Parenthood

A comedy drama that follows four branches of one family at once. Gil has four children and is trying to be a good father; his own father paid him no attention and he does not want to repeat it. His sister Helen is raising two teenagers alone. Another sister, Susan, has a husband determined to raise their daughter as a prodigy. The youngest brother, Larry, comes home with gambling debts. The idea is that none of them is getting it right and all of them are doing their best. The narrative vindicates nobody. The best-known scene is an old woman describing life through a fairground: some people choose the carousel, some the roller coaster. The cast is large: Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Jason Robards, Rick Moranis, Tom Hulce, and a very young Keanu Reeves and Joaquin Phoenix. Wiest was Oscar-nominated. Ron Howard directed; the screenplay came largely from the family experience of the director and the writers. The film also became the source for a television series. A warm choice for anyone who likes family comedy and character-driven storytelling. For a viewer expecting a single story, the film runs four lines at once and some are weaker than others.