Fall 2012 Movie Preview

By Fandango Staff

From the big screen version of the 18th century musical tale Les Miserables to the sci-fi adventures of the 21st century in Looper, the Fall 2012 movie season has every time period, genre and award-worthy category covered. Here's your complete guide -- trailers and more info included -- to everything worth catching along the way!

The Cold Light of Day

Release Date: 9/7/12
Genre: Action/Adventure, Thriller
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Upcoming Superman star – and Immortal co-star - Henry Cavill joins A-listers Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver in this suspense thriller about a cocky Wall Street hustler who's forced into action after his family's kidnapped while on vacation in Spain. Man of steel indeed…and other weapons.

The Words

Release Date: 9/12/12
Genre: Drama
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Bradley Cooper stars alongside Zoe Saldana in a thriller that melds multiple narratives to expose one man’s moral dilemma. Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde join the cast.

Finding Nemo 3D

Release Date: 9/14/12
Genre: Family, Animated
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As overprotective clownfish Marlin seeks for his son Nemo in a vast ocean of surfer turtles, hungry sharks and stinging jellyfish, he meets a forgetful but friendly Pacific regal blue tang named Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) – who speaks whale, too – and learns what it means to just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.

Resident Evil: Retribution

Release Date: 9/14/12
Genre: Drama
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Who says they couldn't do it again--and again, and again? Paul W.S. Anderson reteams with returning Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez and Oded Fehr for this fifth in the series, coming out in 3D and IMAX 3D for you superfans.

The Master

Release Date: 9/14/12
Genre: Drama
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Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master is based on Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's life and experiences. Joaquin Phonenix plays a troubled man who's aided by a brilliant philanthropist/religious leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Dredd

Release Date: 9/21/12
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-fi
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He's judge, jury and executioner...he's Dredd, played by Karl Urban, and he's gonna bring order to the streets of Mega City whether you like it or not. Here he takes on the dealers of a drug called "Slo-mo" that slows your mind down to a fraction of its normal speed.

End of Watch

Release Date: 9/21/12
Genre: Drama
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Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña play two young officers patrolling the meanest streets of south central Los Angeles. When members of a notorious cartel are busted during a routine traffic stop, a hit is placed on the two leaving their families to pay for the consequences. Anna Kendrick, Frank Grillo, America Ferrera and Cody Horn co-star.

House at the End of the Street

Release Date: 9/21/12
Genre: Thriller
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Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence adds a horror-thriller to her growing resume. Here she plays Elissa, the daughter of a newly divorced woman (Elisabeth Shue) who moves to a small, upscale, rural town. As Elissa's her relationship with the reclusive Ryan (Max Thieriot) grows, they get pulled deeper into a dangerous mystery.

Trouble with the Curve

Release Date: 9/21/12
Genre: Drama
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Clint Eastwood returns to acting for the first time since his self-directed Gran Torino from 2008. In Curve, Eastwood plays an aging baseball scout whose vision is beginning to fail him. With his daughter (Amy Adams) in tow, the two set off on a road trip to Atlanta to scout a hot prospect (Justin Timberlake).

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Release Date: 9/21/12
Genre: Comedy, Drama
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Harry Potter alum Emma Watson stars with Ezra Miller as high school students trying to coax a withdrawn teen (Logan Lerman) out of his shell. The independent feature is adapted from the popular novel by Stephen Chbosky and boasts a buzzworthy soundtrack with music from Sonic Youth, David Bowie and Imagine Dragons.

Hotel Transylvania

Release Date: 9/28/12
Genre: Animation/Comedy
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Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, both from That’s My Boy, team up again to voice Dracula and a wayward traveler, Jonathan, who stumbles into Drac’s posh hotel, made just for monsters. And when Jonathan starts to fall for the count’s teenage daughter Mavis, Drac’s world comes crashing down.

Looper

Release Date: 9/28/12
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-fi
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This intriguing, time-bending actioner stars the ubiquitous Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a killer tasked with...eliminating his older self (Bruce Willis). When he fails, his employer comes after him. Creepy, noirish, based on a Philip K. Dick short story, Looper was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival this year.

Won't Back Down

Release Date: 9/28/12
Genre: Drama
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Inspired by true events, this inspirational drama stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis as determined mothers who will stop at nothing to transform their children’s failing inner city school.

