Video Fun House film fans Jean Tarbett Hardiman and John Gillispie enjoyed "College Road Trip," rated G, and starring Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone.
JOHN: "College Road Trip" is corny, sentimental and features a pig doing silly things. So, of course, I loved it.
JEAN: I wanted to see it ever since I saw the preview, where Martin Lawrence's character is dancing the "running man" in front of his mortified teenage daughter and her friends.
JOHN: Here is a live-action family film with a G rating that most people should be able to enjoy. Lawrence is a funny guy, and Raven-Symone has been acting almost as long as she has been alive.
JEAN: I really like both of those actors. What's more is that it's a touching topic that many, many parents struggle with -- watching their children grow up and leave home for the first time. Based on this film and my own experience of leaving the nest, it's particularly hard when it comes to daughters. Here, we see how an overprotective father has, in his mind, completely ruled out the possibility that his daughter will go to college out of state. Lawrence's character, James Porter, wants his daughter, Melanie, to attend Northwestern because it's near their home in the Chicago area. But she wants to go to Georgetown in D.C. She gets a chance to be interviewed for a special pre-law program at Georgetown, and her dad decides to drive her there, not only hoping that it will be good father-daughter bonding time, but hoping to change her mind about going that far.
JOHN: The two stars have good chemistry together. And Kym E. Whitley as the mom and Eshaya Draper as the son/brother round out the family with a few comic moments of their own. And we cannot forget the pig, which steals just about every scene it's in. It makes it into quite a few scenes actually, after the pig and the little brother sneak into the back of the SUV for the road trip.
JEAN: Donny Osmond has a few funny scenes in "College Road Trip" as well, as a geeked-out dad whom they bump into in their travels. His character also is taking his daughter to visit colleges, and while -- being an optimistic person myself -- I don't find too many opportunities to describe people as overly happy, I think that's accurate in the case of these two characters. If, as actors, they were going for "make-'em-puke perkiness," they nailed it. But they had me rolling when they busted out a show tune from "Sound of Music." That's my favorite musical, in case our readers weren't sure exactly how cheesy I am myself.
JOHN: While there are some moments that make you laugh, the situations in the movie are more amusing than laugh-out-loud funny, but there are some touching moments as well about a parent learning to let go of a college-aged student. It's great for the family to watch together, and coming in under an hour and a half, this film doesn't put a strain on a family's quality time together.
JEAN: If I had to describe the tone of this movie in one word, I would say "Disney." If you're not into slap-stick comedy combined with a little music, a cute animal sidekick and a liberal helping of sappiness, you might want to check out another flick. On the other hand, if you like family movies and have a child who will someday leave home, you might want to give this one a try. That way, you won't be caught unawares when you leave your little pumpkin in a strange dorm room someday in a town far away. It's a moment that can hit you pretty hard, from what I understand.
JOHN: You're not going to get sentimental on us now, are you, Jean?
JEAN: No. I left home more than a decade ago. I'm fine, but I think I'll just sign off here so I can call my mommy and daddy and tell them I love them.
Jean Tarbett Hardiman is a reporter for The Herald-Dispatch. John Gillispie is the public relations director for the Huntington Museum of Art. Contact the writers at jeant@herald-dispatch.com.
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