Rated PG (for language and some thematic elements). 98 minutes. Directed by Shawn Levy. Written by Craig Titley, Joel Cohen, Sam Harper and Alec Sokolow. 20th Century Fox.

Tom Baker is a small-town college football coach in Midland, Illinois, who runs his wacky brood of twelve – count ‘em, twelve – kids the same way he runs his team. When Tom (Steve Martin) is offered his dream job of coaching at a major university in Evanston, he and aspiring-writer wife, Kate (Bonnie Hunt) decide to uproot the family and move to greener pastures.

The move brings Tom a huge salary, a “big-man-on-campus” status (something he’s dreamed about since college), and a sprawling, three-story home in a high-class neighborhood. It also sends the family into turmoil: the kids must switch schools, find new friends, and move out of the overcrowded farmhouse they love, despite the headaches -- like daughter Lorraine (Hilary Duff) having to negotiate for an extra three minutes of bathroom time every day.

To make things more chaotic, Kate must go on a national tour to promote her new book, Cheaper by the Dozen, right before school starts in the new town. That leaves Tom to shop for school supplies and keep the out-of-control clan from killing each other – on top of the overwhelming new coaching job. The kids go haywire, striking fear into the heart of not only Tom, but the entire neighborhood. Wacky hi-jinks ensue as kids rappel from rooftops, try to bring a nerdy neighbor-kid over to the dark side, and soak the underwear of their older sister’s vain boyfriend (Ashton Kutcher) in raw meat, prompting the family dog to go…well, a little crotch-crazy.

My kids – 6 and 9 – and I saw this in the theater right before Christmas, and it was the perfect holiday film. We laughed out loud, then laughed again while watching the DVD. Interspersed with the wacky antics are some heartfelt moments about a family pulling together and supporting each other. It actually made me long to have more kids (an idea that quickly went away after the movie ended and my kids started arguing over Legos again).

Cheaper by the Dozen is rated PG, but it’s still appealing for ages five and up. Yeah, the kids talk back to their parents, and there’s one disgusting vomit scene I could have done without (although Martin shouting, “Clean-up on aisle 12!” was funny). But overall, it’s good clean fun that mimics what life is like in a real family. The cast is superb – who wouldn’t want Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt for parents? – and includes the adorable Tom Welling (Clark Kent in TV’s Smallville) and Piper Perabo (Violet in Coyote Ugly) as the oldest son and daughter.

THE WRAP-UP: A fun, lighthearted, feel-good movie that celebrates families in the modern world. Looking forward to the 2005 sequel, already in the works.

SCORE: 3 out of 4 Reels.

DVD EXTRAS: Full-length audio commentaries by director Shawn Levy and the Baker Kids; Deleted/Extended Scenes with Optional Commentary; and “Director’s Viewfinder” Featurette.

THIS IS COOL: This film is loosely based on the 1940s book, Cheaper by the Dozen, by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, which inspired a 1950 movie starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy. Frank was a “time and motion expert” whose job was to improve assembly lines. He applied the same theories at home, analyzing the family routine and assigning parts of it to every kid.

Jane's Reel Rating System:

One Reel – Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels – Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels – Pleasant. Something to talk about.

Four Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

E-chat with me at jane@reellifewithjane.com - I LOVE to talk about movies! For more about me, check out my writer’s Web site, www.janeboursaw.com.

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