Frankenweenie

Release Date: 10/5/12
Genre: Comedy, Animated
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The latest from film auteur Tim Burton is a stop-motion feature that got him fired from Disney nearly three decades earlier. His short film might've been too scary for kids back then, but today's generation is primed for the wonderfully weird parody that pays homage to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Pitch Perfect

Release Date: 10/5/12
Genre: Comedy
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A college a capella group recruits a singer (Anna Kendrick) who modernizes its '90s sound as they vie for a top spot at regionals. Brittany Snow and Aussie comedienne Rebel Wilson co-star in this musical spoof directed by the same comedic genius behind Avenue Q.

Sinister

Release Date: 10/5/12
Genre: Horror
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The latest thriller in the found footage genre features Ethan Hawke as a reporter determined to find out the dark secrets behind the murders of an entire family, which took place in the new home he's purchased. His investigation puts he and his family on a collision course with a certain, unforgiving supernatural entity.

Taken 2

Release Date: 10/5/12
Genre: Drama
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You would have thought after the first go-around, the bad guys would have learned not to mess with Liam Nesson and his family. Instead, he gets taken hostage with his wife (Famke Janssen) by the father of the kidnapper he killed while rescuing his daughter (Maggie Grace).

The Paperboy

Release Date: 10/5/12
Genre: Drama
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Everyone was abuzz about a scene in which Nicole Kidman (playing a crazy vixen) urinates on costar Zac Efron--turns out, it was all just for a jellyfish sting. Still, much has been made of Lee Daniels' (Precious) controversial movie about homicide in the rural south, which drew both boos and clapping at Cannes.

V/H/S

Release Date: 10/5/12
Genre: Horror
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This found-footage indie drew buzz at Sundance, an anthology of five short episodes helmed by up-and-coming genre directors like Ti West and Adam Wingard. The story involves a group of miscreants out to rob a house who run across a VHS tape, and you can guess the rest...hey, didn't The Ring teach anyone never to touch those things?

Butter

Release Date: 10/5/12
Genre: Comedy
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The wife (Jennifer Garner) of a small town's butter carving champion decides to enter into the contest when her husband retires. Up against his number one fan (Kristen Schaal), a hooker (Olivia Wilde) whom he's infatuated with, and a talented 10-year-old, she convinces her dimwitted ex (Hugh Jackman) to sabotage the competition.

Here Comes the Boom

Release Date: 10/12/12
Genre: Comedy
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For once and for all, Kevin James proves he's got more than a funny bone up his sleeve. The funny man plays a biology teacher who tries to become a successful mixed-martial arts fighter in order to raise money for his school.

Argo

Release Date: 10/12/12
Genre: Drama, Suspense
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A CIA agent (Ben Affleck) devises a plan to rescue six American diplomats during the height of the Iranian revolution by creating a fake Hollywood production. To fool the militants, the Americans must assume faux filmmaker identities in this stranger-than-fiction docudrama.

Seven Psychopaths

Release Date: 10/12/12
Genre: Comedy
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In thisR-rated dark comedy from Oscar-nominated director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges), Colin Farrell's struggling screenwriter gets involved with the wrong guys when his certifiably crazy buddies (Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell, how great is that casting?) dognap a gangster's (Woody Harrelson) pooch.

Alex Cross

Release Date: 10/19/12
Genre: Drama
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Tyler Perry takes over for Morgan Freeman in the title role of James Patterson's well-known detective. This time, a serial killer (a very skinny Matthew Fox) plays cat-and-mouse with Cross, pushing him to his moral limit.

Killing Them Softly

Release Date: 10/19/12
Genre: Action, Drama
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If you're ever in need of a guy to clean up your mess, Brad Pitt is definitely the man to hire. He plays a mob enforcer investigating a heist gone wrong in Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly.

Paranormal Activity 4

Release Date: 10/19/12
Genre: Drama
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The go-to Halloween franchise returns for another installment of fuzzy camcorder footage. The film is directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the duo who directed Paranormal 3 and Catfish.

The Big Wedding

Release Date: 10/26/12
Genre: Comedy
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Among the all-stars on hand in this rom-com are Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Katherine Heigl and Robin Williams. The story involves a divorced couple that masquerades as a married one when their adopted son is about to be wed and his conservative biological mom attends.

Cloud Atlas

Release Date: 10/26/12
Genre: Adventure, Drama
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The Wachowskis, Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) and an all-star cast team for this herculean effort, which may be the most exciting movie of the year you haven't heard much about. Details are thin (go read the book it's based on by David Mitchell), but it's an epic involving multiple storylines criss-crossing time and space.

