Man of the House

I'm just now watching this on TV, and find it an enjoyable but fairly standard Disney type plot, with the usual misunderstandings based on lack of communication. Eventually justice will triumph, I'm sure, with all the usual civilian-vs-bad-guy showdown and broken-relationships-cemented stereotypes, still enjoyable to watch in each new screenplay. I mainly wanted to comment on a cute cameo that I didn't find mentioned anywhere. At the very beginning of the film, establishing the relationship of Farah Fawcett and her son, he mentions how she dated a few guys but they were all losers. They show a few seconds of one of these dates, with the fellow clowning around at the beach. If you watch closely you will see it is Ryan O'Neal!

As usual, I'm in the minority.

I love this movie. Chevy is so funny as the step dad to Jonathan Taylor Thomas and would-be husband to Farrah Fawcet. I loved Chevy in this. He plays characters completely off the cuff, and I found his character endearing, but what I really liked about this movie was Farrah. She still shines after all those years, in a completely engaging performance.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas is perfectly precocious in his role as Fawcett's son, a boy who lost his father, and refuses to accept Chevy as an adequate substitute.

It's funny, heartwarming, and genuinely sweet.

It rates a 6.7/10 from...

the Fiend :.

No way Disney would make this today.

No way.

Heck, I'm honestly surprised it's even being offered up on their streaming service for viewing.

And then, while I'm at it, I'm even more surprised that since it's available for all of us to see with our very own eyeballs (of which I am grateful) that it isn't being shown with some sort of sensitivity warning (of which I am most grateful of all).

Let us see it, and let us make up our own minds about its content Yes, this is 1995 (Although, I think this wrapped in 1994, but still a glorious year for living) and I'm surprised even a mid-90's Disney greenlit this thing.

Is it funny?

No.

But not because it's not p.c.. it's just not funny.

Chevy Chase isn't funny.

The kid isn't funny.

The script isn't funny.

And poor Farrah.

I just feel so bad for her here.

She's forever a 1970's icon, and this is a mere twenty years later but it feels so much longer.

But I'll always love her.

This movie is just sad to me. The way the father leaves and it's just like, Ta-Ta with a flick of a backwards hand wave out the BMW's driver's side, and that's it?

It's so dismissive.

And who would leave that gorgeous home for an apartment (though the apartment looks pretty great)?

And what's his name, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, spouting off script lines that obviously some thirty year old neurotic wrote?

Typical 90's kid movie stuff.

So wise beyond their years.

But the movie still isn't funny.

But it is great to see mid-90's Vancouver, and great actors not too far from their prime.

It still makes for a decent enough hour and a half for these eyeballs.

Especially Farrah.

I can remember loving this movie back in the '90s. I recently rewatched it and still thought it was a pretty good movie. The cast had some really big names (for the time), a number of jokes seemed like it pushed the "Disney limits", and well....Chevy Chase. Going back after all these years to watch Man of the House, you notice how '90s the film really is. From video games, to clothing, and hairstyles, it's full of nostalgia. Man of the House is right in the mix of Disney's mid-90s push for live action movies like Heavyweights, Mighty Ducks, and The Santa Clause.

* Join my journey of watching every Walt Disney Studios film. All videos selected at random from the official D23 film list. (Included: Muppets, Pixar, Star Wars) (Excluded: Marvel, Touchstone, Fox, and Other Studios)

Chevy Chase gives an amiable performance as a prosecuting attorney who falls in love with artist Farrah Fawcett (who looks as great as ever). But she already has an 11 year old son (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) whose father ran out on the family. So the kid is wary of letting ANY man into his mothers' life, especially when the mom & child have gotten along perfectly well by themselves for years. Thomas schemes to eliminate Chase from his & Fawcetts' lives, and thinks that when he and Chase join the Indian Guides, Chase will get fed up and quit. But Chase digs in his heels and refuses to do so.

"Man of the House" is an admittedly lightweight, formula-bound family comedy that does at least have good messages in it about learning to have faith in other people. It benefits from some entertainingly quirky characters, like perfectionist Red Sweeney (Art La Fleur) and mute circus performer Lloyd Small (physical comedian David Shiner); both of them and their sons are part of the group.

A major subplot has to do with a mafia goon (Richard Portnow) who wants revenge on Chase since the attorney was able to send his father away for half a century. But being that this IS a Disney family comedy, this material never gets too intense, and Portnows' associates (Peter Appel, Richard Foronjy) are portrayed as bumblers.

In addition to those character actors mentioned, other notable performers such as Chief Leonard George, Ron Canada, John DiSanti, and the ever-endearing George Wendt all put in appearances. The cast is generally good, with young Thomas and his fellow child actors giving appealing performances. The plotting and the gags DO tend to be pretty predictable, but overall the movie works pretty well. Likability and good vibes do help to make up for the formulaic nature of the script, as well as the universal aspect of learning to accept step-parents and step-children in ones' lives.

Six out of 10.