Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)

23% of critics liked it
(112 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(662,030 ratings)

Shawn Levy directs the family-oriented comedy Cheaper by the Dozen, a loose remake of the 1950 film starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy, which was itself based on a novel. Tom (Steve Martin) and Kate Baker (Bonnie Hunt) have made many sacrifices in their professional lives in order to raise their 12… More Shawn Levy directs the family-oriented comedy Cheaper by the Dozen, a loose remake of the 1950 film starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy, which was itself based on a novel. Tom (Steve Martin) and Kate Baker (Bonnie Hunt) have made many sacrifices in their professional lives in order to raise their 12 children. When Tom is offered a job as a Division I college football coach, he moves the entire pack to a suburb of Chicago. This move shakes up the whole family, especially when Kate's memoirs get published and she takes off on a book tour. The lack of parental guidance creates problems for all the Baker kids, particularly handsome jock Charlie (Tom Welling), fashion plate Lorraine (Hilary Duff), and grown child Nora (Piper Perabo). Ashton Kucher stars in a cameo role as Nora's actor boyfriend, Hank. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Shawn Levy
Written By: Sam Harper, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow
Genres: Comedy, Kids & Family

In Theaters: Dec 25, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Apr 6, 2004
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
It's not just a feel-good holiday movie, though audiences, especially youngsters, will certainly walk out of it feeling good.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
This is a movie that knows its audience and realizes it doesn't need much of a story to hit that audience, literally, where it lives.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Martin and Hunt give the production a mellow warmth. And Levy has cast an appealingly diverse bunch of kids to play the young Bakers.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
So calculatedly cast with popular kid stars that it seems a focus group was guiding all the choices.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
We are not only asked to find the barbarian Baker brood a model of familial loyalty and unconditional devotion, we're also asked to regard with contempt everyone else who does not share the Bakers' unbridled consumerist anarchy.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Martin may excel at playing buttoned-down, neurotic men coming apart at the seams, but he is wholly unconvincing playing dad to a lot of cute, precocious tykes from central casting.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Remake bears no resemblance to the 1950 original.
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope
Good comedy is derived from the characters, but this film doesn't establish its characters well enough to be effective on that level.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
It's hard to imagine many people wanting to watch this movie, then see it twice more to catch two full-length commentaries, but here they are.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
It's not that Cheaper by the Dozen is awful. Worse than that, it's just plain dull.
Steven D. Greydanus, Decent Films Guide
Life in the Baker house is as chaotic as life in the original 1950 Cheaper Gilbreth house was well-ordered and organized. I think I like the in-name-only remake better.
Boo Allen, Denton Record Chronicle (TX)
Sweet, corny and predictable, but it made us laugh. Disc adds little to any further understanding or enjoyment.
Forrest Hartman, Reno Gazette-Journal
Good-natured and nicely suited for family viewing, but too many of the gags and plot points are old and unfunny.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Cheaper by the Dozen? How about dime a dozen? I give Shawn Levy ten more films before he makes a good one.

Read all 14 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Dead A

It looks so fun to have a huge family! It was predictable but not bad. Hilary looked good as usual.
Brad W

Kind of stupid.
Alexander D

Good+
Bethany M

Feel good film. A definite comedy classic that will have you laughing your pants off.
Film C

Yes okay a simplistic and enjoyable movie that is vaguely amusing. No idea why anyone on earth would want that amount of children but okay.
Bently L

Good family entertainment! Steve Martin is funny as always and the kids are good too. The story is good and believable and the jokes are quite funny. Yes, it has the cliches you see in movie with parents who deal with tons of kids but that shoudn't matter to the viewer.… More
Good family entertainment! Steve Martin is funny as always and the kids are good too. The story is good and believable and the jokes are quite funny. Yes, it has the cliches you see in movie with parents who deal with tons of kids but that shoudn't matter to the viewer. Looking for a zany family film both the kids and adults can enjoy! This is the one! "Know any good restaurants?"
Richard C

D
erika b

really funny
jay n

Lame remake that bleeds all charm out of the material and also cheapens the real family's struggles too overcome a devastating blow.
KJ P

I thought this movie was pretty good!
Conner R

It's just a completely corny and forgettable movie. Steve Martin has really got to the point where he has little options next to family films. This is highly unimaginative and does nothing but produce cheap laughs and terrible child actors.
Thomas B

oh blerg
Chris W

Not funny, not clever, just a waste of time.
Jani H

Didn't have any high expectations because I thought that this is just another typical Steve Martin family film where he's the ultimate father and after some trouble, everything will be alright in the end. The main problem for me was that why the fuck would you have 12… More
Didn't have any high expectations because I thought that this is just another typical Steve Martin family film where he's the ultimate father and after some trouble, everything will be alright in the end. The main problem for me was that why the fuck would you have 12 kids in the first place. Isn't it just stupid. And everybody thinks that taking care of a dozen kids would be funny on the screen. Well, it's not. It's funny to watch Kutcher make an ass of himself but that's about it.
Cassie H

Funny Movie
Red L

In this movie, they want you to sit back, not think and just watch the silly movie. The movie is OK, as long as that is all you do.
Leigh R

Martin and Hunt have such chemistry together... made the movie worthwhile.
Dean M

Absolutely heartwarming comedy with a MASSIVE family and these little children are cute and funny.
Dan S

Nice comedy
Jennifer X

i hate this movie.