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Cheaper by the Dozen (2022 film)

Cheaper by the Dozen is a 2022 American comedy film directed by Gail Lerner (in her feature directorial debut) from a screenplay written by Kenya Barris and Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry, with Shawn Levy serving as an executive producer. The film stars Gabrielle Union, Zach Braff, Erika Christensen, and Timon Kyle Durrett with supporting roles by Christian Cote, Sebastian Cote, Christina Anthony, Caylee Blosenski, Journey Brown, Brittany Daniel, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Cynthia Daniel Hauser in her first acting role since 2002, Abby Elliott, Ron Funches, Leo Abelo Perry, Luke Prael, June Diane Raphael, Andre Robinson, Kylie Rogers, and Aryan Simhadri. It tells the story of a restaurant proprietor and his second wife as they raise the kids from the restaurateur's previous marriage, the second wife's family, and the children they later conceived as their respective exes are still involved in their children's lives.

Produced by Walt Disney Pictures,[a] Cheaper by the Dozen had its world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre on March 16, 2022, and was released on Disney+ on March 18. The film was met with mixed reviews.

The film was removed from Disney+ on May 26, 2023, but was later made available digitally on September 26, 2023.[3][4]

Plot

The Bakers, a blended family, began with Paul and Kate Baker, who had daughters Ella and Harley. After their friends died in a car accident, they took in their godson, Haresh. Kate eventually divorced Paul, but they stayed friends, with Kate occasionally babysitting.

Zoey married football player Dominic "Dom" Clayton and had two children, Deja and DJ. However, due to Dom's celebrity lifestyle, Zoey divorced him, gaining custody. She met Paul at his restaurant and suggested making the menu breakfast-themed all day. They married, expanded the restaurant into Baker's Breakfast, and had two sets of twins: Luca and Luna, and Bronx and Bailey.

Dom remains involved in Deja and DJ's lives, intimidating Paul, who was rarely present. As Deja prepares for her USC basketball scholarship, DJ feels a stronger connection with Paul than Dom. Paul secures a meeting with a major company to expand his restaurant and successfully gets his famous sauce on store shelves. He uses the earnings to move the family and their dogs, Bark Obama and Joe Bitin', from Los Angeles to a bigger house in Calabasas, in a gated community.

Zoey feels the effects of racial profiling after meeting her neighbor, Anne. Paul receives a call that his sister Rachel is in rehab, so he takes in his nephew Seth, whom Ella and Harley label a criminal. Seth bonds with Haresh, who is bullied for his ethnicity, teaching him self-defense while making monster spray for his cousins. Deja, rarely used on the Calabasa Hornets basketball team, sneaks out to see her new boyfriend Chris.

Paul travels to find new restaurant locations as investors Melanie and Michele push for changes to cut costs. He misses time with family, upsetting Zoey, who divorced Dom for similar reasons. Haresh and Seth are suspended for a week after fighting bullies, leading Zoey to ground them. On DJ's birthday, Paul rushes home, but the party spirals when DJ changes his look for a girl. Anne investigates a string of break-ins involving Zoey's family. Upon arrival, Deja reveals she quit the basketball team and the family's unhappiness in Calabasas. Concerned about Zoey and Paul's ability to parent, Dom announces he will seek full custody of Deja and DJ.

Harley and Ella accuse Seth of the break-ins after Haresh claims he saw him stealing from the cash register. Though Seth returned the money, he storms out in anger. Paul and Zoey tell them the money is from DCFS, given to Seth, and that someone broke into Anne's house during the party while Seth was grounded. Realizing their mistake, the Bakers, Kate, and Dom find Seth, apologize, and admit he is part of the family, though he rejoins them reluctantly at first.

At home, Paul and Dom reflect on their upbringings. Paul doesn't know disadvantage, while Dom realizes his absence from his kids has made him distant. Understanding his family's importance, Paul breaks his company deal to manage the restaurant himself. The Bakers relocate to Los Angeles, buy a new house, and the kids return to their old schools, with Deja rejoining her basketball team. During breakfast for dinner at Baker's Dozen Breakfast, Paul unveils a new sauce bottle design that includes Seth.

Dom, Paul, and Zoey invested their sauce and went national. Kate invented bird yoga. Seth moved back in with his mom after rehab but still spends time with his cousins. Deja and Chris started freshman year together. Ella became the social manager for Harley's punk band and went viral after performing at her school talent show. Luna and Luca won the national under 12 tennis division, reminiscent of Venus and Serena Williams. DJ, Talia, and Dom bonded at Comic-Con.

