults will like it too; the humor is neither childish or slapstick.
The two were old high school sweethearts and meet again at their high school reunion. Then, during and romantic dance on the ballroom floor, they fall in love again, then they reveal their secret: Frank has eight kids, Helen has ten. Chaos erupts when the eighteen children move into a lighthouse together.
They play hilarious, not to mention creative, pranks on each other. One such is when the North kids set of the smoke alarms while the Beardsley children are in the bathrooms. It becomes clearer to their parents that no one is happy with this except them with the situation.
The eighteen soon realize that, in order to be sure they never have to see each other again, they have to break up Mom and Dad. Who better than them to know what best annoys their parents? Now their teamed up against the "greater enemy" and begin focusing their energies towards splitting their folks up and they suddenly forget to hate each other.
A cute comedy with more than it's share of funny and family moments. It's great to bring the kids to, and the adults will like it too; the humor is neither childish or slapstick.