Author Judith Viorst’s children’s favourite from the 70s provides the title (if little else) for this unremarkable heart-warmer about a dorky preteen who wishes his family could find out what a really rubbish day feels like. Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner are the stay-at-home dad and hard-working mum whose daily routines are shattered, while Alexander’s brother and sister face prom night/opening night catastrophes respectively. Slapstick chuckles are duly delivered, but the edgy spark with which director Miguel Arteta made his name is notable by its absence.