The joys of reading a book cover to cover growing up no longer has to live only in our childhood memories. Bringing innocent giggles and effortless laughs for more than 40 years, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” has finally been brought to life in Disney’s new feature film.
Just like the book, Alexander Cooper is an unavoidably magnet for dire disaster. The movie begins with Alexander waking up with gum stuck in his hair, followed by a number of extreme calamities that force him to believe that he is, in fact, cursed. Alexander is fed up with being the only one in his family who has incessant bad luck, and, filled with envy, he wishes his family could experience just one bad day as he does every day. Little does he know, his one seemingly innocent cry for help turns into a whirlwind of catastrophe for the Coopers.
Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell do an amazing job playing Alexander’s quirky but devoted parents. Carell is his usual sarcastically funny self, while Garner excels at being the loveable mother she usually plays. They remind family audiences of the imperative comforting role parents play in everyone’s life.
Dylan Minnette and Kerris Dorsey play Alexander’s seemingly perfect teenage brother and sister whose their so-called perfect images become tainted within a matter of 24 hours. Both young actors embody the idea of teenagers who are completely engulfed in their teenage problems, like prom and school performances. Though Minnette and Dorsey may be fairly new actors, they do an exceptional job convincing audiences that they were made for these roles.
The acting in the movie is superb and truly engages audiences. It makes you feel as if you’re experiencing all the ups and downs of Alexander’s horrible day. But, if you’re having a bad day like Alexander’s, then this movie will certainly reassure you that you have to have bad days to enjoy the good ones.
Although the movie is fairly short, running only 81 minutes, it’s just enough time to discover the importance of family bonding. It’s the perfect PG movie to see with young ones or anyone who’s read the book who would enjoy a quick run down memory lane. It’s packed with appropriate family jokes and sends a joyful message that through laughter and a positive outlook, bad days can easily be turned into great days.
“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” is a super cute, family friendly, entertaining movie. Though it may not have the same plot as the book, both mediums make it unmistakably clear that regardless of a good or bad day, with a supportive family, anything is possible.
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