Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Artie and Diane agree to look after their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents need to leave town for work. Problems arise when the kids' 21st-century behavior collides with Artie and Diane's old-school methods.
Parental Guidance is a formulaic, by-the-numbers family comedy that hits every predictable beat of the generational clash premise without much surprise or insight. Billy Crystal and Bette Midler bring some genuine charm and comedic presence that elevates the material above its script's limitations, but the film relies heavily on tired slapstick and saccharine sentiment. Cinematography is functional and flat, typical of mainstream studio comedies of the era. The generational parenting conflict premise has been thoroughly explored before, and this film adds little new to the conversation. The ending is predictably heartwarming in the most conventional sense, resolving conflicts too neatly and without much earned emotional weight.