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Tom (Steve Martin) and Kate (Bonnie Hunt) Baker head a very large family, but having 12 children--all biologically--does
not necessarily get them any discounts, regardless of what the title Cheaper by the Dozen may suggest. The Bakers lead a utopian life in Midland, a small Illinois town where Tom coaches the local college football
team, and while they all squabble over petty matters such as personal time allotted in front of the bathroom mirror, this
family is generally quite content--until career opportunities come knocking on their door. Tom gets an offer to coach the
Stallions, a squad at a large Chicago university, and Kate hears from a publishing house that wants to publish Cheaper
by the Dozen, her book about the perils of raising a large family. Seduced by the prospect of a more affluent lifestyle,
Tom and Kate decide to move the whole brood to Chicago. But transplanting a family of 14 proves difficult, and with their
hectic new work schedules, Tom and Kate soon find themselves stretched a little thin. To make matters worst, they receive
absolutely no support form their children, who constantly bellyache about moving back to Midland--especially teens Charlie
(Tom Welling) and Lorraine (Hilary Duff), who find their big city schools hard to adapt to. After suffering
constant and unbearable pressure from kids, Tom and Kate are forced to choose between their dream jobs in Chicago or a more
rudimentary but family-oriented life in Midland.
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