Chasing Mavericks

Release Date: 10/26/12
Genre: Drama
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Gerard Butler plays mentor to real-life surfing phenom Jay Moriarty (Jonny Weston). Based on an inspirational true story, the film tells the story of when 15-year-old Moriarty discovered one of the biggest waves on Earth, the mythical Santa Cruz surf spot known as Mavericks, and embarked on a quest to surf the deadly waves.

Fun Size

Release Date: 10/26/12
Genre: Comedy
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On Halloween, a high school teen – who would rather get to a popular party – gets stuck babysitting her younger brother. When the Spider-Man clad tyke goes missing, she recruits some help in her desperation to find him, and re-evaluates her mission to become popular.

Silent Hill: Revelation 3D

Release Date: 10/31/12
Genre: Horror
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The latest Silent Hill feature co-stars Sean Bean (LOTR) as a protective father who’s been guarding his daughter from evil spirits most of her life. Now almost 18, Heather Mason (Adelaide Clemens) is caught in a dangerous predicament when her dad disappears, and she’s trapped in a dark underworld.

Flight

Release Date: 11/2/12
Genre: Drama
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In this drama from a director who knows good drama, Robert Zemeckis (Cast Away, Forrest Gump, Contact) directs Denzel Washington as a veteran airline pilot who miraculously saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals something troubling. Another Oscar nod for Denzel?

The Man with the Iron Fists

Release Date: 11/2/12
Genre: Adventure, Action
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The Blacksmith (RZA) must use his martial arts skills to defend villagers against warriors and assassins. With characters like Jack Knife (Russell Crowe) and Madame Blossom (Lucy Liu), Ghostface Killah and Kanye on the soundtrack, and Eli Roth producing, could this be anything but two hours of awesome?

Wreck-It Ralph

Release Date: 11/2/12
Genre: Family, Comedy, Animation
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Wreck-It Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly), an 8-bit video-game character attempts to clean up his image and prove that he's more than just an evil program. Longing to be a hero he sneaks into another game only to unleash a deadly digital villain.

This Must Be the Place

Release Date: 11/2/12
Genre: Drama
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Sean Penn takes on another interesting role as a fifty-something-ish goth rocker who travels to New York to visit his dying dad. Although he arrives too late, he learns from his cousin that his father – an Auschwitz survivor – had been tracking the ex-Nazi war criminal who persecuted him. Penn takes up the mission.

Skyfall

Release Date: 11/9/12
Genre: Drama
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Bond is back (finally). After a four year hiatus, Sam Mendes directs Daniel Craig in the title role as we find Bond's loyalty to M being put to the test. MI6 comes under attack and 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Lincoln

Release Date: 11/9/12
Genre: Drama
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Steven Spielberg's highly anticipated film, Lincoln has audiences and critics buzzing about Daniel Day-Lewis' Oscar worthy performance as the 16th President of the United States.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

Release Date: 11/16/12
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
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The epic finale begins with Bella starting her long-awaited immortal existence as a vampire. However, the Volturi threaten her life with Edward and their daughter Renesmee when a false allegation brings the governing coven, more vampires and wolves to Forks.

Anna Karenina

Release Date: 11/16/12
Genre: Drama
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Keira Knightley and Jude Law bring Anna Karenina's epic love story to the big screen with director Joe Wright. Adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s timeless novel, by the same name, the story is set in late-19th-century Russia and follows Anna Karenina, an aristocrat who enters into a life-changing affair.

Life of Pi

Release Date: 11/21/12
Genre: Drama
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Director Ang Lee adapts the best-selling novel by Yann Martel about Pi Patel, the son of a zookeeper. When his family decides to move from India to Canada, Pi hitches a ride on a huge freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific on a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a Bengal tiger.

Red Dawn

Release Date: 11/21/12
Genre: Action-Adventure
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Wolverines! The '84 actioner is updated for modern times, with 21^st century newcomers Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers), Josh Hutcherson (Hunger Games) and Connor Cruise (son of Tom) taking on a group of North Korean invaders.

Rise of the Guardians

Release Date: 11/21/12
Genre: Drama
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Beloved children's characters – Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Jack Frost – get reimagined in this animated adaptation of William Joyce's book series, "The Guardians of Childhood."

Silver Linings Playbook

Release Date: 11/21/12
Genre: Comedy, Drama
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The latest from Academy Award nominated director, David O. Russell (The Fighter), stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence as a pair of misfits trying to find the silver linings in their own lives who connect and bond after a deal is made between them to help each other out.

Playing for Keeps

Release Date: 12/7/12
Genre: Comedy
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300’s Gerard Butler bends it like Beckham as a former pro soccer star and avid ladies man who comes home to Virginia to make peace with his ex-wife, and take a more active role in his son’s life.

