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Parental Guidance

Parental Guidance

Here come the grandparents. There go the rules.

2012105 minPGMidcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Director
Andy Fickman
Starring
Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott

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.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Parental Guidance?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Parental Guidance streaming on Cinemax via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Parental Guidance?

Parental Guidance earns 6 badges, led by Word-of-mouth hit and Box Office Hit.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Parental Guidance worth watching?

Parental Guidance's Midcredits score is the 40th percentile of all films, from 47K ratings across 6 sources. 46% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

40th percentile

Better received than 40% of films

45th percentile among Comedy41st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)35th
Approval (how many liked it)46th

57 /100

35th percentile of all films

39th percentile among Comedy37th percentile among 2010s

Critics 36 · Audience 59

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

46% liked it

46th percentile of all films

52nd percentile among Comedy46th percentile among 2010s
46% rated it 7–1054% rated it 1–6

Critics 18% · Audience 59%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 4 noms overall

93rd percentile

47K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Comedy93rd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$25M
Opening weekend$15M
Domestic gross$77M
Worldwide gross$120M

Returned 4.8× its budget — 96th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree that the film's main appeal rests on Billy Crystal and Bette Midler's performances, while the story is formulaic and predictable.

Fans praised

  • Crystal and Midler's charming chemistry and comedic timing
  • Genuinely funny scenes with sharp wit from Billy Crystal
  • Wholesome, family-friendly content suitable for all ages

Detractors panned

  • Predictable plot with clichéd situations and no surprises
  • Unlikable adult characters and bratty kids
  • Overreliance on gross humor and far-fetched comedy

What stands out

Acting70

Crystal and Midler's strong performances and chemistry are widely praised, though some find supporting cast weak

Dialogue65

Crystal's one-liners and smooth talk are funny, but some jokes fall flat

HumorDivisive55

Funny moments especially with Crystal, but overuse of gross and far-fetched comedy

Emotional impactDivisive45

Some touching scenes but overall lacks emotional depth and tension

Pacing45

Some find it tolerable but lacking momentum; others enjoy its lighthearted flow

CharactersDivisive40

Grandparents are charming but adults otherwise unlikable and kids bratty; some see no stereotypes

Plot and storyDivisive35

Highly predictable and clichéd, with obvious points made without subtlety

Originality25

Derivative of other family comedies like 'Cheaper by the Dozen' with recycled situations

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 16 points higher than men.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Parental Guidance like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something warm that leaves you smiling.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
JoyfulWarm
Heaviest: middle
Warm humor
Register
WarmSentimental · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its generational conflicts with warmth and gentle mockery, never cynical.
The rideThe film sustains a light, warm emotional colour, with the most tension during the middle when generational conflicts peak before resolving warmly.
StructureThe story is told in linear fashion, following the grandparents' stay and the resolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

The answer rests on this: Feel-goodHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a warm, uplifting feeling about family bonds and the importance of flexibility.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Comedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11% (this title): Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1% (this title)
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Comedy: Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony. · Comedy of manners: Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).

11% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film is a comedy about generational clashes between old-school grandparents and their helicopter-parent daughter's children, resolved through love and flexibility.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% (this title) · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsTradition vs change · 2% of filmsComing of age · 5% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film is about bridging generational gaps and finding common ground within a family, with a secondary nod to how parenting styles evolve and how children teach adults to adapt.
StanceThe film celebrates family bonds and the ability of love and flexibility to overcome generational differences, with both Artie and Diane as co-protagonists.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalPopSupportive music · hybrid
Settinga modern suburban family home in a small American town

Content guide

Is Parental Guidance okay for kids?

PG

Parental Guidance is rated PG: “Rated PG for some rude humor” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (31/100), sexual content at mild (28/100), language at mild (31/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at minimal (0/100). Its frightening material has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 34% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 19 other countries
  • UKU
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany0
  • IrelandPG
  • JapanG
  • BrazilL
  • AustriaAA
  • Belgium12
  • Czechia15+
  • DenmarkA
  • Hungary12
  • ItalyT
  • NetherlandsAL
  • Norway15
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/6
  • ROAP
  • Russia6+
  • Sweden15
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 10% of all filmsHeavier than 34% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 38%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 64%
Profanity
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 60%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 69%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (9 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is drug and alcohol content, heavier than 69% of PG-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Parental Guidance have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Parental Guidance?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Billy Crystal
as Artie Decker
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Bette Midler
as Diane Decker
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Marisa Tomei
as Alice Simmons
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tom Everett Scott
as Phil Simmons
Bailee Madison
as Harper Simmons
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Joshua Rush
as Turner Simmons
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Kyle Breitkopf
as Barker Simmons
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Jennifer Crystal Foley
as Cassandra
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Rhoda Griffis
as Dr. Schveer
Gedde Watanabe
as Mr. Cheng

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Parental Guidance?

Movies like Parental Guidance include About My Father (2023), You Again (2010) and Playing with Fire (2019). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films by Andy Fickman, and most are films set in the suburbs.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 12 share its story type: comedy of manners. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Parental Guidance?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: aging hero. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.