Rating: Summary: Wonderful "Brady Bunch" predecessor. Review: Oddly enough, at the time I first watched and fell in love with this movie, I never once thought about its year-later predecessor "The Brady Bunch." I mention that because this story (based on a biography by the real Helen North Beardsley) is so good and surprisingly astringent in its parent/child portrayals, it stands completely on its own- and if it happened to spin off a much more sanitized TV series, more power to it. What a wonderful thing to put two veterans of film and TV in the lead roles; some reviews have taken pains to mention that Ball and Fonda are a little advanced in age, but my feeling is they look- and more importantly ACT- like parents of a large brood of kids should. It's only a bonus for me that they are presented in a love story that isn't about cynical, worldly 20-year olds for once. They are allowed to discover love the second time around and actually be nervous about it!! They look great together, and perform even better. The real gem of the film is in the smart dialogue: The first date where one asks the other "you DO like children, don't you?" and the other says "yeah- within reason!" is only matched with the realization that "eight and ten is-- ridiculous!!" The film's a charmer.
Rating: Summary: More than a great comedy Review: One can set up a debate between a Jesuit priest supporting the sanctity of life and the secularist dedicated to worldwide birth control, but perhaps the message of the beauty and mystery and wonder of family would be better delivered by this comedy than by a recitation of the catechism. Henry Fonda's character is right: nothing new has been written since "Fanny Hill". A reviewer wrote that she was disappointed at the children's disrespect toward the adults. But I thought the children's less than perfect behavior was essential to the film and the film's message. Yeah, having children, be it three or eighteen, is a burden. There's no guarantee they'll be grateful for the sacrifices you make for them or that they'll allow you to have any sort of life of your own. The children in the film are not angels. Few are. Indeed, I would argue they're rather normal, with the scales leaning heavily toward good. They're bratty, tender, difficult, warm, self-centered and giving. That's the beauty of life and humanity and it's more or less what Fonda tried to explain to Lucy's oldest daughter when she questioned him about sex. "You tell him that this is what it's all about." Notice how the film places a certain amount of focus on Tim Matheson's character. Early on, he spikes Lucy's drink and then giggles as she humiliates herself. (Shades of the "Otter" character he would play ten years later.) But eventually he decides that she's not so bad - at about the time, not coincidentally, that he's becoming a man - then he accepts her and, being a natural leader like his father, persuades his siblings to elect her "our mother, for life". That scene, indeed the whole film, would not have worked had the children been so unrealistically and quickly accepting of the stepmother. As it's played and as it's written, it comes off without the sense of being false or manipulative. Not an easy thing to do in film. Without meaning any disrespect, I feel a certain amount of pity for the reviewer that grew up in Germany and wrote that they considered families of four or more "trash". (For the sake of Germany, I hope that's not true.) To each his own, I suppose. But if you can't appreciate this film and it's celebration of life and humanity, I'm not sure what you can enjoy. I will say that people that come from large families almost always laugh more than people that do not. Still, I would not label "Yours, Mine and Hours" family values propaganda. Had that been the intention, there would not have been the classic drunk scene nor the part where a somewhat randy Fonda tells the parking valet, "Keep the motor running." I don't believe they were trying to do anything but tell a warm, funny story. They succeeded tremendously.
Rating: Summary: Great for a family movie night! Review: This is the kind of harmless fun I grew up on. And Lucille Ball can do no wrong in my book. Innuendo can keep adults chuckling and harmless to watch with the kids.
Rating: Summary: Wonderful family film! Review: This is a wonderful family film. You can let your guard down and enjoy a wonderful story about the blending of two large families. If the premise seems familiar-a widow and a widower marrying and uniting their two families-you are right. This film was washed down and turned into "The Brady Bunch." Lucille Ball is impeccable. She has her timing down, and turn a scene upside-down with juts one look. In one scene, her future step-children one by one spike a screw-driver with whisky, scotch, and about everything else in the kitchen. She drinks, and Ms. Ball goes into one of her trademark dunk routines. This is one of her later films, so she has matured in her craft, even being drunk. Henry Fonda is great as the gruff and stern old salt. His family has ten, so he is hurt and hit the hardest. He has to send the two youngest children away with his brother. I was surprised that he could do comedy. But, being second to Lucille Ball, he is the straight man. The scenery is lovely. I am biased-it was filmed in my home town. You get wonderful glimpsed of the now closed Naval Air Station, and one of Alameda's best railroad mansions. It brings back memories. This is a great family movie!
