If anyone is unfamiliar with the movie “Cheaper by the Dozen,” first of all, shame on you. Second of all, I, against my better judgment, will give you a small synopsis. Basically, Tom and Kate Baker, played by Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt respectively in the 2003 film, have 12 kids. The Baker family, like any other family — though usually smaller — goes through trials and struggles, balancing the individual interests, activities and jobs of the 14 total Bakers. Essentially, it is a cinematic masterpiece that is simultaneously hilarious and heartwarming — one of my favorite movies, of course.
What I have come to realize after the 168th time of watching this movie is that Tom Baker and I are literally the same person.
Tom Baker is a middle-aged father of 12, struggling college football coach on a team for which he used to play, new to town, humorous and kind-hearted family man.
Lucie Drahozal is an 18-year-old, first-year college student, studying the best major out there — also known as totally undecided — and overall unsure about where exactly good ole Destiny is leading me.
Uncanny similarities, yeah? Well, obviously, the most glaring similarity is obviously how alike we look. At first that was going to be a joke, except if you look him up, we kind of do look similar which is a little freaky — I’m not going to lie. However, all joking aside, we are really similar in actual, relatable ways, and I bet most college students can agree.
Tom Baker epitomizes the idea of being in over your head. He uproots his family from a small town to a big city to head coach a football team while his wife is promoting her own book that has recently been picked up by a publisher. Additionally, his 12 children have to react to new surroundings with limited attention given from either of the parents for any sort of guidance.
He uses humor to face the fear of the unknown, though he demonstrates what “chin up, charge the mountain” really means — that actually is a quote from the sequel “Cheaper by the Dozen 2.” The best way he can, Tom Baker tries to juggle family life, his job, his wife and his own sanity.
Now, can you draw the similarities?
We are all trying to piece our lives together. I am hardly the first person to tell you — in a not so comforting and somewhat irritating way — that you aren’t alone in your confusion about what to do with your life.
As a first-year, I am a deer in the headlights. I subtly ask my friends, “What is going on?” far more frequently than I would like to admit. I joined a club sports team and a sorority. I am that first year, who tries to act really nonchalant. In reality, I’m just as clueless as the other first years.
However, I actually found relating myself to Tom Baker to be reassuring. I also get a little ego boost saying I am like Tom Baker because I personally think he is hilarious. We have room to reassess our lives and learn that what happens, happens and that all we can do is adapt. We are continually going to have to face fears of the unknown and remember our innate values when we get in over our head.
The end of my first year is nearing, and I have really started to comprehend what people mean when they say college flies by. I’ve begun to realize just how hard the struggles of college really are. Most of the time, I ignore my issues or just wallow about my challenges. I hide my anxiety over procrastinating with sarcasm until I finally have to face a myriad of mountains that I’ve let accumulate over time.
Though we are so similar, Tom Baker has a much more realistic grasp on reality. He lives outside the bubble of college and is hit repeatedly by the trials of life. He perseveres, not with grace, but with clumsiness and determination. He charges the mountains he faces and lifts his chin up, knowing that time is limited and conquering challenges is ultimately more rewarding than trying to work around them.
What Tom Baker really tries to do is form bonds and memories that will last forever. However, people can forget that in college when you’re handed grades that make you realize you are exceptionally average — at best. For Tom Baker, despite the Kilimanjaro-looking mountains staring him dead in the face, he finds a way through while simultaneously trying to better himself.
College — and life — has a time constraint. There are so many challenges that I know us, students, face everyday. Although Tom Baker and I both oddly look alike, have too many things on our plates and have similar senses of humor, he also has something I don’t have yet — the ability to stare down a mountain with the end goal of simply being better. He demonstrates the ability to acknowledge that charging those mountains creates strength, but often times also creates memories — and that is something I have yet to master.
It may not be a new message, but knowing that “chin up, charge the mountain” is still going to be relevant in your 40s can help you think that you are just building resilience and strength by going through it now. There are only so many trips around the sun, and, at some point, charging your own mountains teaches tenacity and creates memories and bonds with the people who help you through those struggles.
But the bottom line — if you haven’t seen “Cheaper by the Dozen,” you are missing out.
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