"'Yours, Mine & Ours' is really a romantic comedy - with the romance coming after the kids come along," says Dennis Quaid, who stars in the new film alongside Rene Russo.  Quaid plays a Coast Guard Admiral widower with eight kids who spontaneously marries his free-spirited high school sweetheart, who now - 30 years later - is widowed with 10 kids of her own.
"The movie has a lot of romantic comedy elements," says Russo.  "Kids will love it, of course - but I think their parents will, too.  That's something we all want as parents - I want to take my kid to a movie that I can also enjoy."
"I'm really excited to be updating a family classic like 'Yours, Mine & Ours,'" says Raja Gosnell, director of the film.  "We have a fabulous cast led by Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo in a rare project that combines comedy, romance and step-family dynamics.  It has loads of charm and should appeal to the entire family."
"I'm very proud of the fact that 'Yours, Mine & Ours' is as much a romantic comedy as it is a family comedy," says producer Robert Simonds.  "We have two very sexy stars who show that sparks can fly no matter how many kids are in the brood."
"I think the film works as both a romantic comedy and a family comedy because it speaks to parents coping with adulthood romance and their children, who can relate to the merging of families that happens to so many of us," says producer Michael Nathanson.  "What I like about the inherent story is that it shows that romance doesn't end after the honeymoon.  Rather, sometimes it doesn't start until late in life!"
The filmmakers and cast approached the film with a proper admiration for the original, a family favorite from 1968 that starred Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball.  Still, the update brings home to a generation all the changes that families have undergone in the last 37 years. 
Linda Hunt, who plays the Beardsleys' right-hand-gal Mrs. Munion, says, "I don't know if it's right to call it a remake.  It certainly is the inspiration for this movie.  We've taken the bare essentials of it - a couple, each has lost their spouses, one has eight kids and the other has ten - and from there we've built upon it from there."
For Nathanson, the film marks a turning point and holds a special place.  "When I first saw the original 'Yours, Mine & Ours' years ago, I thought it was a great candidate for an update - the comedy is still fresh.  I was ecstatic when I was able to put it into production as my last film at MGM.  With Raja directing and Bob joining me as a producer, we had the perfect team to bring it to the big screen."

ABOUT THE PARENTS
Frank and Helen were high-school sweethearts, but lost touch after graduation, going their separate ways.  When they meet again 30 years later, they shock each other with the number of kids in each brood.  Impulsively, the two quickly tie the knot and surprise their kids with a new parent.
The trouble comes as Helen and Frank bring their two very different parenting styles to raising the jumbled family.  Coast Guard Admiral Frank brings a rigorous approach, keeping everything ship-shape and running like clockwork.  Helen, on the other hand, proclaims that "homes are for free expression, not for good impressions."  Both the Beardsleys and the Norths find themselves in a culture clash.
Robert Simonds says, "Dennis and Rene were the perfect choices to play these characters.  On top of being terrific actors, they both have what it takes to work with a group of 18 kids: infinite patience and an ability to control the situation.  They were our perfect parents."
Michael Nathanson adds, "Dennis is a consummate professional and my very first choice for the role of Frank.  He has this untapped gift for physical comedy that really endears itself to his everyman charm.  Rene is one of those gifted actresses who can always hold her own against a man's man.  Her confidence and beauty make Helen that perfect combination of the mother and wife that you cannot take your eyes off of."
Admits Russo, "We don't necessarily see eye to eye in the way we raise kids--and that turns into a huge problem.  My kids are kind of wild and messy and the Beardsley kids are neat and orderly.  When they come together, it's not a good mix."
Ultimately, there has to be compromise as in any relationship in order for it to work.  Quaid offers, "I think my character learns that you got to loosen up in life - things are not all about rules and sticking with the program.  Sometimes the train goes off the track and you just have to deal with it."
In an ironic twist, Quaid and Russo are the exact opposites of their characters at home.  Quaid says that he's "not much a disciplinarian" - a far cry from Frank (who threatens to "bring the hammer down"). 
Similarly, Russo says that with her own daughter, she is tough - not at all like Helen, the free spirit she plays in the movie.  Still, she sees both sides.  "She lets her kids run wild a little bit, and there's a certain freedom in her that's great, but I think she needs to set a few more boundaries."
As for the two actors who bring to life the happily-in-love couple, Gosnell praises, "Dennis and Rene together makes for fabulous chemistry.  Dennis has this amazing ability to make anything work, making everything look so easy, so real, which I truly appreciate.  As for Rene, she comes from her heart.  She has a very unique approach to performing which works for her, so you get the sparkle that makes up Rene Russo."