Cast

The film stars Gabrielle Union, Zach Braff, Erika Christensen and Timon Kyle Durrett.
  • Gabrielle Union as Zoey Baker, the matriarch of the Baker family.
  • Zach Braff as Paul Baker, the patriarch of the Baker family and proprietor of the restaurant Baker's Breakfast.
  • Erika Christensen as Kate Baker, the ex-wife of Paul and owner of a yoga studio who still watches her kids on occasion.
  • Timon Kyle Durrett as Dom Clayton, a football player who is the ex-husband of Zoey.
  • Journee Brown as Deja Clayton, the daughter of Zoey and Dom who is a basketball player with dreams of being a starting point guard for USC.
    • Kyrie McAlpin as 8-Year-Old Deja Clayton
  • Kylie Rogers as Ella Baker, the first daughter of Paul and Kate who is a self-described future influencer.
  • Andre Robinson as DJ Clayton, the son of Zoey and Dom who dreams of being the world's greatest Lego designer and comic book artist.
    • Elias Murphy as 3-Year-Old DJ Clayton
  • Caylee Blosenski as Harley Baker, the paraplegic second daughter of Paul and Kate who is an expert musician in her punk band where she plans to have them go viral.
    • Annalyn Black as 4-Year-Old Harley Baker
  • Aryan Simhadri as Haresh Baker, the godson of Paul and Kate who they adopted after his parents died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver and dreams of being a player. He later started styling his name with a $ in place of an S.
    • Mark Jirgis as Baby Haresh Baker
    • Niam Saharan as 3-Year-Old Haresh Baker
  • Leo Abelo Perry as Luca Baker-Clayton, the first son of Paul and Zoey, fraternal twin brother of Luna, and the half-brother of Deja, Ella, DJ, Harley, and Haresh.
  • Mykal-Michelle Harris as Luna Baker-Clayton, the daughter of Paul and Zoey, fraternal twin sister of Luca, and the half-sister of Deja, Ella, DJ, Harley, and Haresh.
  • Christian Cote as Bailey Baker-Clayton, the second son of Paul and Zoey, identical twin brother of the Bronx, brother of Luca and Luna, and the half-brother of Deja, Ella, DJ, Harley, and Haresh.
  • Sebastian Cote as Bronx Baker-Clayton, the third son of Paul and Zoey, identical twin brother of Bailey, brother of Luca and Luna, and the half-brother of Deja, Ella, DJ, Harley, and Haresh.
  • Luke Prael as Seth Baker, the nephew of Paul and paternal cousin of Ella, Harley, and Haresh.
  • Cynthia Murell as Rachel Baker, the sister of Paul and mother of Seth who has Paul watch over Seth while she is in rehab.
  • Brittany Daniel and Cynthia Daniel Hauser as Melanie and Michele, twin sisters and workers at Cynax who are investors for Baker's Breakfast.
  • June Diane Raphael as Anne Vaughn, an inhabitant of a Calabasas gated community who becomes the neighbor of the Baker family.
  • Simeon Daise as Chris, an inhabitant of a Calabasas gated community that Deja likes.
  • Ron Funches as Seth's neighbor
  • Lola Raie as Thalia, a goth girl and inhabitant of a Calabasas gated community who is DJ's love interest.
  • Sierra Swartz as Kimmy Baron, an inhabitant of a Calabasa gated community and member of the Calabasa Hornets basketball team whose parents donated a gym to the school.
  • Matthew Bellows as the Calabasa Hornets Coach
  • Abby Elliott as Tricia, an inhabitant of a Calabasas gated community that befriends Zoey.
  • John O'Brien as Principal
  • Christina Anthony as an Airline Attendant that Paul tries to bribe into letting him on an airplane back to Calabasas.

Also in the film are the Baker family's pet Rottweiler Bark Obama and chihuahua Joe Bitin', who are named after Barack Obama and Joe Biden and are portrayed by two uncredited dog actors. Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy briefly appear through archival audio from the 1950 film.