Rating: Summary: AWSOME!!!!Love it!!! Review: I love this movie I think it is a great Family movie and is extra funny...It is wonderful for family's that really close I loved it with Lucille Ball in it I would recomened it to anyone....I loved it!!
Rating: Summary: Hey Lucy Fans! --You have to see this! Review: For all of you Lucy fans out there, you've got to add this one to your collection. I saw this movie on tv and immediately logged on to Amazon.com to order it. I can't believe I've never seen it before! It's just such a cute movie! I love that there are so many kids...18, in fact, and it's such a cute story about two families coming together and the issues they face. An adorable classic to watch over and over!
Rating: Summary: Great Movie to Watch with All Generations of Your Family! Review: This is my favorite Lucille Ball movie! I love this movie because my grandmother watched it with my mother and I watch this movie with my mother. Hopefully when my son is old enough he will watch this movie with me and enjoy as much as we do. This movie is a wholesome family movie that brings together two seperate families. My favorite part of the movie is to watch Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda buy all the food for the family. When you see the total of all the groceries it makes you want to go back to that time! Please watch this movie you wont regret it!
Rating: Summary: Here's a story of a lovely lady.... Review: In what has been described as the inspiration for "The Brady Bunch", the concept for Yours, Mine and Ours seems like a good bet for a nice, wholesome family picture. It's a decent movie, it has a certain charm to it, and the lead actors are very likable. But, wholesome? Suprisingly not. The story of the film is simple. Widower and Naval officer Henry Fonda meets widower Lucille Ball, a Naval nurse. The two fall in love and marry. The conflict? Fonda has ten kids and Ball has eight. That's right, when they marry they become a family with 18 kids. There's your story (apparenly based on an actual family named Beardsley... which is Fonda's character's name in the flick). Since the story takes place at the dawning of the 70's the humor is sometimes dated, but sometimes funny as well. I chuckled a few times. It's more of a charming family film, but I was surprised at some of the content of this movie. I'd be hesitant to recommend this film for little children, as there are many adult situations in the movie... ranging from sex, alcohol, puberty, etc. However in retrospect, most of the content would probably go over the small children's heads though. My only real complaint about the film: too many "naval" one liners from Fonda. "Now hear this... get to bed!" "All hands on deck!" And so on... Henry Fonda was an acting machine the year Yours, Mine and Ours was released (1969). In that year he also appeared in Madigan, The Boston Strangler, Firecreek (with longtime friend James Stewart) and Once Upon a Time in the West in which he plays the complete antithesis of his nice guy role here. MGM Home Entertainment's DVD release of Yours, Mine and Ours presents the film full frame and includes the original theatrical trailer, as well as Spanish and French language options. If you are a fan of the lead actors, or of "The Brady Bunch", you'll probably want to pick up this budget priced DVD.
Rating: Summary: "Disappointed" Review: After reading the reviews I certainly expected more from this film especially with a star studded cast.. The acting was good however I was disappointed with the many different references to sex, spoken and unspoken which in my view does not make for fun family viewing.. The disrespect shown by the children was also disappointing especially in light of the time period portrayed.. Would I watch this with my children again?? No! Would I watch it again my self?? Probably not!! I just think I will stay with the Lucy's I enjoy...
Rating: Summary: JUST PLAIN DISAPPOINTED Review: ... I WAS PLAIN AS TO WHY I WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS FILM, SO HERE WE GO AGAIN. CLEARLY FONDA AND BALL ARE 2 OF THE FINEST ACTORS OF THEIR TIME AND THATS WHY I EXPECTED MORE OF THIS FILM AND BASED ON THE OTHER REVIEWS THATS WHY I BOUGHT IT.. HERE ARE THE MAIN REASONS FOR MY DISAPPOINTMENT. 1st.. THE CHILDREN DISPLAYED A LOT OF DISRESPECT FOR THEIR PARENTS WHICH TO ME IS NOT COMICAL. 2nd.. THERE WERE SEVERAL SCENES THAT I WOULD CONSIDER ADULT SITUATIONS AND SEXUAL IN NATURE ... 3rd.THERE WAS TALK OF SEX AND IN MY OPINION THIS DOES NOT MAKE FOR FUN FAMILY VIEWING.. FOR PARENTS WHO WANT TO SEE FONDA, BALL AND JOHNSON ACT TOGETHER WATCH IT, THEN YOU DECIDE FOR YOURSELF IF YOU WANT TO SHOW IT TO THE KIDS. ITS YOUR CHOICE!!!! --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition
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