Cheaper by the Dozen 2
In the world of bustling family comedies, "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" returns to the chaotic yet charming lives of the Baker family, now navigating the bittersweet realities of their twelve children growing up. This sequel invites us on a final, memorable vacation that quickly turns into an epic showdown against a rival family, testing bonds and highlighting what truly matters when it comes to family. It's a heartwarming, if boisterous, exploration of change, competition, and connection. The film explores the universal theme of children growing up and leaving home, viewed through the comedic lens of a large family's last vacation. A rivalry between two large families—the Bakers and the Murtaughs—drives the plot, showcasing contrasting parenting styles and a competitive spirit. Despite negative critical reviews, the movie resonated with audiences, becoming a box office success and earning a favorable audience score.
AI Summary
In the world of bustling family comedies, "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" returns to the chaotic yet charming lives of the Baker family, now navigating the bittersweet realities of their twelve children growing up. This sequel invites us on a final, memorable vacation that quickly turns into an epic showdown against a rival family, testing bonds and highlighting what truly matters when it comes to family. It's a heartwarming, if boisterous, exploration of change, competition, and connection.
- The film explores the universal theme of children growing up and leaving home, viewed through the comedic lens of a large family's last vacation.
- A rivalry between two large families—the Bakers and the Murtaughs—drives the plot, showcasing contrasting parenting styles and a competitive spirit.
- Despite negative critical reviews, the movie resonated with audiences, becoming a box office success and earning a favorable audience score.
Released in 2005, "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" brought back the beloved Baker family for another round of comedic chaos. Directed by Adam Shankman, this sequel to the 2003 hit continued the story, taking the large family out of their suburban home and into a new, vacation-fueled adventure. Many familiar faces returned, eager to dive back into the fun.
A Family Transformed
Two years after the first film, the Baker household is experiencing some major shifts. Patriarch Tom Baker observes his children growing up and moving on, a natural progression that nonetheless tugs at his heartstrings. Lorraine is off to New York City for an internship, and Nora, now married to Bud McNulty, is pregnant with their first child and planning a move to Houston.
Feeling the family pulling apart, Tom desperately wants to capture their dwindling time together. He persuades everyone to embark on one last, epic family vacation at Lake Winnetka. It's a chance to relive old memories and perhaps create new ones before the family dynamic changes forever.
The Murtaughs Arrive
However, their idyllic lakeside retreat quickly gets complicated. They discover their old cabin is now owned by Mike Romanow, a friend of Tom's old rival, Jimmy Murtaugh. Jimmy, with his new wife Sarina and their own eight accomplished children, just happens to be vacationing at the same lake, flaunting his wealth and perfect family life at every turn.
A competitive tension immediately sparks between Tom and Jimmy. Jimmy constantly boasts about his kids' achievements, subtly suggesting Tom's parenting style is less successful. This rivalry leads to a series of escalating — and often accidental — mishaps, from fireworks going awry to a chaotic golf cart incident and even a brush with shoplifting.
The Labor Day Family Cup
The ongoing one-upmanship culminates in a challenge: the Annual Labor Day Family Cup. Tom sees this as an opportunity to prove his family's mettle, throwing himself into training his children with an almost military-like intensity. Unfortunately, his competitive spirit blinds him to the fact that his kids are becoming miserable.
The rivalry takes a personal turn when Tom and Jimmy spy on their kids, Sarah and Elliot, on a movie date. This leads to an embarrassing public altercation, humiliating their children and further straining family relations. Back at the cabin, Sarah, furious, refuses to compete in the Cup, and the other kids express their anger at Tom for ruining the trip with his obsession.
Kate, ever the voice of reason, laments that Tom and Jimmy’s conflicting parenting styles have driven the two families further apart. The next morning, it seems only the youngest twins, Kyle and Nigel, are willing to compete. But after discovering an old 'Team Baker' flag, Kate and the rest of the kids, having forgiven Tom, show up to support their family, ready to compete once more.
A New Beginning
The competition is fierce, ending in a tie between the Bakers and the Murtaughs. A tie-breaking canoe race is announced, requiring every family member to participate. It's during this high-stakes race that Nora suddenly goes into labor, adding unexpected urgency to the competition.
