Question: Does it seem strange to anyone else that these kids, including teenagers, can't help take care of themselves for two weeks? My family has six kids and we can function for a week or two when Mom and Dad go out of town. In a large family, parents usually raise their children to help out a lot more and be more responsible.
Question: Why was Tom bringing the football team to his house?
Answer: Because he needed a way to coach the team while also watching his kids.
Question: When Hanks sings "Every once in a while." he has a guitar with him but he hardly uses it while he sings. He strikes it once or twice but soft enough for the sound to be virtually non-existent. Is that a mistake, or was that meant to happen for comedic purposes, or doesn't the song require that much effort with a guitar?
Answer: He's not really a musician. He is just messing around.
Question: What does Hank mean when he tells Nora (in the car) that he's sure paying for her family?
Answer: He is paying for her family in an emotional way. He wants to be with Nora but has to put up with the young kid's antics.
Question: This question is for the Australian release of the DVD. On the cover, it says in the Special Features menu that there is an easter egg. Since there are no easter eggs listed for this movie, does anyone know what it is?
Answer: To access the Cheaper by the Dozen easter egg, go to the special features menu, highlight the bottom option on the list, not the back option, and press right. The easter egg is a Tommymax commercial.
Question: Does anyone know why Ashton's name didn't appear in the credits?
Answer: When and where an actor's name appears in a movie's credits affects his (or her) leverage in future contracts. It's not uncommon for a big-name actor taking a relatively small role to not appear in the credits rather than lose money on the next project.
Question: Why do we never see Sarah or Henry in school?
Answer: Film makers have to make choices about what can be shown in a movie. They are limited by the running time of the film, what best serves the overall continuity of the plot, and also the logistics of setting up and filming many different scenes. Sometimes scenes are filmed, but later are cut out entirely. If showing Sarah or Henry in school does not directly serve the storyline, then there is no reason to have it in the film.
Question: When Mark leaves from the city with his dad... how come the family all beat him to Midland? You see them meet him at the station.
Answer: The train could have multiple stops between their home in Chicago and their old home in Midland. Lots of trains stop at many different towns and cities to let people on and off so this train could have made stops as well.
Answer: It seems that the fact the family can't take care of themselves is added to part of the humour of the film. 12 children is a lot, and think about all those rows and all that mess.
Hamster ★
It's not like they couldn't take care of themselves. As shown with the breakfast scene at the beginning, they seem to function pretty well when they all get along. Tom and Kate were just usually home more frequently than some other parents. It also didn't help that it was the first time that one of the parents was gone for an extended period and the parent that was left home (Tom) had never had to deal with all the kids on his own. Also, the only time we see complete chaos in the house is the first day that Kate has been gone. After that the kids are more behaved (at home).