My Father the Hero

First time I watched this movie was on Laser Disc about 5 years ago. I liked it so much I taped it from HBO a couple of years later. The plot is a wee bit cliche, but there are many unexpectedly entertaining scenes, like when Gerard Depardieu (Andre) sang 'Thank Heavens for Little Girls', inoblivious to the fact that the audience thought he was a paedophile, and all those fights between Katherine Heigl (Nicole) and James Dalton (Ben) were just so... amusing, especially with Dalton being impossibly cute and all. Anyway, now I've finally bought the DVD and I'm re-watching it regularly.

My Father the Hero (1994)

*** (out of 4)

The recently divorced Andre (Gerard Depardieu) takes his teenage daughter Nicole (Katherine Heigl) on vacation to the Bahamas where she quickly gets a crush on a young boy and decides to try and impress him by saying her father is actually her older lover.

I still remember seeing MY FATHER THE HERO in theaters the day it opened and it really made me laugh. In fact, there were moments where I laughed extremely loud as did many others in the theater. I was shocked to see all the negative reviews that the film got but it clearly rubbed some critics and people the wrong way and especially with its subject matter.

Reading over my plot description now, it's easy to see why some might find it offensive but it's actually done in a rather clean way so one shouldn't be expecting some sort of dirty comedy. In fact, the film's actually a very funny ilttle gem about a teenage girl not knowing the trouble that her lies are starting.

What really makes this film work so well is the performance by Depardieu. The French legend is downright hilarious here and especially the way he breaks loose when he finds out what his daughter and said and what she has gotten started. I'd also say that Heigl was also very good here, years before she would become a star.

This is a funny movie, there's not a lot of those. OK, the plot is a bit disturbing, but very original. A teen trying to get even with dad, because he hasn't been around and almost sending him to jail because she lie to impress an older boy, how could that not be funny? Plus it not the typical movie featuring teens. First remake i've seen, that is better than the original, the only problem with both: Gerard Depardieu. With another actor this would be a perfect 10, because he plays all rolls the same way, sucks. Another problem it's all the women melting over him, that's not remotely believable, he is not attractive!, y had a rubber troll that was better looking than him, come on!

This is a great comedy and I recommend it to many viewers. The most hilarious scene in my opinion is when Depardieu is playing the piano in a bar; he doesn't know that his daughter is trying to pass him off as her boyfriend, and he's singing "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" ... all the patrons except for one woman walk out in disgust, thinking he's a child molester! That scene is absolutely priceless and will leave you splitting your sides, guaranteed.

This movie is a funny comedy about a father and daughter vacationing at some tropical island,where the daughter falls for some boy and trying to pass for what she thinks is "cool",she makes up a preposterous story about her father. I read some of the negative comments,i think those people didn't get the main point of this movie,that exactly because the lie is so preposterous,all the situations are so funny. Besides the funny situations ,the movie has a few nice points to make,that young people often lie to appear "cool" but the only cool thing of course is to be who you are.Then,also it makes a nice point even though its exaggerated of course,what hardships good parents have to go through for their children's happiness.Also,that parents ,sometimes can also learn from their kids about their own life. Depardieu is great in this,and Heigl is also good.i don't agree that there is a huge difference between this version and the French one. In the French one,Depardieu has naturally some more facility with the language but he does a good job in English,also the American version has better production values than the french one and has some extra jokes about what Americans think about the French stereotype,which are funny and don't exist in the French version.