Film

Parental Guidance

A grandparents-versus-modernity comedy where Billy Crystal and Bette Midler take charge of three millennially-raised kids. It's a collision of parenting philosophies played for laughs: old-school discipline meets iPad addiction and participation trophies. Solidly watchable comfort viewing for anyone who's ever felt baffled by how children are raised now.

TMDb rating3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy broad, warm family comedy built on the friction between two veteran performers and a house full of gadget-obsessed kids, where the laughs come from clashing generations.

Skip it if you find physical slapstick and sitcom-style mugging wearing, since the comedy leans on broad reactions and its sentiment is delivered without much subtlety.

What it asks of you: Roughly an hour and three-quarters of easygoing attention, with a predictable shape, gentle rather than sharp, and nothing to track closely.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Cheaper by the Dozen2003

Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt wrestle with a houseful of kids in this warm family comedy that nails the chaos of large households. Genuinely funny and surprisingly touching about what matters most.

But It's very much a product of early-2000s family-film sensibilities—some jokes land softer than intended, and the sentiment can feel broad.

Cheaper by the Dozen poster

The Proposal2009

Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds generate real charm in this romantic comedy about a boss and her assistant. Funny, clever dialogue and surprising heart without ever feeling saccharine.

But The premise is a little contrived, and some supporting characters exist mainly to deliver exposition or comic relief.

The Proposal poster

Mamma Mia!2008

Pure, unapologetic joy. Meryl Streep, ABBA songs, and a Greek island setting—if you want to feel good without overthinking it, this delivers. Absurdly fun and genuinely clever about its own silliness.

But It's a jukebox musical where plot takes a back seat to the next big musical number. If you find that concept exhausting, this won't change your mind.

Mamma Mia! poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Parental Guidance

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Freaky Friday2003

Both explore the collision between parenting generations and how old-school values meet modern kid behavior, but Freaky Friday does it through literal perspective-swap rather than conflict, making it a smarter spin on the same dynamic.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan swap bodies and must live each other's lives. It's a body-swap comedy that actually uses the premise to explore real generational misunderstanding with wit and surprising depth about how parents and children see each other.

But It's a Disney film aimed at families, so some jokes are very broad and the emotional climax is painted in primary colors.

Freaky Friday poster
More like this (8)

Meet the Fockers2004

Robert De Niro meeting Barbra Streisand as in-laws is a premise that works. Ben Stiller's panic and the chemistry between all four leads make this a reliably funny ensemble comedy.

But It relies heavily on awkward-dinner-party humor that can feel dated. Some gags outstay their welcome by several minutes.

Meet the Fockers poster

The Internship2013

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as middle-aged guys trying to intern at Google is surprisingly charming. It's earnest about believing in second chances and has better comedic pacing than you'd expect.

But It's essentially a feature-length Google ad, and some of the humor lands on 'trying a little too hard to be relatable' territory.

The Internship poster

Grown Ups2010

Adam Sandler and an ensemble of comedy stars revisit their childhood lake house. It's affectionate comedy about friendship and nostalgia that genuinely captures why people like spending time together.

But Sandler comedies are polarizing; the tone is aggressively goofy, and the humor can feel scattered or juvenile depending on your tolerance.

Grown Ups poster

About a Boy2002

Hugh Grant plays a man-child who mentors a lonely boy, and somehow it becomes genuinely moving. Smart comedy that sneaks in real emotion about connection and growing up without losing the laughs.

But The first half plays broader comedy than the second half, so tone shifts might feel uneven if you're not ready for it.

About a Boy poster

Father of the Bride1991

Steve Martin as a dad losing his mind over wedding planning is a perfect vehicle for his nervous energy. It's warm, funny, and genuinely affectionate about family dysfunction.

But The wedding-planning plot doesn't surprise you, and some emotional beats arrive where you expect them without detour.

Father of the Bride poster

Failure to Launch2006

Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker in a comedy about a man refusing to leave his parents' house. It's lighter than it sounds and has surprisingly sweet moments about independence and connection.

But The central premise feels thin, and once you know the ending, there's not much reason to revisit it.

Failure to Launch poster

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing1955

Both films are fundamentally about older people and younger people unable to understand each other's world, but Love Is asks us to sit with the tragedy of that gulf rather than laugh it away—a tonal wildcard that inverts Parental Guidance's comedic approach to generational divide.

A 1950s romantic drama featuring William Holden and Jennifer Jones navigating forbidden love across cultural lines. It's gorgeously shot, genuinely moving, and shows how cinema once handled the weight of genuine obstacle and consequence.

But It moves slowly by modern standards and requires patience with mid-century melodrama. If you expect snappy dialogue or plot momentum, you'll be frustrated.

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing poster

Schitt's Creek2015

Like Parental Guidance, it's about characters learning that their assumptions about how people should live are incomplete, but Schitt's Creek builds an entire world where that realization transforms everyone involved—it's what Parental Guidance's setup promises but doesn't fully deliver.

A wealthy family loses everything and is forced to rebuild in a small town they once bought as a joke. What starts as fish-out-of-water comedy becomes genuinely sophisticated character work about humility, acceptance, and found family. Consistently excellent across six seasons.

But The first season feels broader than what comes later; committing requires patience. Also, it's a show about privilege learning lessons, which can feel self-satisfied if you're not in the mood for it.

Schitt's Creek poster

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