Production

In 2016, it was reported that Kenya Barris would work with 20th Century Fox on a remake of Cheaper by the Dozen.[5] On August 6, 2019, following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that a reboot of Cheaper by the Dozen was in development and that it would premiere on the company's streaming service, Disney+.[6] Gail Lerner was set to direct the film with a script co-written by Kenya Barris and Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry. Lerner had worked for Barris as a writer on the television series Black-ish and appreciated that he saw her not only as a writer but also a director.[7] Principal photography was scheduled to commence on July 13, 2020, in Los Angeles, California.[8] After filming was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney's new CEO Bob Chapek announced that filming had resumed in November 2020.[9] The film was revealed at the Disney Investors Day, along with the casting of Gabrielle Union.[10][11]

In January 2021, Zach Braff joined the cast.[12][13][14][15][16] In February 2021, Journee Brown, Kylie Rogers, Andre Robinson, Caylee Blosenski, Aryan Simhaldri, Leo Abelo Perry, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Christian Cote, Sebastian Cote, and Luke Prael joined the cast as the pair's children.[17] Erika Christensen would be added to the cast in April.[18] Filming had begun in Los Angeles by April 2021.[19]

Shawn Levy, who previously directed the 2003 film adaptation, was confirmed in 2021 to be an executive producer on the film.[20]

Lerner thought it was important to adjust the film to accommodate the actors, and not have young performers speaking lines or expressions that did not come across as natural for them. Lerner said Zoey is the heart of the film, she praised Union for not falling into tropes or stereotypes, and not wanting to be pigeonholed as the stern mom and the finger-wagger. Union also served as an executive producer.[7]

Music

John Paesano composed the musical score. The soundtrack was released on March 18, 2022, by Hollywood Records and Walt Disney Records.[21]

Also, Brandy and her daughter, Sy'Rai, recorded an original song "Nothing Without You" for the film. It was played during the end credits.

Release

On November 12, 2021, the film was revealed to be released in March 2022.[22] On February 7, 2022, with the release of the official trailer, it was revealed that it would be digitally released on March 18, 2022, on Disney+.[23] The film had its world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre on March 16.[24] Following its removal from Disney+, it was made available on other streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and Google Play, on September 26, 2023.[25]

Reception

Audience viewership

According to Whip Media, Cheaper by the Dozen was the 5th-most-streamed movie across all platforms in the United States during the week of March 18, 2022, to March 20, 2022.[26]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 35% of 37 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Cheaper by the Dozen adds some modern twists to its oft-adapted story, but fresh laughs are few and far between."[27] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 42 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[28]

Variety stated: "Despite some of this movie’s missteps, the heart behind its messages is in the right place. Sentiments dealing with co-parenting after divorce and prioritizing family above monetary success may seem old fashioned on the surface. Yet it goes deeper, exploring and challenging our societal system’s gross inequities and injustices in a thoughtful, meaningful manner."[29] IGN rated the movie 6 out of 10, stating, "Disney's latest reboot of Cheaper by the Dozen, starring Zach Braff and Gabrielle Union, can be as haphazard as its premise."[30] The Guardian rated the movie 3 out of 5 stars, stating, "As with the 2003 film, the gist of Disney Plus’s remake is cheerful domestic chaos molded into light didacticism: the importance of the nuclear family (albeit a blended one, in this update) with reminders to not get blinded by financial success or the lure of growth."[31] Screen Rant gave the movie 2.5 out of 5 stars, saying "Cheaper by the Dozen is a fluffy family drama that ultimately doesn’t amount to anything. [...] It is great that this blended family is so diverse, but if there is no thoughtful integration of their stories, they remain merely set dressing."[32]

Accolades

The film received a nomination for Outstanding Makeup (Television or Film) at the 2023 NAACP Image Awards.[33][34]

Notes

  1. ^ a b The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures but the copyright is registered with 20th Century Studios, the latter who originally produced the film.[1]

