Cheaper by the Dozen (2003 film)
Encyclopedia
Cheaper by the Dozen is a 2003 American comedy film
about a family with 12 children (seven boys and five girls). The film takes its title from the 1948 biography of the same name
of Frank Bunker Gilbreth
and Lillian Moller Gilbreth
and their 12 children, but other than the title and the concept of a family with 12 children, the film bears no resemblance to the book nor its movie adaption
. The film was directed by Shawn Levy
, who also helped produce the sequel Cheaper by the Dozen 2
. It was released on Thursday, December 25, 2003 by 20th Century Fox
.
) narrates a story about her large family: her husband Tom (Steve Martin
) is a football coach at a small rural college, Kate is hoping to publish her book on parenting, and all while they manage their twelve children, eleven of which live at home. When Tom unexpectedly receives an offer from his old friend Shake McGuire (Richard Jenkins
) to coach at a large university, the family moved to Evanston, Illinois
despite the protests of their younger children. The family's second child, Charlie (Tom Welling
), refuses to leave his girlfriend, Beth (Tiffany Dupont
), and the others simply don't want to leave their friends and home. The atmosphere at the new house, which is absolutely huge, is tense, and the situation at school is even worse. The younger children are, in general, harrassed at school. Charlie is taunted for being a "country boy", while Jake and Mark especially are consistently antagonized.
When Kate's book is ready to pick up for publication, she is required to do a national book tour to promote it. Tom thinks he can handle everything in the Baker household, so he hires the family's oldest child, Nora (Piper Perabo
) and her boyfriend Hank (Ashton Kutcher
) to manage the younger children. The younger children detest Hank, and make him the target of their antagonistic pranks, prompting him to refuse to assist in baby-sitting. Soon after Tom grounds his children for pulling pranks on Hank, having fights at school, and not doing any chores around the house, chaos ensues at their next-door neighbor's birthday party, resulting in major property damage and the hospitalization of Dylan Shenk (Steven Anthony Lawrence
). Kate is forced to cut short the book tour to take charge of the situation. Her publisher decides to create additional promotion for the book by inviting The Oprah Winfrey Show
to tape a segment about the Bakers in their home. Despite much coaching from Kate, and Kate being furious at Tom for not telling her he couldn't handle it, the Bakers are not able to demonstrate the loving, strongly bonded family that Kate described in her book. When a fight erupts before the segment starts, it is cancelled.
As a result of the fight, Mark feels unwanted and runs away. Despite the efforts of the Bakers, their friends, and the police, the family are unable to find Mark. However, Tom indulges a hunch that Mark is attempting to run back to the family's old home from the beginning of the film, and eventually found Mark on a train departing from Chicago to Midland, Indiana
. Reuniting with the rest of the family, they realize that they have not been a close family, and they begin to address their issues with each other. Ultimately, Tom resigns from his position at the university and settles for a less time-consuming job; however, the family decided to remain in Evanston. The film ends with Kate's narration explaining that the Bakers are closer as a result of their experiences.
, was released in the United States on December 21, 2005.
, based on 30 reviews. At the U.S. box office, the film opened at #2 raking in $27,557,647 USD in its first opening weekend and got stuck at the runner up position the following week being held off the top spot by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
. Despite its mixed reviews, it became a box office hit. Critics praised the whole cast's performance, and especially praised performances by Martin, Hunt, and Duff.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
about a family with 12 children (seven boys and five girls). The film takes its title from the 1948 biography of the same name
Cheaper by the Dozen
Cheaper by the Dozen is a biographical book written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey that tells the story of time and motion study and efficiency experts Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Lillian Moller Gilbreth, and their twelve children. The book focuses on the many years the...
of Frank Bunker Gilbreth
Frank Bunker Gilbreth
Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr. was an early advocate of scientific management and a pioneer of motion study, but is perhaps best known as the father and central figure of Cheaper by the Dozen.- Biography :...
and Lillian Moller Gilbreth
Lillian Moller Gilbreth
Lillian Moller Gilbreth was an American psychologist and industrial engineer. One of the first working female engineers holding a Ph.D., she is arguably the first true industrial/organizational psychologist. She and her husband Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr...
and their 12 children, but other than the title and the concept of a family with 12 children, the film bears no resemblance to the book nor its movie adaption
Cheaper by the Dozen (1950 film)
Cheaper by the Dozen is a 1950 film based upon the 1948 book Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The film and book describe growing up in a family with twelve children in Montclair, New Jersey. It was made in Technicolor with Leon Shamroy as cinematographer...
. The film was directed by Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy
Shawn Adam Levy is a Canadian-American actor, director and producer who directed the comedy films Big Fat Liar, Just Married, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther, Night at the Museum, Date Night, and the sci-fi movie Real Steel...
