Alternate Character Interpretation: Does Larry ditch his son Cool on his parents because he couldn't care less about him, or because he does care and knows that he's a pitiful excuse for a father and that his son would be better off with people who could take care of him?
Harsher in Hindsight: The second Imagine Spot at the ball game, where Gil imagines his son as a clock tower school shooter. It's played for both drama and comedy (comic in the sense that Gil is obviously imagining an over the top, absolute worst worst worst case scenario), but with how (relatively) common school shootings are perceived as being today, it pretty much eliminates the comedy.
First, we have Steve Martin as Gil. Gil is a loving father, but he believes that he isn't good enough, which takes Martin's trademark irritation and misanthropy into some very dark places.
There's also Rick Moranis and his portrayal of Gil's brother-in-law Nathan. All Nathan wants is to raise a prodigy, but his Obsessively Organized tendencies is not only Played for Laughs in this case, but also Played for Drama when he attempts to keep things orderly with Susan, his wife and Gil's sister.
And we can't go without mentioning Keanu Reeves and Tom Hulce as Tod and Larry respectively. Yes, Tod is basically Ted with one letter in his name changed, but does so with grace and pathos, and really delivers one of the defining speeches of the movie and shows Tod's Hidden Depths subtly but clearly. And while Tom Hulce already had an Oscar nomination to his name, his performance as the perpetual but sadly aware family screw up Larry shows real depth.
Julie and Tod both shave their heads as a form of rebellion- Flash forward to 2007 when Britney Spears did the same thing.
In the scene where Gil and Karen are fighting over the fact that she is pregnant, he says "Let's just have a dozen, and act like they are donuts." In Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), Steve Martin plays the father of a dozen children.
Squick: The brief shot of the diaphragm in Susan and Nathan's subplot.
Tear Jerker: Gary finding out over the course of a phone call just how little interest his own father has in a relationship with him.
Nearly everyone to an extent, but Cool in particular, who has been abandoned by both of his parents by age four.
Garry, who only wants a loving father even as his divorced Dad wants nothing to do with him.
2010 Television Show
Award Snub: NBC made a huge push to get Monica Potter an Emmy nomination for her cancer storyline in Season 4. Sadly, she was egregiously overlooked by the Academy, though she won a Critics Choice Award and was nominated for a TCA award and a Golden Globe.
Base-Breaking Character: Max; people either love him and love the representation of Asperger's Syndrome or despise him for being such a jerk.
Alex. His scene with Kristina after he and Haddie broke up was a Tear Jerker and one of the best moments of Season 3
Amber, and most definitely Sarah.
Tear Jerker: The Show, according to some episode reviewers and recappers. When the show was announced it was ending, there were countless articles on how the show made them cry.
Judging by his politeness for a 14-year old boy who has been though parental abandonment and all sorts of nasty hardships, his reactions to awkward family situations, and how the audience plain loves him, Drew is fitting this trope to a T. The audience continues to beg for more of him every episode.
Mr. Cyr, given Sarah's treatment of him since his introduction as a love interest and the recent re-appearance of Seth. bordering on a concerted effort to Break the Cutie.