CASTING 18 KIDS
To cast the two families of 18 children, Gosnell relied on his casting director to scout the four corners of the country for the right kids to play the parts.  "We had a fabulous casting director, Mary Vernieu, who looked in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Texas for kids," he says.
"Casting these kids was one of the most fun parts of the process of making the movie.  Every kid I saw was amazing, so individual.  We'd pin their pictures on the wall, then put the character's name, shifting these photos with character names as we saw more kids."
Gosnell says that the filmmakers kept an open mind about what the right actors could bring to the characters - even down to their gender. "For example, we first envisioned Naoko as a guy, but when we met Miki Ishikawa, we fell in love with her for that role."
"We needed kids who could shine through, who had good energy and self-motivation.  The kids we ended up casting have so much spark and an ability to inhabit their roles.  I'm very pleased with the result," he says.
"It's a fine line to draw," says producer Robert Simonds.  "You want kids whose natural energy comes through, while at the same time, you need them to act professionally when the moment comes.  In addition, we wanted the kids to mix with each other with just the right chemistry.  Casting the kids was our biggest pre-production challenge and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out."
"It would be easy to cast a battery of popular children in small roles.  What I wanted to bring to the table with this film were a cast of children that really made this family the wonderful mess that turns them into a strong bond," says Michael Nathanson.  "We selected actors who really worked with our film's family, a mix of established favorites and endearing newcomers."

MEET THE BEARDSLEYS
There are eight Beardsley children.  From youngest to oldest, they are Ethan, 4 (Ty Panitz); 6-year-old twins Otter (Bridger Palmer) and Ely (Brecken Palmer); Kelly, 8 (Haley Ramm); Michael, 10 (Tyler Patrick Jones); Harry, 12 (Dean Collins); Christina, 16 (Katija Pevec); and William, 17 (Sean Faris). 
Faris, who stars in the Fox series "Reunion," takes on the role of the straight-laced William.  "He idolizes his father," says Faris.  "William wants to be a leader like his father is, so he leads the charge in the two families coming together to separate the parents.  It's only when they accomplish it that he realizes that he got it all wrong."
"I thought I came from a big family - four kids," continues Faris, "but this family is something else."
Pevec, whose show "Just for Kicks" begins this fall on Nickelodeon, notes that the kids' desire to break up their parents isn't mean-spirited: "They want Frank and Helen to be happy, but the fact that they got married behind the kids' back, moving so quickly and without letting them know - they were hurt by that.  It pushes them into action."
Pevec says she found inspiration for the Beardsleys in her own family's experience.  "My dad is one of eight kids," she says.  "With all those aunts and uncles and cousins, we're a big group… but the Beardsleys make us seem small!"

MEET THE NORTHS
There are ten North children.  From youngest to oldest, they are Aldo, 4 (Nicholas Roget-King); 8-year-old twins Marisa (Jessica Habib) and Bina (Jennifer Habib); Lau, 9 (Andrew Vo); Joni, 10 (Miranda Cosgrove); Jimi, 11 (Lil' JJ); Mick, 12 (Slade Pearce); Naoko, 14 (Miki Ishikawa); Dylan, 16 (Drake Bell); and Phoebe, 17 (Danielle Panabaker). 
"Phoebe definitely has a mind of her own," says Panabaker, the star of "Sky High" and HBO's "Empire Falls."  "With nine siblings, she's trying to assert herself as an individual.  She finds that in singing and playing music, writing her own songs," remarks the actress.  In real life, Panabaker is not a musical performer: "All the singing I ever do is in the shower!" she laughs.
Panabaker says that 18 kids on the set made for an interesting experience.  "There was never a lack of energy," she says.  "There was always a story to be told or a show-and-tell happening.  Most of these kids are so early in their careers - everything is exciting and fascinating and new."
Drake Bell, who is also the star of Nickelodeon's "Drake and Josh," takes on his first film role in "Yours, Mine & Ours."  "Dylan is a graffiti artist," he says, noting that his talent leads to the kids' learning to unite: "When William is running for class president, Dylan helps make his posters better.  They realize that there's positives in both families - they complement each other."
Bell notes that Raja Gosnell, the director, was open to the young actors' ideas.  "He was so accommodating; it was very easy to approach him," he says.  "It's really cool to have a director that you can feel free to talk to and say, 'I think that my character would be more like this in this scene.'  He had so many kids to pay attention to, but he made it work."

