Jack the Bear

Warning: Contains some spoilers

Although essentially a "coming of age" drama, few coming of age films show the degree of anger experienced by the title character of this movie. Jack is an adolescent who, as the movie opens, has just moved to a new neighborhood after the death of his mother. During the next few months he faces some harsh realities such as a new school, his deteriorating opinion of his father, the abduction of his little brother and his fear of a dangerous neighbor. He deals with his problems the only way he can - by crying. None of these themes are new in a coming of age movie but the emotions Jack goes through seem multiplied by 100 when compared to similar films. When he feels guilt, I was shocked by its intensity. And when he feels angry, I felt uneasy at the degree of rage shown by a basically mild mannered preteen.

The film is also not afraid to show its characters acting unpredictably. I came to care about them and was sometimes shocked by their behavior.

This movie is too intense for small children, but unfortunately adults may be put off by the storyline and the age of the main character. However, I'd recommend it to teens and adults who might have forgotten how rough adolescence can be.

I lost my parents before I was ten...Jack and those flashbacks?...The movie nailed it...big time...The one where he yells at his mom and treats her badly, only to snap out of it to realize he was wrong, but it doesn't matter cause she's gone...man, I'm tearing up right now over that one...

I even grew up in Oakland in the early 70's and I was about that age too...Jack hitting the bottle was way too close to home too...a great movie...when I saw it for the first time, I was just blown away...very close to home for me...

The last half hour got a little weird but before that...that was me in '72...spooky, great movie...

Most people are surprised when they find out about this film. The only one to blame for this is the studio, because the trailer, synopsis and the poster don't do it justice.

When it was released, most people probably thought it was a kids movie, so they skipped it. In fact this is a "kid's movie for adults" genre that had it's glory days from the second half of the 80ies (with the "all boys" Stand by Me) to the second half of the 90ies (with the "all girls" Now and Then). These movies (usually a grownup character's reminiscence of childhood days) are about kids, but their tribulations (although not always probable) are with the real world. This ain't no Goonies, but it isn't Dolores Claiborne either. These films were meant for us (the kids that grew up and now can laugh, with a certain nostalgic feel, about the adventurous moments of childhood).

Here, Danny has a very interesting main supporting role as a caring and sacrificing (if flawed) father of two boys during the day, and a host of a macabre kids show during the night. As it's predecessors, this movie also does some things right and some things wrong. It has many good and serious elements, and yet it is really sweet all the way through. This sweetness is created by great direction that menages to capture a nostalgic vibe, especially through 60ies classic rock soundtrack, special camera lance shading (like we're watching something from the past) and a sense of actual neighborhood and family community (a street where Danny and the kids live). Just in the "look" department, this film mostly resembles the look of 1993's film "Matinee" with John Goodman. The past we see here may be real or yet, just a way we want to remember it, but it does feel real enough and that helps in our occasional suspension of disbelief for the plot. On the other hand, this film is occasionally very melodramatic, often predictable (way way too much obvious foreshadowing) and sometimes not sure what it is (a serious drama or adventurous film). They could say they were going with recreating the real "life" (which is often a comedy and a tragedy) feeling with that one. Kids do a great job (especially the kid brother) and actors do make a wonderful (again if melodramatic) sense of family unity against all odds.

Long story short, this is a movie of "Stand By Me" kind and if you like the latter (or Danny) do watch this one.

They are not kids movies, but they are not real dramas either. They are the past that we can identify with because we feel it could (or should) have been our own.

'Jack the Bear' is drama set in the Seventies revolving around Leary family and their first summer since the loss of their wife and mother. John hosts a late-night horror show and, while he has an understanding of television, he struggles to be a proper father to his sons, thirteen-year-old Jack and four-year-old Dylan. Instead Jack is left to be a substitute parent to his young brother while not only going through adolescence but is also struggling with the recent loss of his mother.

This film is a much darker version of the subjects brought up in 'My Girl' with the lead here being a boy instead of a girl. It was quite interesting to see a boy (instead of a girl who is usually cast in such movies) cope with the loss and guilt over his mother's death, shouldering the responsibility of caring for his little brother and alcoholic father and learning the lessons of his first love.

One of the main themes of the film is coming-of-age, both for Jack and his father. John is relearning how to be a parent without his partner by his side and redefining his relationship with his boys. As for Jack, as a boy of thirteen, he is starting to see life through an adult's eyes as he lets go of childhood innocence. One of the harshest lessons of the adultworld he learns, is that not all monsters are ugly things who live in the closet and humans can be evil too when his younger brother kidnapped by a Nazi neighbour who harbours a grudge against his father and a young lad in his neighbourhood develops some Nazi traits when he turns to the wrong person for a role model.

This films is really enjoyable, both with cute moments (Jack's little brother is adorable) and darker, angstier times. Definitely worth a look.

I bet you like me have lots of movies you saw when you were younger, and you remember them being great. Then, years later you get to see these movies, and they aren't that great, you understand that you've grown and that your taste in movies has changed...still some of "those" movies remain "classics" to you. I have a few of those movies...when I saw that Jack The Bear was coming out on DVD, I ordered a copy right away. I hadn't seen this movie since 93-95. I remember it being very powerful, even got my older brother in tears. Although, I wasn't sure how I would find it now 10-11 years later. I must say, it's truly a very powerful drama. It's very very touching, never seen De Vito this good, the kids, Senise etc - Everyone/everything is great. It's a very heart-warming story, and it feels very "real". It's truly a "classic" movie, and I must say I even appreciate it more now that I've grown up (26 years old).

Still - One of my favorite movies.

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