No Good, Very Bad Day recalls Disney family classics

Have you ever just had a really bad day? If you have, 11-year-old Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) knows exactly how you feel. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a charming family comedy directed by Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl), which revolves around Alexander Cooper, whose seemingly perfect family has little sympathy for his all-too-frequent bad days; that is, until the tables turn and the other members of the Cooper family embark on very bad days of their own. Adapted from the wildly popular 1972 children’s book of the same name by Judith Viorst, this film reminds us of the importance of family and camaraderie when things begin to go very wrong.

 

As we watch dad Ben Cooper (Steve Carell) attempt to land a job at a trendy video game design company while keeping an eye on his impish baby, mom Kelly (Jennifer Garner) is navigating a workplace disaster when the children’s book her company is publishing is sent to shops with a hilarious misprint. Meanwhile, high school junior Anthony (Dylan Minnette) struggles with his high maintenance girlfriend (Bella Thorne) during the days leading up to prom, and sister Emily (Kerris Dorsey) wakes up with a head cold on the opening night of her starring role in Peter Pan. All of this goes on while Alexander’s all-important 12th birthday is nearly forgotten in the chaos.

This newest release from Disney might not initially seem to be a must-see; it’s marketed as a family film and seems like something you would have enjoyed about 10 years ago. But that’s exactly why audiences should see it. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day will have you thinking back to the Disney classic live action comedies from the ’90s. It’s not a far cry from The Parent Trap, Father of the Bride and Freaky Friday, movies that sent family members of all ages into fits of laughter. Minnette agreed, saying that this movie reminds him of “the kind of movies that I grew up with.” The humor is gentle enough to appease cautious parents but offers a good sprinkling of innuendos, adult references and Australian strippers to avoid putting young adults to sleep. The general definition of a family film has shifted from a film whose content will only be appreciated by pre-teens, but this film is bringing back the original style of the genre. In fact, Arteta took his main inspiration for the film not from other family comedies, but from John Hughes’ famous adolescent dramas. He explained that the movies Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in particular shaped his approach to the movie, as he wanted to encapsulate both the frenetic atmosphere and caring family values that these films portrayed.

Alexander certainly should be a hit with families considering the star power behind its production. Arteta teamed up with veteran producers Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum and Date Night), Lisa Henson (Good Boy!) and Dan Levine (The Internship). Production designer Michael Corenblith brings all the warmth and vibrant colors of Saving Mr. Banks, and Arteta strikes just the right balance of comedy to keep up the pace and warmth to keep the audience invested in the characters.

In addition, the fantastic chemistry between the actors makes for an endearing movie. Carell and Garner are both hilarious and relatable as the two frantic parents of a large family trying to juggle parenting and their careers, while Minnette and Dorsey provide two very different but equally hilarious teenagers of the modern age. Arguably, the most prominent star is Oxenbould, the Australian boy cast in the role of American Alexander. His Australian accent in the film is undetectable and his “everyman” acting style immediately gains the audience’s sympathies.

Carell and Garner explained that they drew on their own parenting experience to get into character, making it one of the easiest films for the two parents to prepare for. Carell explained how he helps his kids on bad days by letting them know that this is normal and life isn’t always perfect.

“You don’t always want your parents to deal with everything for you because ultimately they won’t be there,” he said.

It’s understandable that this movie won’t be at the top of many college students’ must-see lists, but it should not be entirely overlooked. As Arteta so accurately points out about bad days, “Every kid feels this way, and every adult feels this way too. It’s one of the most universal concepts there is, and there’s never been a movie about it.” For a day spent with the family — or even if you feel like forgetting the strains of college life and reliving the family comedies you watched growing up — Alexander’s very bad day will undoubtedly be a very good one for you.