The Growing Pains Movie (2000)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

I was excited when I saw that this was going to be on. And then when I watched it I died a thousand deaths. I'm glad everyone came back to do this movie though. I hate renunion shows where there is a cast member missing (i.e. Brady Bunch when Cindy didn't return). The scheming at the end of the film was horrible. I was waiting for the big surprise ending. Something cool. Something worth waiting around for. Nothing. The only good thing that came out of this for me was to see Tracy Gold and how healthy she looked. Considering she almost died I was glad to see her at a healthy weight. This made me think of a movie that needs to be made, Jason Bateman vs. Kirk Cameron. Jason Bateman would so win. He's way funnier and still acting. They could wear capes and have super powers. It's just a thought.

I used to watch television's "Growing Pains." It was an awful little show, almost as bad as "Full House," but nevertheless fun to watch. But this TV reunion is just plain awful. I mean, it puts the "pain" in "painful." Kirk Cameron (now a Christian and part of the "Left Behind" series) is not as naughty as he was in the show; maybe because he is a Christian and feels it isn't right to show the old Kirk. Don't know, but he is different. TV legend Alan Thicke, who did the voice of a robot in "And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird!" is just about the only cast member worth watching, sadly. I believe the guy playing Ben is gay; he always seemed gay in the show and this movie shows the actor grown up (he's gotta be a homo). He is different from the old Ben, not worth watching.Everyone is different, the gags are not there, we are left with a typical, sentimental, feel-good movie that doesn't make one feel as good as it does...well...in pain. Maybe it's just growing pains. But I think it's just pain.

When I saw the preview for this movie, I thought it would just be another reunion movie from an 80's television show. But when I saw this movie, I was greatly surprised. It was a great reunion of the Seaver Family. All of the original cast were great in their roles, and the plot in which Maggie runs for Congress was great. This was a great movie.

This is a fairly good movie. A good family film, but best if you already know the series. The continuing story of the Seaver family is worth watching, especially if you enjoyed the 80's series. I recommend it as a family movie, but there is a lot of things in it that may confuse a younger audience.