, who also helped produce the sequel Cheaper by the Dozen 2
Cheaper by the Dozen 2
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is a 2005 film produced by 20th Century Fox. It is the sequel to the family comedy film Cheaper by the Dozen . Shawn Levy, the director of the first film, did not return as director for this sequel, which was instead directed by Adam Shankman . Levy was a producer of the film...
. It was released on Thursday, December 25, 2003 by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
.
Plot
Kate Baker (Bonnie HuntBonnie Hunt
Bonnie Lynne Hunt is an American actress, comedian, writer, director, television producer and daytime television host.- Early life :...
) narrates a story about her large family: her husband Tom (Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
) is a football coach at a small rural college, Kate is hoping to publish her book on parenting, and all while they manage their twelve children, eleven of which live at home. When Tom unexpectedly receives an offer from his old friend Shake McGuire (Richard Jenkins
Richard Jenkins
Richard Dale Jenkins is an American stage, film, and television actor. After beginning his career in theatre, Jenkins made his film debut in 1974, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous film productions in the 1980s and the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the 2000s for playing the deceased...
) to coach at a large university, the family moved to Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
despite the protests of their younger children. The family's second child, Charlie (Tom Welling
Tom Welling
Thomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling is an American actor, director, producer, and former model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville....
), refuses to leave his girlfriend, Beth (Tiffany Dupont
Tiffany Dupont
Tiffany Dupont is an American actress, known for playing the lead character, Hadassah, a Jewish girl, who will become the Biblical Esther, Queen of Persia, in the Hollywood film One Night with the King...
), and the others simply don't want to leave their friends and home. The atmosphere at the new house, which is absolutely huge, is tense, and the situation at school is even worse. The younger children are, in general, harrassed at school. Charlie is taunted for being a "country boy", while Jake and Mark especially are consistently antagonized.
When Kate's book is ready to pick up for publication, she is required to do a national book tour to promote it. Tom thinks he can handle everything in the Baker household, so he hires the family's oldest child, Nora (Piper Perabo
Piper Perabo
Piper Lisa Perabo is a Golden Globe Award nominated American stage, film and television actress.-Early life:Perabo was born in Dallas, Texas and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, the daughter of Mary Charlotte , a physical therapist, and George William Perabo, a professor of poetry at Ocean...
) and her boyfriend Hank (Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
) to manage the younger children. The younger children detest Hank, and make him the target of their antagonistic pranks, prompting him to refuse to assist in baby-sitting. Soon after Tom grounds his children for pulling pranks on Hank, having fights at school, and not doing any chores around the house, chaos ensues at their next-door neighbor's birthday party, resulting in major property damage and the hospitalization of Dylan Shenk (Steven Anthony Lawrence
Steven Anthony Lawrence
Steven Anthony Lawrence is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Bernard "Beans" Aranguren in the hit Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens. His other television credits include That's So Raven, Married with Children, ER, Frasier, The Amanda Show and among...
). Kate is forced to cut short the book tour to take charge of the situation. Her publisher decides to create additional promotion for the book by inviting The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
to tape a segment about the Bakers in their home. Despite much coaching from Kate, and Kate being furious at Tom for not telling her he couldn't handle it, the Bakers are not able to demonstrate the loving, strongly bonded family that Kate described in her book. When a fight erupts before the segment starts, it is cancelled.
As a result of the fight, Mark feels unwanted and runs away. Despite the efforts of the Bakers, their friends, and the police, the family are unable to find Mark. However, Tom indulges a hunch that Mark is attempting to run back to the family's old home from the beginning of the film, and eventually found Mark on a train departing from Chicago to Midland, Indiana
Midland, Indiana
Midland is an unincorporated town in Wright Township, Greene County, Indiana....
. Reuniting with the rest of the family, they realize that they have not been a close family, and they begin to address their issues with each other. Ultimately, Tom resigns from his position at the university and settles for a less time-consuming job; however, the family decided to remain in Evanston. The film ends with Kate's narration explaining that the Bakers are closer as a result of their experiences.
Cast
- Steve MartinSteve MartinStephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
as Tom Baker, husband of Kate Baker, father of their 12 children, and the main protagonist of the film. He sacrificed his dream of coaching at a big school to fulfill his dream of raising a large family. He eventually gets his dream job of coaching, but eventually resigns after realizing he is missing out on his children's lives. - Bonnie HuntBonnie HuntBonnie Lynne Hunt is an American actress, comedian, writer, director, television producer and daytime television host.- Early life :...
