Cheaper By The Dozen

Tayo Awolola

May 30

In CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, Paul (Zach Braff) and Zoey (Gabrielle Union) Baker play a married couple who are the heads of a huge mixed family. They have ten children together, including Some from their previous marriages, others they had together, one they adopted as a newborn, and one they've adopted. They also drag their ex-spouses into the mix, including Kate (Erika Christensen), a flighty part-time babysitter, and Dom, a rich former pro-baller (Timon Kyle Durrett). Paul is White, Zoey is Black, and their children are White, Black, or mixed race, a mix that presents its own set of problems in today's culture. The Bakers accept a large quantity of money to create a line of sauces and then franchise their breakfast restaurant. However, their new affluent lifestyle does not appeal to all of the children, and the franchise begins to isolate Paul from his family. Will Paul abandon the franchise and focus on the happiness of his family? or will he pursue his career as a chef and ignore the needs of his family?

This remake of Cheaper by the Dozen, starring Gabrielle Union and Zach Braff, adds social justice themes to the 1950 and 2003 versions' large-blended-family concept. When the family becomes wealthy, they move to a more costly lifestyle, which turns out to be unsatisfactory. Parents purchase expensive gifts for their children, but the essential message is that family members look out for one another and support one another in good times and bad. Racism, racial profiling (such as officers pulling over Black males or women of colour being mistaken for nannies), and the reality of White privilege are all discussed often in the film.

This movie was directed by Gail Lerner and it was released on March 18 2020. It is rated PG for some crude humour and mild language.

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