Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day looked your standard “comedy” cash in; the kind 2nd graders die to see and parents dread to take. I enjoy the book version of Alexander, about a boy who takes Murphy’s Law to the extreme. While fun on paper, I cringed at the idea of taking a five minute read and turning into a 90 minute experience where nothing but terrible stuff befalls upon an 11 year old (it’d be the kid-friendly version of Calvary). At least that’s what I thought until its trailer’s second half, where the film deviates immensely from its source material; having a twist which caught my interest. The twist (which I hardly consider a spoiler since the trailers lived off of showing it) is after having his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, Alexander makes a birthday wish for his family (who have been experiencing ideal days) to experience his pain. Cue the next day where Alex’s day goes terrifically well, while his family’s gone to Hell; hilarity ensues…no seriously it does!
I was worried Alex’s bad day would take up a painful amount of screen time, but surprisingly the film moves quickly into the twist; even before however, the film handles its plot well. The film producers (along with the viewers) know Alexander must experience a bad day, and play it to enjoyably satirizing levels. Yet what I appreciated even more was how likable Alex’s family turned out (considering how unappealing they were in the book); in a way they’re toned down versions of the clichéd, neglectful family you’d find in Sixteen Candles and Home Alone. Alex’s sibling pick on him, but in a naturally bossy/avoidant way rather than cliché bullying; the parents are truly considerate towards Alex AND his problems, but are so busy with work and several other kids that it occasionally comes across as neglectful for Alex. The parents put plenty of effort into making sure Alex’s birthday goes well; his dad makes a big cake while his mom nearly calls the parents of a richer kid (who’s also having a birthday party on the exact same day) about changing the date (though both Alex and his dad are witty enough to persuade her it’s not a good idea). It’s almost as if they’re a real-life family (similar to my own), instead of run-of-the-mill neglectors many fictional stories use…doesn't make it any less fun however when they end up having their own no good, very bad days!
The film holds very little back on Alex’s family, throwing them into every painful, awkward and embarrassing situation a PG film can get away with (while several times coming close to crossing into PG-13 territory). There’s just something magical about seeing blissfully prosperous people having their life’s ruined by one really rotten day (I may be a bit sadistic inside), especially when our normally miserable protagonist is having quite the opposite experience. Of course Alexander isn’t as merciless as I am, worrying that he’s somehow cursed his family, while consistently trying to prevent further disasters from transpiring. The actor who plays Alex (Ed Oxenbould) is a delight to watch, playing the role with a mixture of grumpiness, kindness, and child-like charm. Of course the wisest casting choice is Steve Carell as Alex’s dad, who is delightfully amusing in his slapstick, facial-exaggerating role. I find adding Steve Carell to a film always make it better, no matter how bad the film (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone for example sucked, but would have been even worse without Steve Carell).
Despite the good, the film’s last third is where things get…cheesy…very, VERY cheesy. It’s as if the film’s suddenly taken over by The Odd Life of Timothy Green, turning into a tacky family collaboration which looks more in place on an episode of The Brady Bunch. The characters start excessively discussing lessons about family importance, working together, always being there for each other, hugging it out, laughing in unison, and stuff so sweet it’s sickening. The film’s first two-thirds balances between a caring family and a dysfunctional one (comparable to a real life family); in the last third it becomes ALL caring and zero dysfunctional, to the point where the older brother ditches his girlfriend and prom because “family’s first” (to be fair his girlfriend was a spoiled brat, yet what kind of popularity-obsessed teenager would ditch prom and a hot date for his family!?) By the end of the day, everything ends up gong abundantly well for them (particularly the parents), contradicting Alexander’s earlier statement of “you got to have the bad day’s to appreciate the good” since their day ends up great none-the-less. In fact a lot of the ending contradicts with the film’s first two-thirds, bringing the film its closest to becoming a “comedy” cash in.
