OK movie remake of Helen (Russo) and Frank (Quaid) who marry, joining their families (18 children). We enjoyed this film but it needs to stand alone without comparisons to its predecessor. The 1968 version made an effort to keep closer to the true story on which it was based whereas this film kept only the barest outline. The characters and family situations bear little resemblance to the original. That said, this version of this large blended family is still fun if you enjoy the slapstick style of comedy. Both Russo and Quaid do a good job in their roles as do the kids, although both Helen’s character with its “free expression” and no discipline along with Frank’s “not a toe out line” attitude seemed a little over the top to me. The kids were polar opposites in personality as well which was also pretty unbelievable. Both problems, though, came more from the script than the acting. This story is not as believable as the original and has several holes. It is hard to accept that anyone who really loves their kids would marry without introducing the new “parent-to-be” to their children. Or that any parent wouldn’t be grounding their kids for life with some of the antics that go on during this film. Even so, if you set aside the believability factor, this is still an enjoyable family film. ***
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