Keanu Reeves: 10 greatest movies of all time
By Erin Qualey
10. Parenthood
Original Release Date: August 2nd, 1989
Box Office Earnings: Earning 100 million domestically against a 20 million budget, Parenthood brought home a very successful haul. Fun Fact: The movie even inspired the popular NBC series Parenthood, which went on to run for six successful seasons from 2010 – 2015.
Critical Acclaim: Beloved by critics, Parenthood holds a ranking of a 93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is slightly less loved by audiences, ranking a 76% from compiled viewer ratings.
About the Role: Parenthood is an ensemble comedy about the nuances of family life, and features acting heavy hitters such as Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, and Diane Wiest. Reeves plays a burn out teen named Tod who’s married to Wiest’s daughter.
Simply the Best: As Bill and Ted fever was sweeping the nation, Reeves stepped on screen as another air-headed stoner type. But this time, he revealed complex layers of nuance in his performance. He wasn’t just going for laughs here. Director Ron Howard trusted Reeves with some of the most heartfelt and important lines of the entire film. In a mesmerizing scene with acting goddess Diane Wiest, Reeves held his own.
Toward the end of the film, his character Tod approaches his mother-in-law with news about her son, Gary. Tod has some news for her about why Gary has been acting weird lately. But the conversation takes a twist when Tod reveals some heartbreaking truisms about parenting, preconceived notions, and life.