Initially, Jimmy, sensing victory, refuses to help. But his own children, demonstrating true sportsmanship, jump out of their canoe to assist the Bakers. After a heated discussion with Sarina, Jimmy confesses his long-held jealousy of Tom's popularity from their younger days, finally putting aside his pride.
With the competitive spirit replaced by genuine concern, both families unite. They work together to get Nora to the hospital, a beautiful moment of camaraderie and shared humanity. Eventually, Nora gives birth to a healthy baby boy, whom she and Bud lovingly name Tom, after his grandfather.
Tom Baker realizes that while his children will grow and forge their own paths, the family bond will always remain. As Nora and Bud prepare to leave for Houston with their new arrival, they make a heartwarming announcement: they've bought the old cabin back at Lake Winnetka, ensuring future family gatherings. The Bakers cherish the rest of their vacation, now truly together in spirit.
Behind the Scenes: Cast and Critical Reception
The film brought back a stellar ensemble, with Steve Martin leading as the perpetually overwhelmed but well-meaning patriarch, Tom Baker, and Bonnie Hunt as the grounded matriarch, Kate Gilbreth-Baker. Their chemistry anchored the large cast, which included Piper Perabo, Tom Welling, and Hilary Duff as some of the older Baker children.
The Murtaugh family was equally well-cast, with comedic legend Eugene Levy perfectly embodying the rival patriarch, Jimmy Murtaugh. Carmen Electra joined as Jimmy's new wife, Sarina, while younger stars like Taylor Lautner played Elliot Murtaugh, adding to the youthful dynamic of the dueling families. Director Shawn Levy even made a cameo as a hospital intern!
Critical Opinions and Audience Love
Upon its release, "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" faced a rather harsh reception from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported a mere 8% positive reviews, with a consensus describing the film as a 'waste of its solid cast in scenes of over-the-top, predictable humor.' Metacritic also assigned it a 'generally unfavorable' score of 34 out of 100.
However, not all reviews were negative. Renowned film critic Roger Ebert, for instance, gave the film a surprisingly positive 3 out of 4 stars, noting a 'certain good feeling' and praising its warmth. He singled out Alyson Stoner's performance as Sarah Baker, comparing the then-12-year-old actress to a young Reese Witherspoon.
Other critics shared mixed sentiments. While some praised the efforts of veteran actors like Martin, Hunt, and Levy, and agreed with Stoner's standout performance, many found the overall film 'bland' and criticized its excessive product placement. One critic even described Hilary Duff's appearance as 'haggard' and 'flat-out scary,' leading to a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress for Duff, and Worst Supporting Actor for Eugene Levy.
Box Office Success
Despite the critical drubbing, audiences embraced the film, giving it an average grade of 'A−' on CinemaScore—matching its predecessor. "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" proved to be a commercial success, grossing over $129 million worldwide against its budget. It even showed a rare increase in box office performance in its second weekend, a testament to its popularity among family audiences.
The film later found a new life on home video, with the DVD released in May 2006 and a Blu-ray following in January 2010. These releases included bonus features like audio commentary from director Adam Shankman and behind-the-scenes featurettes, allowing fans to delve deeper into the making of this family favorite.
Article
Cheaper by the Dozen 2
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is a 2005 American family comedy film directed by Adam Shankman. It is the sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and stars Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo, and Hilary Duff with Kevin G. Schmidt, Alyson Stoner, Jacob Smith, Forrest Landis, Liliana Mumy, Morgan York, Blake Woodruff, and Brent and Shane Kinsman reprising their roles as members of the 12-child Baker family, alongside Eugene Levy, Carmen Electra, Shawn Roberts, Jaime King, Robbie Amell, Taylor Lautner, and Jonathan Bennett as new characters. It tells the story of the Baker family as they go on a vacation and contend with a rival family, the Murtaughs.
The film was released in the United States by 20th Century Fox on December 21, 2005. It received negative reviews from critics and grossed $135 million worldwide against a $60 million budget.
Plot
Cheaper by the Dozen 2
Two years after Tom Baker resigned from his head coaching position, his family undergoes many changes, beginning with Lorraine's high school graduation and internship with Allure magazine in New York City. Nora is now married to Bud McNulty and pregnant with their first child, with the intent to move to Houston, Texas because of Bud's new job.
