Parental Guidance (film)

Parental Guidance is a 2012 American family comedy film directed by Andy Fickman and starring Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, and Tom Everett Scott. The film centers on a couple who are asked to look after their three grandchildren while their parents are away, leading to comedic clashes in parenting styles and generational differences.

The plot follows Artie (Crystal) and Diane Decker (Midler) as they attempt to connect with their grandchildren – Harper (Bailee Madison), Barker (Joshua Rush), and Fen (Kyle Red Silverstein) – who have been raised with a more modern, hands-off parenting approach by their daughter, Alice (Tomei), and her husband, Phil (Scott). Artie and Diane's old-school methods conflict with Alice's rules, leading to humorous and chaotic situations as they try to navigate the children's activities, emotional needs, and technological obsessions.

The film explores themes of family relationships, the generation gap in parenting styles, and the importance of communication and understanding between family members. Parental Guidance was released on December 25, 2012, and received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its humor and performances while others criticized its predictable plot and stereotypical characters. It was a moderate box office success.