Cheaper by the Dozen

2003·United States·98 min.
Cheaper by the Dozen
4.6
14285 votes
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Based on the Gilbreth family's book "Cheaper by the Dozen," which also spawned a 1950 film of the same name. Frank Gilbreth, Sr. was a pioneer in the field of motion study, and was the father of 12 children, who often acted as guinea pigs for his experiments. This version centers on patriarch Thomas Baker (Steve Martin), wife Kate (Bonnie Hunt) and their dozen children. The Bakers live in a small Illinois town where Tom coaches the local college football team. The family's day-to-day life is marked by equal parts love and chaos -- pet-frog-landing-in-the-breakfast eggs type of chaos. When Tom is offered his dream job -- coaching a squad at a large university -- he and Kate uproot the family, much to the displeasure of all 12 children. At the same time, Kate learns that her memoirs are about to be published. Her agent whisks her away to New York to promote the book, leaving Tom home alone to handle the increasingly unhappy and hectic household, as well as his demanding new job. With all hell breaking loose at home, Kate on the road, and Tom's job on the line, the Baker family ultimately chooses not to have it all, but to love what they do have.