Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

When your movie is called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day — and the quality is, um, see title — then you practically roll out the red carpet for critics.

That mouthful of a moniker, of course, comes from the venerable children’s book by Judith Viorst, except this big-screen version is more obnoxious than charming as it translates the classic story into an age of e-vites and iPhones.

As the title suggests, Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) is an 11-year-old facing a string of calamities, both at school and at home, most of which involve bad luck or bad timing or both. He becomes fed up with the proceedings and his family’s perceived lack of empathy, and wishes they could share his pain.

The next morning, his wish appears to have come true. His father (Steve Carell) struggles through a nightmare of a job interview, his mom (Jennifer Garner) becomes ill, and his siblings struggle with teen dramas of their own. Little do they know, that’s just the beginning.

In reality, those adjectives and descriptive phrases in the title are a bit strong when it comes to judging the film, and at least director Miguel Arteta (Youth in Revolt) keeps the pace lively as a concession to the less discerning target demographic.

However, without many big laughs, adults might be left pondering how many of the problems the family faces could be avoided with even a marginal level of organization and common sense. Or they might consider how Alexander’s symptoms might be diagnosed differently today as opposed to when the book was written 40 years ago.

Such questions are beside the point of Rob Lieber’s screenplay, which emphasizes kid-friendly slapstick amid a series of predictable gags, such as those involving an overdose on cough syrup and a family trip to a hibachi-style Japanese restaurant.

Carell and Garner play along agreeably enough, although the performances from the younger actors are less assured. Dick Van Dyke even contributes an amusing cameo.

Preteens might identify with Alex, who is clumsy and socially awkward (he even has a lisp) yet endearing beneath the surface. And the film itself is wholesome and innocuous that it hopefully will at least spur a new generation to familiarize itself with the source material.

Rated PG, 81 minutes.