Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Parent Guide

We’ve all had bad days, but some days go beyond bad. After Alexander Cooper (Ed Oxenbould) has a day that includes setting his school science lab on fire, he comes home to his family for some solace. Instead he sits through dinner listening to his parents and siblings describe all the great things that happened to them since breakfast. Like the old saying about salt in a wound, Alexander sadly ponders the next day, which happens to be his birthday. Not able to sleep, he makes himself a birthday sundae and blows the candle out with a wish that the others in his family could have a bad day too so they can understand what he’s going through.

The next morning Alexander awakens to a family that has slept past the alarm. His unemployed Dad (Steve Carell) is worried about a job interview and his mother (Jennifer Garner) is anxious about being late for her work where she is in charge of a celebrity book reading. Meanwhile his sister Emily (Kerris Dorsey), who is set to perform the starring role in her school musical, has woken up with a cold. And his older brother Anthony (Dylan Minnette) is about to discover a few reasons why his up-coming night at the junior prom will be less than perfect.

If you’ve checked the poster and trailer for this film, you may assume it will be yet another story of a dysfunctional family who make dumb decisions that result in over-the-top consequences. Thankfully Alexander isn’t nearly as terrible as some may expect. The events that occur during their cursed day are realistic enough that you shudder to think how it could happen to you. Perhaps not all of them in one day, but they are certainly plausible. And that makes the humor in this film very relatable for parents, while the kids in the crowd will enjoy the slapstick silliness of things like a baby turning a green highlighter into a popsicle.

Even more impressive are the parents. They are not the dolts we have come to expect in other films in this genre. Instead they are intelligent, hard-working and caring. They desperately want to do whatever they can to turn a difficult situation into something better for their three oldest kids who all have important events on the calendar. And, having four children myself, let me assure you it’s not all that unusual to have your kids’ special occasions all lining up like the planets in a stellar spectacle.

Content concerns for viewers include some potty humor and mild sexual remarks. As well, there are a couple of scenes involving topics parents should be prepared to discuss afterward. A student uses a Smartphone app to place the picture of a boy’s head on the top of various photos of women in bikinis. The pictures are texted throughout the school—a seemingly silly activity that could result in serious repercussions in reality. Then there’s Emily’s desperate attempt to regain her voice for the school musical. She purchases a large bottle of cough syrup and swigs mouthfuls from the container until her father finally takes it from her. Her drunken performance in the play is followed by vomiting. This is presented within a humorous context, even though this medication can be dangerous if taken in large doses. And that’s not so funny.

Thankfully the overall messages (self sacrifice and caring for one another) allow Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day to rise above its momentary misgivings. It is one of the few live-action family films in recent memory that allows parents and kids to laugh together and leave the theater feeling like they’ve had a good day.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.