And So It Goes – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

And So It Goes

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2014

38%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Michael Douglas plays a grump who learns to love his granddaughter in this aggressively formulaic 2014 dramedy that critics torched.

16%

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And So It Goes

movie

PG-13, 2014

38%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Michael Douglas plays a grump who learns to love his granddaughter in this aggressively formulaic 2014 dramedy that critics torched.

16%

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16%

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, this movie got a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason. It's a by-the-numbers redemption story that brings nothing new to the table, and even the charm of Douglas and Keaton can't save a script this stale.

The profanity, drinking, and mature themes make it inappropriate for younger kids, and the predictable plot makes it a slog for anyone looking for actual entertainment. If you're hunting for a family movie about second chances and unlikely bonds, there are dozens of better options (Up, The Kid, even Secondhand Lions).

This isn't offensively bad—it's just aggressively mediocre, and in 2025, that's almost worse. Your teen might tolerate it on a slow afternoon, but they won't remember it by dinner.

Age Fit

Best for ages 14+ who can handle profanity, substance use, and emotionally heavy themes about loss and family dysfunction. The PG-13 rating is spot-on—younger kids will be bored or confused, and the language/themes are too mature for middle schoolers.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The film's core message about opening your heart and learning to care for others is genuinely wholesome, but it's undercut by frequent profanity (including 's--t' and 'a--hole'), on-screen smoking and drinking, and the overall grumpy, deliberately mean-spirited tone of the protagonist for much of the runtime. The relationship that develops between Oren and his granddaughter is sweet, but the path there involves a lot of emotional dysfunction and coarse language that keeps this from feeling truly emotionally healthy for younger viewers.

Imaginative

This is a paint-by-numbers romantic dramedy with zero originality. The curmudgeon-learns-to-love-again plot has been done a thousand times, and critics savaged it for being predictable and formulaic (16% on Rotten Tomatoes, 38 on Metacritic). There's no creative spark, no invitation to think differently, no world-building or exploration. It's Rob Reiner on autopilot, coasting on the charm of his leads without bringing anything fresh to the table.

Safe

PG-13 rating is accurate—there's frequent profanity, on-screen substance use (smoking, drinking), implied sexual content, and heavy themes of death, grief, and family abandonment. No graphic violence or nudity, but the emotional weight of a parent in jail and discussions of a deceased spouse make this unsuitable for younger kids. Common Sense Media flags it as too mature for under-13s. For the target teen/adult audience, it's reasonably safe, but younger kids stumbling onto this would encounter content that's jarring.

Enriching

There are legitimate themes about second chances, grief, responsibility, and learning to connect with family after years of isolation. The arc from selfishness to caring could spark good conversations about empathy and growth. But the execution is so formulaic and the critical reception so poor that it's hard to argue this offers meaningful insight beyond what dozens of better films have already delivered. It's not actively harmful, but it's not particularly enlightening either—just serviceable melodrama.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

The central message—that it's never too late to open your heart—is genuinely touching and could resonate with teens navigating family complexity
Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton have natural chemistry, even if the script doesn't give them much to work with
The grandfather-granddaughter relationship offers a chance to discuss responsibility, grief, and showing up for family even when it's hard

⚠

What to Watch For

Frequent profanity throughout, including 's--t' and 'a--hole'—not constant, but enough that you'll notice
On-screen smoking, drinking, and drug references that normalize substance use
Heavy themes of death, abandonment, and a parent in jail that may be emotionally difficult for younger or sensitive kids
The plot is so predictable that even adults may find it hard to stay engaged

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think Oren was so mean to everyone at the beginning? What changed for him?"
"Have you ever had to take care of someone or something you didn't expect to? How did it feel?"
"The movie shows how grief can make people shut down. What are healthier ways people can deal with loss?"
"Do you think Oren's son made the right choice leaving Sarah with him? What would you have done?"

Deep Dive

The "familiar faces" trap

You’re scrolling through Prime Video or Plex on a Tuesday night, and you see Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton. You think, I know these people. They’re professionals. This will be a safe, pleasant way to kill 90 minutes. That is exactly how this movie catches you. It relies entirely on the "Old Pro" charm of its leads to distract you from the fact that the script feels like it was written by a software program designed to output "Generic Heartwarming Dramedy."

Director Rob Reiner has given us some of the most iconic films in history, but this isn't one of them. It’s wallpaper. It exists to fill a slot in a streaming library. If you’re looking for a film that challenges your teen or offers a fresh perspective on family dynamics, you’re looking in the wrong place. This is a movie about a guy who is mean because the plot requires him to be, who becomes nice because the plot requires him to be, and who finds love because, well, Diane Keaton is the neighbor.

The "Oren Little" problem

Michael Douglas is great at playing characters you love to hate, but Oren Little is a tough sell. He isn't just a "curmudgeon" in the style of a grumpy Pixar grandpa. He is genuinely obnoxious. In the first act, he's a realtor who is actively hostile to everyone he meets. There is a specific scene involving a paintball gun and a neighbor's dog that is meant to be funny but often just feels mean-spirited.

For a 14-year-old viewer, this character type can be a hard sell. Modern teens are usually pretty quick to sniff out "forced" character growth. They’ll see Oren’s sudden transformation into a doting grandfather not as a profound emotional arc, but as a convenient pivot to get to the ending. If your kid is sensitive to animal cruelty—even the slapstick, "no dogs were harmed" variety—that paintball moment might be the point where they check out entirely.

Why the PG-13 actually matters

This movie sits in a weird middle ground. It’s too slow and "adult" for younger kids, but it’s not quite sophisticated enough for older teens. The PG-13 rating isn't there because of explosions or intense violence; it’s there because Oren has a mouth on him and the movie doesn't shy away from the reality of his son’s situation (being headed to prison).

We see a lot of "adult-lite" movies like this where the mature themes—addiction, incarceration, abandonment—are used as background texture rather than being explored with any real depth. If you’re watching this with a teen, the most interesting parts aren't the romance between the seniors. The real "hook" is the granddaughter, Sarah. She is the most grounded person in the movie. Watching her navigate a grandfather who clearly doesn't want her there is a much more compelling story than Oren trying to sell a house.

Better ways to spend your time

If your teen is actually interested in the "grumpy old man finds a heart" subgenre, there are better versions of this story that have come out since 2014. A Man Called Otto handles the grief and the "neighborly intervention" with significantly more weight. If they want a classic Rob Reiner experience, you're better off revisiting his earlier work where the dialogue actually has some snap.

And So It Goes is the kind of movie you put on when you want to look at your phone for half the runtime. It won't spark a deep debate about the human condition, and it won't be anyone's favorite movie. It’s just... there. And in a world with a million things to stream, "just being there" usually isn't enough of a recommendation.

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