Mr. Mom (1983)

You won't be disappointed!

Sadly Over-hyped

Powerful

Great Film overall

Halfway between 'Benny and Joon' and 'Uncle Buck'

Writer John Hughes was capable of producing brilliant films, as he proved with 'Pretty in Pink', 'Breakfast Club', 'Some Kind of Wonderful' etc. He was also however capable of churning out daft comedies like this one.It's not great unfortunately, very much in the same mould as 'Three Men and a Baby' in the sense that it thinks that men can't look after children.Michael Keaton tries his best, but this film is not a classic.

This tale of the early 1980s recession has Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) losing his engineering position with a Detroit automaker, which requires his wife Caroline (Teri Garr) to go to work in the advertising business. Caroline naturally is quite successful while her predictably inept husband has all kinds of trouble managing a household full of young children. Caroline's boss Ron Richardson (Martin Mull) has eyes for her, while Jack's lecherous neighbor Joan (Ann Jillian) has eyes for him. The story is wrapped up in a predictable manner, and everyone seems okay at the end.The plot--as usual in these kinds of films--requires that the male character (Keaton) be a complete and utterly inept loser while the female character (Garr) is very professional and can do no wrong. It's a common theme in movies nowadays, and was beginning to become common in 1983. A visitor from outer space who watches this movie would conclude that men are so stupid that they couldn't possibly exist without the wise guidance of women. It's really pretty offensive at times.Jillian and Mull are great as the second leads (maybe better than Keaton and Garr) and the story moves along quite quickly. If you can get past the "stupid man" part of the plot you'll likely enjoy "Mr. Mom", but remember that it doesn't reflect reality at all.

Mr. Mom is directed by Stan Dragoti and written by John Hughes. It stars Michael Keaton, Teri Garr and Martin Mull. Music is by Lee Holdridge and cinematography by Victor J. Kemper. Plot sees Keaton as Jack Butler, who after being laid off from work, is forced to become as house husband when his wife Caroline (Garr) lands a good job with Schooner Tuna. Something he's really not cut out to do. Ah, well, look, it's obviously very eighties, and thankfully society has moved on in leaps and bounds since this film was released. But good honest comedy is just that, honest, and for those looking for a good chuckle whilst admiring the talent of a pre-Batman Keaton, Mr. Mom is a bad mood lifter. Condensed into the 90 running time are enough gags and fun sequences to fill out a 12 episode sit-com, with a pre-teen-angst trail blazing John Hughes scripting it full of quotable lines. Lines which Keaton delivers with the comic timing not befitting someone just starting out in films.The fun is mined from Jack being hopeless at basic household chores whilst badly tending the three young children at the same time. Enter scenes involving shopping, dropping the kids off at school, laundry, cooking and ironing. As his masculinity starts to wane, Jack starts too slob out and gets his kicks by watching day-time soap operas and playing cards with the neighbourhood women. This coincides with his wife Caroline (Garr adorable) advancing well at work, but paying a price for it by being away from the family home far too much. There's also the looming presence of Caroline's smarmy boss (Martin Mull delightfully sleazy) and the good time girl (Ann Jillian sexing it up) who has her eye on Jack for fun and frolics. Both of these are stereotypes, but they existed then as much as they exist now, with that, it's easy to cut Mr. Mom some slack. Supporting slots fall to Christopher Lloyd (who would re-team with Keaton for the very funny The Dream Team in 1989), Jeffrey Tambor (City Slickers), Graham Jarvis (TV Starsky & Hutch/Cagney & Lacey) and Miriam Flynn (National Lampoon's Vacation). The child actors put in pleasing turns, where they score funny points both visually and orally, and director Dragoti (The Man With One Red Shoe) directs in an unfussy natural way. Ultimately it's Keaton and Hughes' script that lifts it to better comedy heights, the latter of which also plays on some basic fears that arise in the real world. Yeah, it's not just about Jack's bumbling around the home, that John Hughes was a sharp man you know? 7/10