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Mrs. North’s got 10 kids; Admiral Beardsley has eight. Even after discounting their deceased spouses, when these two former high school sweethearts marry, it’s a mega-family of 20 (more if you count the housekeeper, dogs, pig, etc.) Think of the North-Beardsley brood as three Brady Bunches. While the parents (Rene Russo and Dennis Quaid) swoon, their kids clash: The Norths are a pack of multiculti free-thinkers, while the Beardsleys are by-the-book Coast Guard brats. Not surprisingly it all works itself out in less than two hours. Raja Gosnell (Scooby Doo) directs this family comedy, a remake of the 1968 film, and turns out a harmless bit of entertaining fluff about domestic bonds, learning to compromise and the importance of bathroom schedules. (AH) 
This article appears in Nov 24-30, 2005.