as Kate Baker, the mother of the 12 children and wife of Tom Baker. The loss of a sister in childhood inspired her to have a large family. She sacrificed a dream of being a sports journalist to become a stay-at-home mom. Kate grew up wishing she had a larger family, like Tom. She later quickly becomes used to the lifestyle of a professional book writer, but ultimately misses her family and abandons her new career after publishing her book which becomes a best seller. - Piper PeraboPiper PeraboPiper Lisa Perabo is a Golden Globe Award nominated American stage, film and television actress.-Early life:Perabo was born in Dallas, Texas and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, the daughter of Mary Charlotte , a physical therapist, and George William Perabo, a professor of poetry at Ocean...
as Nora Baker, the oldest Baker child. She lives on her own with her boyfriend, Hank. Nora dislikes her siblings for interfering with her personal life with Hank, as they always pull pranks on him because they see him as a jerk. She later realizes they were right about him when he doesn't seem to care about her brother Mark after he runs away. - Tom WellingTom WellingThomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling is an American actor, director, producer, and former model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville....
as Charlie Baker, the second oldest child and first born boy. The move to Evanston is especially taxing on Charlie, as all of his memories were in Midland. Treated as an outsider by his peers, he grows more detached from the family when Tom and Kate's careers pull them away from home. Only when he removed from the football team do his parents notice how much he is suffering. - Hilary DuffHilary DuffHilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
as Lorraine Baker, the third child. Lorraine loves glamour and aspires to be a "fashion guru" and hates getting Nora's hand-me-downs. She is closest to Sarah, her polar opposite, though they tend to argue frequently. - Kevin SchmidtKevin SchmidtKevin Gerard Schmidt , also credited as Kevin G. Schmidt and Kevin Schmidt, is an American actor and vlogger. He is best known for playing Noah Newman on The Young and the Restless and as Henry Griffin in Unnatural History...
as Henry Baker, the fourth child. He looks up to Charlie more than anyone else in the family. He prefers to play the clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and is the most musical member of the family. - Alyson StonerAlyson StonerAlyson Rae Stoner is an American actress, dancer and singer. Stoner is known for her roles in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody , Cheaper By The Dozen and Cheaper By The Dozen 2 , Step Up and Step Up 3 , and Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2...
as Sarah Baker, the fifth child. She describes herself as a master prankster, but her pranks sometimes tend to get out of control. Sarah is tomboyishTomboyA tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
and enjoys vigorous team sports. - Jacob SmithJacob Smith (actor)Jonathan Jacob Charles William Smith is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role in the film Cheaper by the Dozen and its 2005 sequel.-Life and career:...
as Jake Baker, the sixth child. Jake enjoys skateboarding and is closest to his older sister, Sarah, and his younger brother, Mike. - Forrest LandisForrest LandisForrest Landis is an American child actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles of Mark Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen and Rhett Loud in Flightplan...
as Mark Baker, seventh child. He is often teased by his siblings because of his red hair and glasses. He has an affinity for pets, most notably a pet frog named Beans, who is Mark's constant companion and only confidante. His attempted escapade back to Midland is what inspires the family to become closer. - Liliana MumyLiliana MumyLiliana Berry Davis Mumy is an American teen actress and voice actress. Her most notable roles are as Jessica Baker in the Cheaper by the Dozen movies with Steve Martin, Lucy Miller in The Santa Clause sequels with Tim Allen, Mertle Edmonds on the Disney Channel original series Lilo & Stitch: The...
and Morgan YorkMorgan YorkMorgan Elizabeth York is an American actress, best known for her role as Kim Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen and Cheaper by the Dozen 2, and also her recent role as Sarah in Hannah Montana.- Career :...
as Jessica and Kimberly Baker, the first set of twins, who are fraternal. They are the eighth and ninth children. They are the smartest in the family, although their intellect goes largely unnoticed. They are frequently involved in Sarah's pranks and are close to each other. - Blake WoodruffBlake WoodruffBlake Michael Woodruff is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Mike Baker in the film Cheaper by the Dozen.Woodruff has two older sisters, Ayla and Raina, and a younger brother, Trevor. He decided that he wanted to be an actor at the age of six, and was cast in Shawn Levy's Cheaper...
as Mike Baker, the tenth child. He was born due to a night of drinking for his parents. Mike is closest to his older brother Jake, and spends most of his time the older children. He enjoys skateboarding, hockey, and performing potentially dangerous physical stunts, such as hanging from the roof of the house. - ShaneShane KinsmanShane Kinsman is an American child actor who typically plays a rambunctious twin alongside his identical twin brother Brent. He played Kyle Baker in the 2003 film Cheaper by the Dozen and its 2005 sequel Cheaper by the Dozen 2...
