In a domestic, peacetime context, and it's partially successful. The same existential, near-nihilistic ethos (competency is pretty much the only acknowledged value) as that in "M*A*S*H" pervades here. Bill Cosby is basically a black Hawkeye Pierce. Despite several nods to 70's feminism, the "Jugs" character is basically another Lt. Dish. And Larry Hagman's character is a straight knock-off of Frank Burns, with male chauvinism substituted for religious fundamentalism. Nevertheless, many of the gags and much of the dialogue are (usually darkly) hilarious. The film does convey the tragi-comic atmosphere of the inner city, much like Scorcese's "Bringing Out the Dead." The acting is generally superb.
Review of Mother, Jugs & Speed