Feeling the family is breaking apart as the children grow up, Tom persuades them to take one last family vacation at Lake Winnetka in Wisconsin. The family finds out that their old cabin is owned by a man named Mike Romanow. Tom's old rival, Jimmy Murtaugh, his new wife Sarina, and his eight kids Calvin, Anne, Daniel, Becky, Elliot, Lisa, Robin, and Kenny stay at the lake for the summer; Jimmy is also friends and neighbors with Mike.
Jimmy flaunts his wealth and success to Tom, as well as the accomplishments of his children, often suggesting that Tom is less successful because of his parenting style. They get into many incidents: Mark accidentally sets off a backpack of fireworks, causing widespread panic, especially when it is thrown into a boat, igniting its engine and causing it to explode; he and Kenny crash into a tennis court with a golf cart; and Sarah gets caught shoplifting.
Jimmy again brings up the topic that Tom needs to be stricter with his kids. This angers Tom, and he and Jimmy decide to settle the matter at the Annual Labor Day Family Cup. Tom trains the kids for days, not realizing they are miserable. Sarah and Elliot go to the cinema to see Ice Age, but they're spied on by their fathers, resulting in them getting into an altercation and humiliating their children. Upon returning to the Bakers' cabin, Sarah refuses to compete for Tom in the Cup. Kate laments that his and Jimmy's conflicting parenting styles have torn the families apart.
The next morning, Tom goes to the Cup to compete with Kyle and Nigel, the only two still willing to go. However, after discovering an old "Team Baker" flag, Kate and the other kids show up, willing to compete again. After the events, the Bakers and the Murtaughs are tied for first; a tiebreaking canoe race is announced, in which every family member must compete.
During the race, Nora goes into labor. The Murtaughs want to help, but Jimmy, sensing the opportunity to defeat Tom once and for all, refuses. The Murtaugh children jump out of the canoe to help the Bakers. While arguing with Sarina, Jimmy reveals that he was jealous of Tom being the popular one when they were younger. Eventually, Sarina convinces him to help, and the families work together to get Nora to the hospital.
Bud announces that he and Nora have bought the cabin back at the lake. Nora, Bud, and Baby Tom leave for Houston a few days later, and the family enjoys the rest of their vacation.
Cast
Bakers
• Steve Martin as Tom Baker, the patriarch of the Baker family and retired football coach. • Bonnie Hunt as Kate Gilbreth-Baker, the matriarch of the Baker family and Tom's wife who provides the opening narration. • Piper Perabo as Nora Baker-McNulty, Tom and Kate's first daughter, Bud's wife, and Baby Tom's mother. • Tom Welling as Charlie Baker, Tom and Kate's first son who becomes a mechanic in order to pay off his college tuition. • Hilary Duff as Lorraine Baker, Tom and Kate's second daughter who is planning to move to New York so that she can intern at Allure magazine. • Kevin G. Schmidt as Henry Baker, Tom and Kate's second son. • Alyson Stoner as Sarah Baker, Tom and Kate's third daughter. • Jacob Smith as Jake Baker, Tom and Kate's third son. • Forrest Landis as Mark Baker, Tom and Kate's fourth son. • Liliana Mumy as Jessica Baker, Tom and Kate's fourth daughter and Kim's fraternal twin sister. • Morgan York as Kim Baker, Tom and Kate's fifth daughter and Jessica's fraternal twin sister. • Blake Woodruff as Mike Baker, Tom and Kate's fifth son. • Brent Kinsman as Nigel Baker, Tom and Kate's sixth son and Kyle's identical twin brother. • Shane Kinsman as Kyle Baker, Tom and Kate's seventh son and Nigel's identical twin brother.
Murtaughs
• Eugene Levy as Jimmy Murtaugh, the patriarch of the Murtaugh family who is an old rival of Tom. • Carmen Electra as Sarina Murtaugh, the matriarch of the Murtaugh family and Jimmy's trophy wife. • Shawn Roberts as Calvin Murtaugh, Jimmy's first son who is a student at Yale University. • Jaime King as Anne Murtaugh, Jimmy's first daughter who becomes Charlie's love interest. She is hiding a lower-back tattoo of a butterfly from her father as an act of rebellion. • Robbie Amell as Daniel Murtaugh, Jimmy's second son. • Melanie Tonello as Becky Murtaugh, Jimmy's second daughter. • Taylor Lautner as Elliot Murtaugh, Jimmy's third son who becomes Sarah's love interest. • Courtney Fitzpatrick as Lisa Murtaugh, Jimmy's third daughter and Robin's identical twin sister. • Madison Fitzpatrick as Robin Murtaugh, Jimmy's fourth daughter and Lisa's identical twin sister. • Alexander Conti as Kenneth "Kenny" Murtaugh, Jimmy's fourth son.