and Brent Kinsman as Kyle and Nigel Baker, identical twin boys, the eleventh and twelfth children. They look up to all of their siblings, and enjoy frequently taking part in Sarah's pranks. - Ashton KutcherAshton KutcherChristopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
as Hank, Nora's boyfriend. Because he is usually the frequent target of Sarah's shenanigans, he dislikes children. Nora eventually breaks up with him after he doesn't seem to care about Mark after he is reported missing. - Paula MarshallPaula MarshallPaula Marshall is an American actress.-Career:In 1992, Marshall had a three-episode guest role on The Wonder Years and later guest-starred on shows such as Seinfeld, Nash Bridges, Grapevine and Diagnosis: Murder. In 1994, she got her first sitcom role on Wild Oats...
as Tina Shenk, Dylan's over-protective mother who dislikes the Baker children. She is generally hostile towards the Bakers. She appears to believe that the Bakers have too many children. - Steven Anthony LawrenceSteven Anthony LawrenceSteven Anthony Lawrence is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Bernard "Beans" Aranguren in the hit Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens. His other television credits include That's So Raven, Married with Children, ER, Frasier, The Amanda Show and among...
as Dylan Shenk, Tina and Bill's son. He is friendly towards the Bakers and wonders why he did not have siblings. He got injured by Tom, after the Baker kids sneaked out and crashed his party while they were grounded. - Richard JenkinsRichard JenkinsRichard Dale Jenkins is an American stage, film, and television actor. After beginning his career in theatre, Jenkins made his film debut in 1974, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous film productions in the 1980s and the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the 2000s for playing the deceased...
as Shake McGuire, Tom Baker's old football team mate who is now the director of the football program at the university. Shake was the one who offered the coaching job to Tom, prompting the move to Evanston. - Alan RuckAlan RuckAlan Ruck is an American film, stage and television actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Stuart Bondek on Spin City.-Early life:...
as Bill Shenk, Dylan's father who is far kinder than Tina and actually likes the Bakers. In a few scenes in the movie, he makes subtle hints that he wanted more children, unlike Tina who wanted "one perfect child". - Dax ShepardDax ShepardDax Randall Shepard is an American actor.- Early life :Shepard was born in Milford, Michigan and attended Muir Junior High and Walled Lake Central High School, before enrolling in The Groundlings school. He later received a degree in anthropology at UCLA...
as a member of the camera crew. - Tiffany DupontTiffany DupontTiffany Dupont is an American actress, known for playing the lead character, Hadassah, a Jewish girl, who will become the Biblical Esther, Queen of Persia, in the Hollywood film One Night with the King...
as Beth, Charlie's girlfriend who lives in Midland. - Cody LinleyCody LinleyCody Martin Linley is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his recurring role as Jake Ryan in the television series Hannah Montana and for being a contestant on the seventh season of Dancing With The Stars, in which he was partnered with Julianne Hough.-Career:Linley made his acting...
as Quinn, a school bully who picks on Mark and the other children. - Regis PhilbinRegis PhilbinRegis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
as Himself. - Kelly RipaKelly RipaKelly Ripa is an American actress and television host. Since February 2001, she has served as the co-host of talk show Live with Regis and Kelly, along with Regis Philbin and now solo host of Live! With Kelly...
as Herself. - Jared PadaleckiJared PadaleckiJared Tristan Padalecki is an American actor. He grew up in Texas and came to fame in the early 2000s after appearing on the television series Gilmore Girls as well as in several Hollywood films, including New York Minute and House of Wax...
as a unnamed bully who picks on Charlie for being the new kid in town and a "hick". - Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
as the voice of Gunner, the Bakers' pet dog.
Sequels
A sequel, Cheaper by the Dozen 2Cheaper by the Dozen 2
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is a 2005 film produced by 20th Century Fox. It is the sequel to the family comedy film Cheaper by the Dozen . Shawn Levy, the director of the first film, did not return as director for this sequel, which was instead directed by Adam Shankman . Levy was a producer of the film...
, was released in the United States on December 21, 2005.
Soundtrack
Awards and Nominations
Cheaper by the Dozen has been nominated and won several awards. The following is a list of these:| Result | Type of award | Category | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominated | Teen Choice Award | Choice movie blush (Hilary Duff), Choice breakout movie star (male) (Tom Welling), Choice movie liplock | 2004 |
| Won | Young artist award | Best Ensemble Cast | |
| Nominated | Best performance in feature film (Alyson Stoner and Forrest Landis) |
Critical reception
The film received mixed to negative reviews from film critics, with 23% of critics giving a positive review and an average score of 4.6 out of 10 according Rotten Tomatoes, based on 112 reviews. The movie has an average score of 46 out of 100 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, based on 30 reviews. At the U.S. box office, the film opened at #2 raking in $27,557,647 USD in its first opening weekend and got stuck at the runner up position the following week being held off the top spot by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
. Despite its mixed reviews, it became a box office hit. Critics praised the whole cast's performance, and especially praised performances by Martin, Hunt, and Duff.