Synopsis
Alexander's day begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by more calamities. Though he finds little sympathy from his family and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him, his mom, dad, brother, and sister all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
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Cast
- Steve CarellBen Cooper
- Jennifer GarnerKelly Cooper
- Ed OxenbouldAlexander Cooper
- Dylan MinnetteAnthony Cooper
- Kerris DorseyEmily Cooper
- Elise VargasBaby Trevor
- Zoey VargasBaby Trevor
- Sidney FullmerBecky Gibson
- Bella ThorneCelia
- Megan MullallyNina
Recommendations
- 75
Entertainment Weekly
Alexander is pleasantly devoid of the vulgarity and too-current pop culture references that are the default mode for many contemporary live-action kids' pics, and its earnest celebration of family gives the movie a comforting throwback vibe. - 67
Austin Chronicle
As the parents of four, Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner are a good match, her energetic intensity mixing nicely with his laid-back demeanor, and both underplaying their inherent adorableness. - 63
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
It’s just competent, light entertainment. - 60
The Hollywood Reporter
The homily-laden wrap-up, stressing the upside of bad days, is enough to make you hold your nose, but it only lasts a moment, which is suggestive of the way Arteta and the cast provide the energy and momentum to get the job done but not overstay their welcome. - 60
Variety
A passable, tolerable, not unbearable, totally inoffensive adaptation of Judith Viorst’s beloved 1972 children’s book. - 60
The Guardian
For family entertainment, you could do a lot worse. - 60
Time Out
The movie’s admirable fleetness, however, doesn’t mitigate some of its narrative errors — Alexander’s opening voiceover suggests his family is totally oblivious to his role in their misery, which is disproved by a later scene — nor does it counteract an overall sense of slightness that prevents this from being a family-film classic. - 50
Slant Magazine
The expansion has the unintended and unfortunate effect of doing exactly the same thing to Alexander he accused his family of doing in the first place: marginalizing him.
