Yours, Mine & Ours.

I couldn't believe that there really was a real Beardsley family with 18 children (or perhaps 20, according to the books and columns I've read). 

What's the story?

In Yours, Mine & Ours, Coast Guard Admiral Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid) re-meets his beautiful high school sweetheart, Helen North (Rene Russo). Both have lost their spouses and have large numbers of kids (he has eight, she has ten, six of whom are adopted). They marry without telling their kids of ahead of time. Of course, the kids are unhappy with their abruptly changed living conditions. Helen's children are artistically inclined and free-spirited (the conduct family discussions using a "talking stick"); Frank's are regimented, used to following orders and running a "tight ship." (His kids come with a nanny, played by the wonderful Linda Hunt, here reduced to inglorious reaction shots.) Frictions between the kids first cause arguments (including competition between the two teen girls over a cute boy at school). Eventually, the children decide to break up their parents' marriage. They stage events --including two boys dressing up as girls and a discussion of two girls kissing -- that will cause arguments over parenting choices. [Got this from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/yours-mine-ours]

The real "Yours, Mine and Ours" family

Well, if you haven't heard or even seen the movie yet, better check it out. It's all about family, and I love every single detail in it. Especially when the family was trying to get their names onto the answering machine message before it times out & the Beautiful Lighthouse Keeper's story.

The cast of the 2005 movie Yours, Mine & Ours.

I chose the new version (2005) because it deviates in many ways from the original. Not too much chaos in the whole movie. I can actually talk about "Yours, Mine & Ours" with my family over and over again since it's close to reality.