Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»2813. Ideal Home (2018)

    2813. Ideal Home (2018)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on January 11, 2020 2018, 6 - 7.9, 90-99 mins, Comedy, Drama, Jan 20, Movies Of 2020, Review, United States
    6.7 Funny and heartwarming - at times
    • Acting 6.7
    • Directing 6.5
    • Story 7.0
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Steve Coogan, Paul Rudd, Alison PillDirector: Andrew Fleming

    Running Time: 91 mins


    Ideal Home is an American film about a gay couple who are unexpectedly burdened with looking after a young boy, but with no experience of parenting whatsoever. 

    Far from the best comedy-drama you’ll ever see, Ideal Home takes a predictable premise and tells it in predictable fashion, often worsened by middling humour and shallow drama.

    Saying that, however, it’s a film that gets better as it goes on, sparking a laugh or two here and there, and even breaking ground with some genuinely heartwarming emotion, however brief it may be.

    Now, we’ve seen countless films that bring together children from troubled homes and adults inexperienced in parenting, and it’s a premise that often throws up a great balance of laughs and emotion, looking at a clash of character because of the generation gap, as well as the growing up needed on the side of an adult to be able to fully take care of someone.

    From the excellent Instant Family to The Fundamentals Of Caring (which also starred Paul Rudd), it’s a premise that can work really well, and that’s what makes Ideal Home even more disappointing at times, as it falls short in its attempts to capture both heartwarming emotional drama and properly funny comedy.

    The biggest problem with Ideal Home is that, from the start, it’s just not funny enough. There’s less focus on developing more intimate drama early on, as the film is trying to establish the charismatic duo of Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd and their lavish lifestyle. But the comedy is predictable, juvenile and often irritatingly shrill, never getting the movie off to the laughter-filled start it’s aiming for.

    As a result, the film is far from a hilarious watch, and it requires a little break from that brand of humour at the beginning of the second act for things to settle down. There, the film begins its development of the core emotional relationship, between a troubled young boy and two fairly irresponsible adults, and although it follows a very predictable path, it’s surprisingly likable at times, even striking a few moments of heartwarming drama here and there.

    The film then bounces back to a more comedy-driven screenplay, and then back to the drama. This continues for the rest of the film as the movie bounces between tones in rather clumsy and directionless fashion, never really grabbing you or getting to grips with what it actually is.

    As a result, Ideal Home turns out as a comedy-drama that’s sometimes a full-blown comedy, and at other times a full-blown drama, but never an effective or captivating blend of both. It’s never quite as funny as it aims to be, although it sparks a few laughs from time to time, and it doesn’t have the emotional depth to prove fully riveting, even though it’s surprisingly likable and heartwarming in brief bursts. So, that’s why I’m giving Ideal Home a 6.7 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.0
    Review
    January 25, 20190

    2433. Destroyer (2018)

    8.2
    Review
    February 24, 20170

    1672. Lion (2016)

    8.4
    Review
    March 1, 20130

    70. Wedding Crashers (2005)

    8.4
    Review
    January 28, 20160

    1234. Anomalisa (2015)

    8.1
    Review
    August 12, 20160

    1449. Double Indemnity (1944)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.