Family love and acceptance celebrated in new Disney+ comedy 'Cheaper by the Dozen'
"I think the goal was let's make everyone feel represented and seen," said actor Zach Braff, who plays the fun-loving dad.
HOLLYWOOD -- Hollywood turned into "family night" in honor of the premiere of the new Disney+ movie "Cheaper by the Dozen."
The film is a new look at the story that was first a classic book, then shifted to the big screen in 1950 - and then again in 2003. This time around, the "dozen" takes an updated look at what a large family can look like. Zach Braff and Gabrielle Union star in this latest remake of a Mom, Dad, and 10 kids!
"Ten is like somewhere between wrangling cats and chaos!" said Union.
Union and Braff play the parents of a blended family with 10 children and a several pets. With that many young ones around, it fell on the movie mom and dad to keep things in control. Well, one of them anyway.
"We had to kind of take on parental roles. Gabrielle has children, I don't, so she was more of the 'bad cop.' I was more 'good cop' fun Uncle Zach. I'd get them all riled up, she'd be like 'Zach stop! Calm them down get them on their marks!'" said Braff.
In this version of the story, every child in the family is celebrated for his or her uniqueness.
"When you have a blended family, you don't announce it. When you walk into Denny's, it's not like 'Hello!' You just exist, and we should all be able to exist as we are without offering qualifiers," said Union.
"I think the goal was let's make everyone feel represented and seen," said Braff.
"What I learned in my own life is you can't 'one size fits all' any kid. You have to meet each child where they are at," said Union. "It's not our job to force our hopes and dreams on them. It's our job to listen when they tell us who they are."
"Cheaper by the Dozen" debuts on Disney+ Friday, March 18.