References

  1. ^ "List of Disney Films". D23. Archived from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  2. ^ Howard, Courtney (March 17, 2022). "'Cheaper by the Dozen' Review: Disney Plus' Refurbished Remake Holds Promising Pluses and Messy Minuses". Variety. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  3. ^ Weatherbed, Jess (May 19, 2023). "Disney will remove over 50 shows from Disney Plus and Hulu this month". The Verge. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "Disney Reveals Historic Re-Release of 7 Abandoned Movies". September 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Busch, Anita (September 7, 2016). "'Black-ish' Creator Kenya Barris Signs 20th Century Fox Movie Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  6. ^ Galupp, Mia (August 6, 2019). "'Home Alone,' 'Night at the Museum' to Be Rebooted at Disney+". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Deckelmeier, Joe (March 23, 2022). "Gail Lerner Interview: Cheaper by the Dozen". ScreenRant (Interview).
  8. ^ Palmer, Roger (January 18, 2020). ""Cheaper By The Dozen" Disney+ Reboot Filming Date Revealed | What's On Disney Plus". The Disinsider. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020. [better source needed]
  9. ^ Jones, Mike (November 13, 2020). "Disney Confirms ALL Movies Shut Down For COVID Have Restarted Or Completed Filming". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  10. ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (December 10, 2020). "Gabrielle Union to star in 'Cheaper by the Dozen' reimagining from Kenya Barris". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  11. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (December 11, 2020). "Gabrielle Union To Star In Kenya Barris' Reimagining Of 'Cheaper By The Dozen' For Disney". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  12. ^ Kit, Borys (January 28, 2021). "Zach Braff Joins Gabrielle Union for 'Cheaper by the Dozen' Remake". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  13. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 28, 2021). "Zach Braff Joins Gabrielle Union For 'Cheaper By The Dozen' Reimagining At Disney+". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  14. ^ Cordero, Rosy (January 28, 2021). "Zach Braff joins Gabrielle Union in 'Cheaper by the Dozen' remake for Disney+". EW.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  15. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (January 28, 2021). "Zach Braff Cast in 'Cheaper by the Dozen' Remake at Disney Plus". Variety. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  16. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy (January 29, 2021). "Zach Braff, Gabrielle Union to star in 'Cheaper by the Dozen' remake based on N.J. family". NJ.com. Advance Publications. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  17. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (February 19, 2021). "'Cheaper By The Dozen': 10 Join Gabrielle Union And Zach Braff In Remake For Disney+". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  18. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (April 1, 2021). "'Parenthood' Alum Erika Christensen Cast In New Line's 'KIMI' For HBO Max & 'Cheaper By The Dozen' Remake At Disney+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  19. ^ "Anthony Anderson Is on Fire in L.A., Plus Olivia Munn, Mark Wahlberg and More". People. April 22, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2022. Gabrielle Union is spotted wearing a fake baby bump while filming the remake of Cheaper by the Dozen on Wednesday in L.A.
  20. ^ Ramos, Alexandra (November 18, 2021). "Cheaper by the Dozen: 6 Quick Things We Know About the Upcoming Disney+ Movie". CinemaBlend.
  21. ^ "'Cheaper by the Dozen' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. March 17, 2022.
  22. ^ Klein, Brennan (November 12, 2021). "Cheaper By the Dozen Reboot Release Set For March 2022 On Disney+". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  23. ^ Blackwelder, Carson (February 7, 2022). "Gabrielle Union, Zach Braff star in 'Cheaper By the Dozen' remake trailer". Good Morning America. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  24. ^ The El Capitan Theatre (March 17, 2022). "Special event last night at The El Capitan Theatre!" – via Twitter.
  25. ^ "Disney Reveals Historic Re-Release of 7 Abandoned Movies". September 26, 2023.
  26. ^ Prange, Stephanie (March 22, 2022). "'Turning Red,' 'Upload' Top Weekly Whip Media Streaming Charts – Media Play News". Media Play News. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  27. ^ "Cheaper by the Dozen". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  28. ^ "Cheaper by the Dozen". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  29. ^ Howard, Courtney (March 17, 2022). "'Cheaper by the Dozen' Review: Disney Plus' Refurbished Remake Holds Promising Pluses and Messy Minuses". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  30. ^ Fowler, Matt (March 18, 2022). "Cheaper by the Dozen Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  31. ^ Horton, Adrian (March 18, 2022). "Cheaper by the Dozen review – breezy Disney remake of family comedy". The Guardian. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  32. ^ Ferdosa (March 17, 2022). "Cheaper By The Dozen Review: Disney's Modern Remake Is Tepid & Insincere". Screen Rant. Valnet Inc. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  33. ^ January 12, Christian Holub; EST, 2023 at 02:33 PM. "'Wakanda Forever' and 'Abbott Elementary' top NAACP Image Award nominations". EW.com. Retrieved April 3, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  34. ^ Lewis, Hilary (February 25, 2023). "NAACP Image Awards: 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,' 'Abbott Elementary' Among Top Winners at Pre-Telecast Dinner". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 3, 2023.