Hyde Park on Hudson

Release Date: 12/7/12
Genre: Drama
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Bill Murray and Laura Linney hope to make a successful award-season run as they portray Franklin Delanor Roosevelt and the president's intimate confidant, Daisy. The story follow the couple during the summer of 1939 when the reigning British king and queen visit the Roosevelts at their New York home.

Deadfall

Release Date: 12/7/12
Genre: Drama/Thriller
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Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde play siblings Addison and Liza who are on the run with the stolen loot from a tribal casino job gone horribly wrong. Meanwhile, troubled ex-boxer Jay heads for Thanksgiving dinner with his parents, June and retired sheriff Chet. What will happen when their worlds collide in a twist of fate?

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Release Date: 12/14/12
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
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Peter Jackson returns to J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth once again with the adventures of Bilbo Baggins' and the beloved wizard Gandalf. Their journey begins with a group of dwarves and ends with Bilbo discovering the ring that sets into motion a darker turn of events.

Les Miserables

Release Date: 12/14/12
Genre: Drama, Musical
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The latest in a long line of adaptations of Victor Hugo's 19th-century-France classic stars Hugh Jackman as long-suffering ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, perpetually on the run from the cop Javert (Russell Crowe), who looks after a young girl, Cosette (Anne Hathaway). Oscar bait, if we've ever seen it.

Monsters, Inc. 3D

Release Date: 12/19/12
Genre: Family, Animated
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Disney re-opens the door to Monstropolis in 3D. To generate electricity in their world, friendly monsters Mike and Sully work at Monsters, Inc., a company that harnesses energy from children's screams. When a little girl named Boo enters their world, Mike and Sully must return her home before any harm comes to her.

Zero Dark Thirty

Release Date: 12/19/12
Genre: Action
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Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow returns to the big screen with Zero Dark Thirty, an action film chronicling the hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks.

Amour

Release Date: 12/19/12
Genre: Drama/Foreign
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Winner of the Cannes 2012 Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, this arthouse film from French moviemaker Michael Haneke tells the story of an elderly couple in their ‘80s. Both music teachers, they’re forced to deal with a major life struggle when the wife suffers a stroke and is paralyzed on one side of her body.

Not Fade Away

Release Date: 12/21/12
Genre: Drama
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James Gandolfini appears in this drama about a group of friends in a suburban New Jersey town in the 1960s, who dream of making it big as a rock and roll band.

Jack Reacher

Release Date: 12/21/12
Genre: Crime/Drama
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Tom Cruise tackles the well-known lead from the series of crime books by Lee Child. In this first movie, Jack Reacher investigates a case involving a trained military sniper who shot five random victims. Adapted for the screen and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who won the Oscar for writing The Usual Suspects.

This Is 40

Release Date: 12/21/12
Genre: Comedy
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A spin-off of/sort of sequel to Knocked Up, this Judd Apatow-directed comedy has Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprising their roles as Pete and Debbie, a couple of 40-year-old marrieds dealing with growing older. Rudd and Mann are cute together, and the jokes are typical Apatow humor, so expect this one to be raunchy and relatable.

On the Road

Release Date: 12/21/12
Genre: Drama
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Jack Kerouac’s iconic novel about the Beat Generation comes to the big screen starring Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund and Sam Riley as they travel cross country in search of the unknown, themselves and “it” – the pure essence of experience.

The Impossible

Release Date: 12/21/12
Genre: Drama
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Based on a true story, Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts star in this emotional account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time, the Tsunamai that hit Thailand in 2004.

Django Unchained

Release Date: 12/25/12
Genre: Drama/Western
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The latest from writer/director Quentin Tarantino reunites him with his Oscar-winning actor from Inglourious Basterds, Christoph Waltz, playing a German-born bounty hunter in the pre-Civil War South who helps free a slave, Django, played by Jamie Foxx. The two of them then set out to find and rescue Foxx’s wife.

The Guilt Trip

Release Date: 12/25/12
Genre: Comedy, Drama
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Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand co-star as son and mother in this a cross-country journey that finds the son trying to sell his latest invention while also attempting to reunite his mom with a long-lost love.

Parental Guidance

Release Date: 12/25/12
Genre: Comedy
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When his daughter (Marisa Tomei) goes away for work, a grandfather (Billy Crystal) finds himself having to take care of his three grandkids using 21st century methods -- though he soon resorts to an old-school style of parenting with his wife (Bette Midler).