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When mom goes to work, dad goes berserk!
Jack and Caroline are a couple making a decent living when Jack suddenly loses his job. They agree that he should stay at home and look after the house while Caroline works. It's just that he's never done it before, and really doesn't have a clue...
John Chard
Sep 25, 2019 · via TMDB
Megan and I are starting to watch the same TV shows - and I'm liking them. I'm losing it! 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 a house husband after 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 minute 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 film. 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 fella you know. 7/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Plex
Michael Keaton
Jack
Teri Garr
Caroline
Frederick Koehler
Alex
Taliesin Jaffe
Kenny
Martin Mull
Ron
Ann Jillian
Joan
Jeffrey Tambor
Jinx
Christopher Lloyd
Larry
Graham Jarvis
Humphries
Carolyn Seymour
Eve
Michael Alaimo
Bert
Valri Bromfield
Doris
Miriam Flynn
Annette
Derek McGrath
Exec. #1
Michael Ensign
Exec. #2
Ken Olfson
Exec. #3
Frank Birney
Exec. #4
Edie McClurg
Check Out Lady
Patti Deutsch
Deli Girl
Bernadette Birkett
Young Woman Shopper
Lisa Freeman
Motorhead
John Richard Petersen
Executive (uncredited)
James Gallery
Bob
Larry Jenkins
Camera Asst. (as Larry Flash Gordon)
Victor J. Kemper
Director of Photography
Bill Roe
Second Assistant Camera
Stan Dragoti
Director
Aaron Spelling
Executive Producer
Bill Damaschke
Producer
Lauren Shuler Donner
Producer
Lynn Loring
Producer
Alf Clausen
Orchestrator
Lee Holdridge
Orchestrator
Lee Holdridge
Original Music Composer
John Hughes
Writer
The Third Clef
Sukthothai
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Jul 22, 1983
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Versus
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Bicara Cinta
2020
The Pied Pipers of Harlow
1965
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
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