Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Seeing films where a character or characters are inadvertently flip-flopped in a situation of their life is certainly funny, perhaps because it becomes an extreme premise. We typically see these types of films in a comedic format because of the fun that happens to them. We've seen several: "Big", "Liar Liar", "Groundhog Day" to mention a few. So Hollywood just had to jump back on the band wagon by offering us "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day".

For 12 year-old Alexander Cooper (Ed Oxenbould), every day is a bad day, and his family thinks he's being silly because they seemingly never have a bad day. On the eve of his 12th birthday party, he learns that another boy, Philip Parker (Lincoln Melcher) is having a party of his own and everyone is going to it. And then another kid punks him online. So at midnight of his birthday, he wishes that his whole family can experience a bad day. By next day, things for the family start to go bad: his mom's car is broken so they have to share a car, his sister Emily (Kerris Dorsey) contracts a horrid cold before she is to go on stage as Peter Pan, his older brother Anthony (Dylan Minnette), who's hoping to get his driver's license and bring his girlfriend Celia (Bella Thorne) to the prom, has to not only deal with Celia's snootiness, but he fails to get his license, his mom Kelly (Jennifer Garner) has a crisis at work which could cost her her job, and his dad Ben (Steve Carell), who has a job interview has to bring his younger brother with him, but because his pacifier is broken, he won't stop crying. What else could happen? Obviously Alexander didn't really think his wish would come to fruition--he was just fantasizing, but now he starts questioning the wish. Is it real or just a coincidence?

Others to round out the cast are Megan Mullally as Nina, Kelly's boss, Jennifer Coolidge as Ms. Suggs, Anthony's license tester, Mekai Matthew Curtis as Paul Dumphy, Alexander's buddy, Elise Vargas and Zoey Vargas as Baby Trevor and Dick Van Dyke as Himself.

This was effectively directed by Miguel Arteta ("Rita" (TV movie) '13) plus a ton of TV. The pacing of this would lean to be one that a TV show would envelop, so this was probably not a stretch for a director with the television experience as this guy has. The screenplay and screen story of this was by Rob Lieber which was based on a book by Judith Viorst. The premise of this could have easily fallen into being housed as a terrific TV movie, because of its domesticity and family situations, but the good thing about this going to the multiplex is that it is always nice to see more family-oriented films out there. This genre seems to be shrinking more and more every year, and I think it's healthy to see an audience of all ages going to their multiplex.
Alexander surely loved seeing his family going through the mill as he does on most days, but even he has to have some sympathy considering he, of all people, knows what they can truly experience, and it's no fun at all.

This was actually released last month, because I wasn't sure if it would actually be any good, but after viewing it, it was entertaining enough and had that message in it: Alexander- "There are bad days to make the good days look even better". Funny that it takes a 12 year-old to show us something we should all know.

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                               Rated: PG                                 81mins.