Release Date: November 23, 2005
MPAA RATING: PG for mild language and mild crude humor
Genre: Family comedy

Remakes are often a dicey proposition, but Yours, Mine and Ours is an appealing retelling of the 1968 original film of the same name, which starred Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda and Van Johnson. The story is brought fully into the 21st Century and proves that while times may have changed, kids and their parents remain the same.

Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid), a widowed military man with eight children meets up with an old sweetheart, Helen North (Rene Russo), a handbag designer with 10 children. They rekindle the old flames and are soon in love. Frank pops the question but they both forget one small item -- to tell their children first!

The new blended family mixes like oil and water. Frank's military background means he and his children operate like a troop of well-disciplined, happy soldiers under their commander's diligent guidance. Not so Helen and her children. Ever the creative, free spirit, Helen has few rules and believes in allowing the children their freedom and self-expression. The two sides instantly clash. Add the fact that Helen's children resent having to move, and all 18 children object to sharing space with people they have nothing in common with, and you have a recipe for a sure-fire plot to destroy the newlyweds' bliss.

But leave things in a mixer long enough and soon the ingredients will start to blend. Once the plan to pull their parents apart has been set into motion and looks like it's working, the children come to realize that they do like each other -- and their new parents -- and regret trying to break up the marriage. Yours, Mine and Ours is a delightful romp of wildly funny antics as the children try to put the pieces of their new family back together.

Dennis Quaid is charming as Frank, dealing with the idiosyncrasies of his new charges. Admired for his dramatic acting as well as his comedic efforts, Quaid delivers hilarious slapstick bits as well as tender moments in the film. Rene Russo is perfectly cast as the artsy Helen, exuding cheerful disregard for rules and guidelines. The children each bring realism and humor to their roles and play off each other beautifully.

Yours, Mine and Ours is a family comedy rich in laughs for all viewers.

Questionable content:

Profanity: the word "piss" is said once.
Crude humor includes some of the children making body noise.

Family Movie Reviews

The Parents Television Council - www.parentstv.org