Others
• Jonathan Bennett as Bud McNulty, Nora's husband, Tom and Kate's son-in-law, Baby Tom's father and the Baker kids' brother-in-law. • Peter Keleghan as Mike Romanow, Jimmy's neighbor and friend who is the owner of the old cabin at Lake Winnetka that the Baker family rents and is also the emcee of the Annual Labor Day Family Cup. • William Copeland as the Commodore
The director of the first film and producer of the sequel, Shawn Levy, has a cameo as a hospital intern. Ben Falcone appears as a cinema customer who gets upset with Tom and Jimmy's quarrel.
Soundtrack
Cheaper by the Dozen 2
• "I Wish" – Stevie Wonder • "Graduation Day Song" – Joseph L. Altruda • "Mexicali Mondays" – Christopher Lightbody and Robert Steinmiller • "What If" – Gina Rene • "Martini Lounge" – David Sparkman • "Drinks on the House" – Daniel May • "Big Sky Lullaby" – Daniel May • "Someday" – Sugar Ray • "Express Yourself" – Jason Mraz • "Michael Finnegan" – Traditional • "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" – Traditional • "Why Can't We Be Friends" – War • "Die Walküre" – Richard Wagner • "Wooly Bully" – Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs • "Mallin" – Tree Adams • "Under Pressure" – Queen and David Bowie • "Music from Ice Age" – David Newman • "Holiday" – Madonna • "Sunday Morning" (acoustic version) – Maroon 5 • "Bridal Chorus" – Richard Wagner
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 8% of 93 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "A sequel to a remake, Cheaper 2 wastes its solid cast in scenes of over-the-top, predictable humor." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 34 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, the same grade as the first film.
Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert, gave the film one of its rare positive reviews, awarding it 3 out of 4 stars and stating "As I watched this sequel, a certain good feeling began to make itself known. Yes, the movie is unnecessary. However, it is unnecessary at a higher level of warmth and humor than the recent remake Yours, Mine, and Ours." Ebert also highly praised Alyson Stoner's performance, favorably comparing the then-twelve-year-old actress to Reese Witherspoon.
Calling the overall film "bland", Variety's Justin Chang agreed with Ebert on Stoner, calling her "an endearingly vulnerable standout" and deeming her subplot to be "the most engaging" in it. Chang was also kind to Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, and Eugene Levy, deeming the veteran actors did the best with what was given to them. Marrit Ingman of the Austin Chronicle conceded that it had a good message, and agreed that Hunt was "marvelous and down-to-earth" but ultimately felt that "the rest of the movie is as funny as mildew", found that "the product placement is particularly egregious" and thought that Hilary Duff looked "as tanned and raw as buffalo jerky". Andrea Gronvall was also horrified by Duff's appearance while writing for the Chicago Reader, calling her "haggard" and "flat-out scary", and overall felt that there was "a discernible lack of enthusiasm from almost everyone involved", however singling out Carmen Electra for being "the most winning performer of the bunch".
The film received two Razzie Award nominations, including Worst Actress (Hilary Duff) and Worst Supporting Actor (Eugene Levy).
Box office
The film grossed $9,309,387 on its opening weekend, finishing in 4th place at the box office behind King Kong, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Fun with Dick and Jane. By the end of its run, Cheaper by the Dozen 2 grossed $82,571,173 domestically and $46,610,657 internationally, totaling $129,181,830 worldwide. It is one of only twelve feature films to be released in over 3,000 theaters and still improves on its box office performance in its second weekend, increasing 55.6% from $9,309,387 to $14,486,519.
Home media
Cheaper by the Dozen 2
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 was released on DVD on May 23, 2006. The film was also released on Blu-ray on January 5, 2010. The DVD is two-sided and side B features previews of Flicka and Aquamarine. Other DVD extras include an audio commentary with director Adam Shankman, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and theatrical trailers.