Parenthood – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Parenthood

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie1989

81%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Steve Martin has a nervous breakdown so you don't have to. A messy, loud, and surprisingly honest look at why raising humans is terrifying.

7.1/10

92%

76%

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Parenthood

movie

PG-13, 1989

81%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Steve Martin has a nervous breakdown so you don't have to. A messy, loud, and surprisingly honest look at why raising humans is terrifying.

7.1

92%

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7.1/10

92%

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Screenwise Verdict

Parenthood is a classic that actually holds up because the core anxiety of being a parent hasn't changed since 1989. It’s funny, it’s biting, and it’s deeply relatable.

That said, it is a product of its time. The pacing is a bit slower than a modern Netflix comedy, and the lack of smartphones makes the 'teen rebellion' look very different than it does now.

If you have a teenager who can handle some 'old movie' vibes and a few f-bombs, it's a great watch to bridge the gap between 'you're my kid' and 'we're both just people trying to figure this out.' Just maybe skip it for the elementary school crowd unless you want to explain what a diaphragm is.

Age Fit

Best for 13 and up. Younger kids will be bored by the adult drama, and the sexual humor is definitely geared toward a high school or adult audience.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It captures the chaotic, messy reality of family life without the sugary coating of typical 80s sitcoms. It models the idea that families can be dysfunctional and still love each other.

Imaginative

It's a grounded suburban dramedy. While the storytelling is clever and the dream sequences are funny, it's not pushing creative boundaries in a way that sparks kid-like wonder.

Safe

It's a 'hard' PG-13 by today's standards. Expect several f-bombs, frank talk about teen sex/condoms, a scene involving a vibrator mistaken for a toy, and some heavy themes like abandonment and mental health struggles.

Enriching

It's an empathy machine. It helps teens see their parents as actual humans with anxieties, and it helps parents realize that 'perfect' kids are a myth. The 'roller coaster vs. merry-go-round' metaphor is top-tier life advice.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Steve Martin’s physical comedy is at its peak here—the cowboy birthday party scene is legendary.
It features a young Keanu Reeves giving actually decent life advice to a surly teenager.
The movie refuses to give everyone a perfect, tied-up-with-a-bow ending, which feels much more real than modern fluff.
It covers the full spectrum: from toddlers with 'head-banging' issues to grandparents who are still mess-ups.

⚠

What to Watch For

There is a scene involving a 'massager' (vibrator) that will lead to very awkward questions if you watch this with anyone under 12.
The language is punchy. It’s the kind of 80s PG-13 that would probably be R today if it had one more f-word.
Rick Moranis plays a 'super-parent' who forces his toddler to learn Kafka; it’s meant to be a warning, but it might hit too close to home for the high-achiever crowd.

Conversation Starters

"Which of the four Buckman siblings' parenting styles do you think is the most 'normal'?"
"Grandma says life is a roller coaster, not a merry-go-round. Do you agree, or do you just want to get off the ride?"
"Why do you think the 'perfect' kid in the movie ended up being the one who struggled the most?"

Deep Dive

The pre-digital chaos factor

Watching this in 2026 feels like visiting a different planet, but the emotional physics are identical. Critics give it a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes because it manages to be a broad comedy that still feels claustrophobic in its honesty. There are no iPads to distract the kids and no Google to reassure the parents that their toddler’s "head-banging" is just a phase. Every crisis has to be handled in person, loudly, and usually in front of the entire extended Buckman family.

If your teenagers are used to the polished, therapeutic tone of modern family dramas, the raw anxiety here might catch them off guard. The movie doesn't try to be "wholesome" in a way that feels fake; it’s a series of escalating fires that the characters have to put out with very little equipment. It’s an excellent choice if you want to use movies about family dynamics to show your kids that the "perfect" family has never actually existed—not even in the 80s.

The "Super-Parent" trap

One of the most effective threads in the movie is the contrast between the siblings who are just trying to survive and the one who has turned parenting into a competitive sport. We all know this person: the one whose kid is doing chemistry at age four while yours is eating paste.

The movie treats this "super-parenting" as a form of obsession rather than an achievement. It’s a great mirror for the current era of hyper-optimized childhoods. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to turn every weekend into an "enriching" developmental milestone, watching the "perfect" child in this movie slowly unravel is a necessary reality check. It’s a reminder that the goal isn't to build a genius; it's to raise a person who can handle a little bit of mess.

Why it still hits

While the "black sheep" and "rebellious teenager" tropes are staples of the genre, this film handles them with more bite than most. It’s less about "fixing" the family members who are struggling and more about the rest of the family learning to live with the skeletons in the closet.

The "Black Sheep" dynamic: Most family movies eventually redeem the screw-up. This one is more honest about the fact that some relatives stay messy forever.
The Teenager perspective: The "rebellious" kids here aren't just acting out for the plot; they are reacting to the specific pressures of their parents' unfulfilled dreams.

If you’re looking for a movie that validates the feeling that you’re doing it all wrong, this is the gold standard. It’s a loud, sweaty, 7.1-IMDb-rated hug for anyone who feels like they’re the only person in the room who doesn't have a script. It’s the ultimate "good enough" parenting manifesto.

Stills