YOURS MINE & OURS

REVIEWED BY CARISSA HORTON

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: sensuality, thematic elements

Rated:

What do you get when you combine free spirited Helen North (Rene Russo) with military precision Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid)? Chaos. As an Admiral for the Coast Guard, Frank Beardsley takes his job and his family very seriously. But strangely enough, the kids, all eight of them, including the oldest William (Sean Faris) and Christina (Katija Pevec) love his shipshape familial maneuvers. Sure, a mother would be nice, but they've got Dad and couldn't want for anything else. That is until Dad attends a high-school reunion cruise.

Widowed Helen North is the sublime mother of ten children, four of her own and six adopted. Her only dream is to let her kids follow theirs and perhaps get her line of designer handbags onto Saks Fifth Avenue. But the time comes when every mother must take a break from her kids, and with these children, its almost a must. Knowing her eldest daughter, Phoebe (Danielle Panabaker) is highly capable of caring for her various little ones, Helen decides its time for some R&R. When the reunion cruise comes along, it seems heaven-sent and even more-so when the first person she spots is her old flame and Prom King to her Queen, Frank Beardsley. On arriving at their respective homes, each one has an announcement to make to their children. Helen and Frank have tied the proverbial knot. They succeeded in not only fulfilling their own wishes, but bringing eighteen entirely incompatible kids ranging from five years to eighteen together as a family. Not exactly your dream circumstances, but Mom and Dad are determined to make it work. First off, the kids hate each other. The Beardsleys versus the North's is an apt description and all they needed was a boxing ring. Well, the house served that purpose.

Mom and Dad don't get the message that this isn't working, so the kids, calling a cease fire amongst themselves, devise a scheme to break the parents up. But they realize, almost too late, that separate families can blend together. In working side by side, that's just what they've done. Become a family. Now to undo the damage created. The movie had its highly enjoyable moments. The child actors really seem to click, and the storyline itself is too cutesy for words. Frank and Helen strenuously endeavor to bring two families together, even through the insanely difficult moments caused by their kids. One interesting addition to the tale is how the majority of Helens kids are adopted, and therefore hail from varying countries. But each one is treated with the love every mother has to give, and none were overlooked in any capacity. It was very beautiful to see.

There are some sexual difficulties, including some teen kissing which never proceeds any further. Mom and Dad also indulge in some nuzzling on their wedding night, but that is swiftly broken up by about five youngsters wanting their parents. There's some references to "hottie" and other terms. The oldest four kids are coming up with schemes to upset Mom and Dad, and boy are there some humdingers. One boy suggests that William and Phoebe be found together. Than he mentions that perhaps it would make more of a dent if Christina and Phoebe were found together. Yeah, I thought so too. Completely unnecessary. There are some name-calling and minor threats, however, the actual language is kept to a bare minimum with two abuses of Gods name, one "don't p*ss me off" and "h*ll." Helen wears low-cut outfits occasionally.

Violence is more along the comedic side, but could also have turned dangerous in a heartbeat. When the kids decide to pummel each other, they go about it quite efficiently, even down to almost wrecking their new home. Mostly though, its played for laughs, and actually received them, so the director did his job well. At one point, the oldest, in particular William and Phoebe, plan a party while their parents are out of the house. And well, lets just say it gets out of hand in a hurry. Without their knowledge, beer makes its way into the house, there's some heavy dancing by the guests, and overall a general mess is made of the premises. Grossness occasionally intrudes, specifically when a child loses the contents of his stomach onboard a sailboat and everyone proceeds to slip in it.

Now for the moral issue. I am not now, nor will ever be satisfied with a marital relationship where its one spouse imposing on the other. When you have a truly blissful relationship, both parents attempt to make things work. In Yours, Mine and Ours only Frank is really working on the marriage. She's not trying to change anything about her opinion when it clashes with his, and in the end, he's the one who loosens the rules, which I found to be completely fair and honest. We all need rules to live by, and Helen could not see or comprehend such an idea. She pushed and he toppled over. I also had an issue with how Frank and Helen married. They'd been apart for more than fifteen years and within two days of finding each other again, they're married. No thought to the children, just did what they wanted and caused chaos to ensue. True, the marriage worked in the end, but why in heavens name would you want to risk such a thing?

The acting was impressive, especially from the youngest children. Not to say that Dennis and Rene didn't enjoy their roles, but the complete difference in character made for a very interesting time. And for those of you who are classic movie buffs, you might also give the 1968 version starring Henry Fond and Lucille Ball a try. Overall, Yours, Mine and Ours is a very cute movie, and one most kids will undoubtedly enjoy, along with their parents. Just keep in mind that compromise doesn't mean one parent getting everything and leaving the other with nothing. That's Hollywood's flawed idea of a loving marriage.