Yes Day: Family Fun for Everyone

“Yes Day” is a newly released Netflix Original based on the book by the same name by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. It stars Jennifer Garner and Edgar Ramirez as two parents who grant their three children a “yes” day to prove to them that their mom can be a lot of fun.

Image via Netflix

I have seen this movie twice now, and I am not going to lie, I thought it was just fine on first viewing because I thought it was a little too over the top for my liking. However, after giving the movie a second watch last weekend, I can say that I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around. So, what ended up changing my mind?

Well, instead of critiquing it for being too predictable and over the top, since most kids movies usually are, I decided to break down the film into three areas: humor, drama, and heart, since this film includes all of these areas to see if it succeeded in them. Warning: a few spoilers ahead!

Humor

Humor is subjective, meaning that what one person finds funny, another person might find cringeworthy or downright annoying. I feel as though this applies to the film “Yes Day.”

Although the film does offer us some funny moments, including the outlandish coach character, Mr. Deacon, played by Nat Faxon, I can also see how people can watch this movie and think, “Ugh… that was painfully unfunny and unoriginal.”

However, I couldn’t help but laugh at even the most over-the-top moments, such as the dad getting attacked by birds because some things are too crazy not to laugh at. In the end, I would say that this film succeeds in the comedy department in my books.

Drama

I think most parents to a certain extent can relate to this idea of not wanting to be the bad guy to their kids or their coworkers at work. Unfortunately, this is what Garner and Ramierz struggled with towards the beginning of the film, which I think makes them realistic characters.

Although the film is mainly a comedy, the drama comes in when the parents are involved. Personally, the parents brought a sense of realism and authenticity to their roles that made me believe they were the actual parents to their children in the film.

Overall, I believe the film balances the drama and humor quite well.

Heart

There are some touching moments in this film that make my heart sing every time I think about them. For example, there’s a scene towards the end of the film where Garner’s character is looking for her daughter, Katie, at Fleek fest (a music concert Katie wanted to go to), so she goes up on stage and sings “Baby I Need Your Loving” to find her in the crowd.

Just thinking about that moment and an earlier scene with the dad and his youngest daughter, Ellie, singing in the car puts a smile on my face. So, I would say that this film succeeds in this area as well.

All in all, I would give “Yes Day” a watch if you are looking for a film that can take you out of reality for an hour and a half. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but, who doesn’t need a feel- good movie to watch during these trying times?