By Kimaya Cole, Staff writer
The day before his 12th birthday, Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) is having a very bad day, beginning with the old gum-in-the-hair haircut, continuing with tripping in front of his crush and finding out the most popular kid in school has his birthday party on the same day as his, it seems like it will never end. While, on the other hand, his family is on top of the world and doesn’t seem to have much sympathy for him. His unemployed dad, Ben (Steve Carell), finally has a promising job interview, while his mom, Kelly (Jennifer Garner), is up for a big promotion. His 16-year-old brother, Anthony (Dylan Minnette), is poised to get his driver’s license just in time to take his girlfriend, the hottest girl in school, to their high school prom, and his 13-year-old sister, Emily (Kerris Dorsey), is starring as Peter Pan in her middle school play. Frustrated by their lack of empathy for his bad day, Alexander unintentionally makes a birthday wish that his family would get a taste of what it’s like to have a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day” but ends up getting more than he bargains for. The next day, he watches his family go through all sorts of mayhem like he did the day before. But amidst the chaos, Alexander’s family manages to support each other and ends up even stronger and closer than they were before. Ultimately, this is a sweet, entertaining movie with positive messages about finding humor in adversity and coming together as a family. It gives you the reminder that everyone has bad days and you have to learn to laugh it off because tomorrow is a new day.
I watched this, and being younger than an adult, but older than a child I could relate to the younger jokes and still understand the adult humor. It was appealing, funny, and kept me intrigued. It was entertaining even though it was predictable from the start, as Disney movies tend to be. I would probably recommend watching this movie with your family. It is kid-friendly and funny while including adult humor and a good message for all families. However, some parents, depending how strict, might say it should be rated for kids older than 10. Scenes like the sister drinking too much cough syrup and getting a little drunk from it and having strippers dance and take off articles of clothing might be too mature or “inappropriate” for some kids. Also, terms like ‘penis,’ ‘butt crack,’ and ‘boobs’ are said multiple times, which parents might not want their kids to learn before the age of 10 Besides these minor turn offs, all of the characters fit their roles perfectly and are very likable and funny. Overall, this is a great movie and I would definitely watch it again for a good laugh.