This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
My Way
Plot Overview
"
Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid)
and Helen White (Rene Russo) were high school sweethearts in
New London, Conn., but drifted
apart after graduation. Admiral “Mad Dog”
Beardsley has now moved back to run the Coast Guard Academy while
Helen North has stayed put as a fashionista. They reconnect on
a twenty year reunion cruise. Sparks fly.
They tie the knot to
fill the gaps left by their dearly departed spouses, and they
inform their combined eighteen (!) children after the fact.
Renovating their new digs takes all hands on deck, which
degenerates into a paint fight turning their classic foyer into a
Jackson Pollack painting, along the lines of author Bill Scheft's
description of a Parkinson's sufferer at the breakfast table:
“Mort Spell could still be good company, but his tremors
turned any dining surface into a Jackson Pollack” (194).
The children's ages range from pre-K to pre-college. They descend en
mass on the school where they encounter all the typical conflicts
& challenges but spread out according to their ages.
These
children are used to working as a team, one a team of eight and the
other of ten, so it's no great leap for them to form a team of
eighteen. They figure—rightly so—that together they can
make or break this new marital arrangement.
Ideology
The romance is either doomed by the plot or blessed by Hollywood, and it's hard to figure out which, but here's a clue: (Prov. 30:18-19) “There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.” It's darn difficult to track all of those movements: the eagle floating on invisible air currents (to drop suddenly on spotted prey,) the slithering snake on a bare rock, a ship tossed about on the ocean waves, or the Hollywood romance.
“The way of an eagle in the air” is here represented by a chain of children dangling from a high tower, in need of rescue. A whole chain of events will jeopardize the nascent romance unable to save itself without intervention.
“The way of a serpent upon a rock” is here represented by Fiona the pot-bellied pig absconding down the road with half a pepperoni pizza in her craw. Perhaps the lovers have bit off more than they can chew.
“The way of a ship in the midst of the sea” is an actual naval vessel with the admiral at the helm who has decisions to make influenced by sea traffic, or prior decisions to be revisited in a new light.
“The way of a man with a maid.” It is what it is.
Production Values
“” (2005) was directed by a promoted Raja Gosnell. Its screenplay was written by Ron Burch, David Kidd and Melville Shavelson, based on the 1968 screenplay by Melville Shavelson and Mort Lachman, which in turn was derived from a story by Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr. It stars Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo who handled their age appropriate parts well. Honorable mention should be given to Linda Hunt who played Frank's housekeeper Mrs. Munion and to David Koechner who played Admiral Beardsley's subordinate, Captain Darrell Edwards who tried to pawn off his ex-wife on him although it's obvious they weren't quite finished with each other—they can be seen dancing together in a closing scene.
MPA rated it PG for some mild crude humor. Gosnell's deft editing based on long experience allows a potentially bloated plot to finish in a timely manner. The scenes seem to intrinsically set up the following ones allowing the story to proceed apace without drawn out lead-ups. The music is mostly gentle except for a godawful reveille. Runtime ≈ 1¾ hours.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
YM&O is like a combination of the Brady Bunch
and the Von Trapp family. It should produce smiles, chuckles and
laughs depending on the state your funny bone. The romance is
surprisingly touching. Enjoy.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Well done action flick. Suitability for children: Suitable for children with guidance. Special effects: Well done special effects. Video Occasion: Good for Groups. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Three stars out of five.
Works Cited
Scripture quoted from the King James Version. Pub. 1611, rev. 1769. Software.
Scheft, Bill. The Ringer. Copyright © 2002 by Bill Scheft. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. first edition. Print.
bibles.n7nz.org