Billboard Dad

After the passing of Full House, a couple of not-so-great kiddie films and a second failed TV show on TGIF, it's good to see that the Olsen Twins can still make the good stuff happen on the screen.

Billboard Dad is the story of two girls who try desperately to hook their single father up with a gorgeous gal. What better way to achieve this by . .. advertising on a billboard? Cheesy? Maybe. Anyway, the course of true love never did run smooth, and so the romance that is to spark between the twins' dad, Max, and his new girlfriend, Brooke, is not free from obstacles. First, there is Brooke's son, Ryan, who at first the twins have trouble getting along with. Later on, the twins befriend Ryan and they team up to tackle the next obstacle - Nigel - Max's maniacal money-minded agent. Together, the three come up with an intelligent scheme and . . . well . . . I don't wanna give away the WHOLE thing!

Bottom line . . . this movie doesn't have a cheesy script - it's quite realistic. One can see that the Olsen twins are more than just two cute faces but actually have some talent too. It's a great family movie and I recommend it.

Is it just me, or are all of Mary-Kate and Ashley's movie exactly the same? How many more times can I see them in a family where the mother is dead, and the dad is raising them while trying to find some happiness of his own. I'm tired of seeing them trying to switch places to get their dad to meet the girl of his dreams. The movie was so horrible that you could drive a truck through the plot holes. Like...if Ashley was so horrible at diving...what would make her all the sudden have a better dive than her sister who is like the "almighty champion" of diving? And how would a 12 year old little freak wannabe have a tattoo and an eyebrow ring? The only thing that's cute in this movie is Mary-Kate and Ashley's hair. Save you money and watch it on FOX Family.

Although this was one of their earlier films with a bizarre premise, it was still highly enjoyable and the start of their more mature work after their initial Trenchcoat Detective series. The Olsens were already way ahead of the fashion trends, mentioning Ugg Boots years before their recent boom in popularity. The romance was not overdone, but light and playful as it should be for their age group. This tasteful approach was also reflected in their clothing, especially bathing suit choice (they were always shown in one piece). The typical older guy crush was well played and spoke to every girl's first fantasy date. I mean, who didn't laugh when Ashley mistakenly said, "Thanks, Bod!" instead of Brad, the "hunk-o-saurus'" name! An interesting trivia point of this movie would be that in the later films, Mary-Kate plays the tomboy character, while Ashley is the girlier, but still capable, twin. However, in this film, Ashley comes out sporting a surfer-girl look, and while later fans were surprised by this inversion, obviously both twins are extremely versatile in their acting approaches.

Tess and Emily Tyler (Olsen twins) live with their widowed father, Maxwell (Tom Amandes) in Venice, California. Maxwell is a sculptor who has thrown himself into his work after his wife's death. Naturally, the girls want to see their father in a happier state of mind. At a friend's suggestion, Tess and Emily repaint a neighborhood billboard with their father's vital information. Women respond! While dad is starting to date, the twins are also going to diving meets. Will Dad find true love, even as the Tyler girls are winning diving competitions?

This adorable movie is certain to win the hearts of females, young and old. Amandes does wonderfully in his search for a mate, even when it requires him to go on a string of bizarre and funny dates. Mary-Kate and Ashley are charming and they don't miss a beat of the humorous script. No, it's not Shakespeare. But even Will himself might call this a merry romp. Recommended for those who are tickled to find a romantic, upbeat, family-friendly movie.

While I did indeed know that this movie existed, I actually never have seen it before now in 2025. It is not that I didn't have the chance before, but I just never took the time to do so. But I finally opted to check it out here in 2025, and see what writer Maria Jacquemetton and director Alan Metter had to offer.

The storyline in the movie was pretty straightforward, but it was not really a narrative that appealed all that much to me. I am not saying that the story was bad, it just failed to entertain me properly. I found it to be a bit too generic and devoid of entertaining moments.

Of the entire cast ensemble in the movie, I was only familiar with leading actresses Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen. The acting performances in the movie were good.

"Billboard Dad" is watchable, sure, but it was a rather forgettable movie, and most definitely not a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time. The movie is definitely something that will find a wider appeal with a pre-teen female audience.

My rating of director Alan Metter's 1998 movie "Billboard Dad" lands on a generous four out of ten stars.