WORKING WITH 18 KIDS!
"I've always made a point to work with kids and dogs whenever I can," jokes Dennis Quaid who has entertained audiences for years in such blockbusters as "The Day After Tomorrow," and more recently, the well-received "In Good Company."
"The great thing about kids is that they're so spontaneous.  Anything can happen with them and they make great straight men," he continues.
"There's not a particular kid I've bonded with more--I just seem to have more scenes with the little ones--they're like puppies, they get the most attention," Quaid admits.
Gosnell, who showed great patience throughout filming, divulges, "Dennis and I had an unspoken, 'good cop/bad cop' way of working with the little kids.  I'd calmly explain the complicated staging with the kids until I felt they understood.  Then, just before the take, Dennis would bark, 'You know what you're doing?' so that they would be there.
"Kids aren't natural at improv; they want to know their marks," Gosnell continues.  "They have so much life, so much spunk, but sometimes when it came time to roll, they would become formal.  With Rene's scenes, there were times we'd roll camera without the slate so we could capture that natural spark these kids have."
"Sometimes with the little kids, you have to improvise with them a little bit so that they can loosen up on camera," says Russo.  "There were a couple of times where I'd whisper to the camera department 'roll the camera' so the kids wouldn't know it.  It was a good system because they would be so free until the minute they heard 'Action!' - then they'd tense up."
In addition to the romantic comedy between Quaid's and Russo's characters that drives the movie, there's another, unexpected love story: between Quaid's character and Fiona, the pig (played by herself).  "We have a bedroom scene," says Quaid, refusing to give away too much.  "I've never worked with a pig before - I wonder how she felt."
Lending a helping hand to the harried parents is Mrs. Munion, played by Linda Hunt.  "My character just pops in and pops out, does something distinct while she's there and then departs.  So I haven't had to spend whole days with the gang of 18 kids.  Instead, I've had little infusions of energy and silliness and that part has been really lovely.
"It is a very tender story," Hunt continues.  "This family looks like they're not going to be able to make anything together, except a mess and a lot of hostility, but then in the story, they really do come together, and discover they all like each other."
"It's funny, it's sweet without being overly sentimental - it feels real, as far as a family situation with 18 kids can be," adds Quaid.  "The important thing is to make something universal; something that everybody can relate to.  I think this movie's got that!"
Gosnell says, "It's a great movie to take the whole family--there's something for everyone.  For parents, there is the love story and relating to the struggle of parenting.  For the kids, they can relate to adapting to new siblings, new friends.  Plus, I think everyone will enjoy the chaotic comedy that comes out with 18 kids under one roof."

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

RAJA GOSNELL (Director) started his career as an editor, cutting such blockbuster films as "Home Alone," "Pretty Woman," and "Mrs. Doubtfire," among many others.  When John Hughes suggested Gosnell helm "Home Alone 3," the talented editor successfully took on his new role as director.  He has since directed "Never Been Kissed," "Big Momma's House," and the hugely popular "Scooby Doo" and "Scooby Doo 2:  Monsters Unleashed."

RON BURCH & DAVID KIDD (Screenplay by) have many scripts to their credit.  Their first feature film to make it to the big screen was "Head Over Heels," starring Monica Potter and Freddie Prinze Jr.  They also wrote on the films "Inspector Gadget" and "Elmo In Grouchland".  Their script "The Jane Plan" is set to go before the cameras later this year.
Both published fiction writers from New York, they got their first break in Hollywood from the Warner Bros. Comedy Writers Workshop.  Out of the workshop they were hired as staff writers on CBS' "The Closer," where they received an Emmy nomination for writing the Best Song, "You Don't Know Jack."  Sung by Bernadette Peters, played by Michael Feinstein, and featuring actor Ed Asner in a lime green lycra bodysuit, the song is considered a classic.
In addition to film, they have sold and developed a number of network and cable television pilots.