Very Bad May Mean Very Good: a review of Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”
Details –
- Runtime: 81 minutes
- Rating: Rated PG for rude humor including some reckless behavior and language
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Synopsis –
Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another.
But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him. He soon learns that he’s not alone when his mom (Jennifer Garner), dad (Steve Carell), brother (Dylan Minnette) and sister (Kerris Dorsey) all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn’t had one.
Last week, my husband and I were invited to review the film prior to its nationwide premier and were asked to write a review through the eyes of a mom… me!
So here it goes…
The movie is yet another Disney adaptation of a beloved kids’ book. In typical Disney fashion, the PG-rated film is action packed with hilariously zany antics and many, yet relatable, sometimes exaggerated situations to any average American family. The movie not only focuses on its main character Alexander’s chaotic day, but on his entire family.
It begins as Alexander wakes up the day before his 12th birthday, with gum stuck to his hair from which point an onslaught of events quickly spiral from bad to worse.
As Alexander shares his catastrophic day with his family, he finds little sympathy from the overtly optimistic bunch. The Cooper family, consisting of carefree Mom Kelly (Jennifer Garner), optimistic Dad Ben (Steve Carell), seemingly gifted big brother Anthony (Dylan Minnette), older sister Emily (Kerris Dorsey), and even baby Trevor, live life effortlessly.
Compassion immediately surfaces in my emotions as Alexander reflects on earlier events and begins to wonder if he is the only one who has bad days. This tugged at my heartstrings when I think about my own child as he struggled with the challenges of growing up and there’s only so much mom can do to make him feel better.
As the characters play out through the movie, I can totally relate to mom Kelly’s attempts to balance work and family life at the same time in keeping it all together. Being pulled from both ends can really test your patience and make you take a look at what your priorities are. Kelly played the part wisely in choosing. Her family always came first. There were instances where keeping her cool seemed unrealistic, but then again it’s a Disney movie.
Dad Ben, the ever optimistic patriarch, makes every attempt to be the stronghold of the family, keeping up the face of positivity even when he himself is uncertain about his own situation. This, too, is something that we or any other family for that matter, can relate to.
As mayhem ensues in hysterically funny, action-filled situations, empathy surfaces and amidst all the chaos, Alexander realizes that “You gotta have the bad days so you can love the good days.” Despite of it all, his family endured the bad day together with a little more appreciation for each other.
I like the fact that humor was a big part of the story even in situations that appeared to be catastrophic. (Hint: a driving test gone haywire for one…). Adventurous and sometimes dangerous as it may have seem, the day’s end result was that everyone came out a little ruffled but unscathed. Having said that, the action in the movie was carefully choreographed making it appropriate for young children and adults alike.
All in all, I highly recommend this movie for families of all age groups. It provides a good balance of humor, action and reality with a hint of fantasy. Disney movies… ya gotta love it… and I do. Thank you for the privilege of sharing my thoughts about this potentially classic Disney family film, which they should do more often!
This review was written by guest reviewer Melody Poblete. All reviews are personal opinions and may not reflect the attitudes of other writers for DisneyExaminer.com unless stated otherwise.
These films have been screened prior to the release date for review purposes and therefore are viewed without charge courtesy of The Walt Disney Studios.