Mr. Mom (1983)

Jack and Caroline are a couple making a decent living when Jack suddenly loses his job. They agree that he should stay at home and look after the house while Caroline works. It's just that ... See full summary »

Director:

Stan Dragoti

Writer:

John Hughes

Stars:

Michael Keaton, Teri Garr, Fred Koehler

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Keaton	...	Jack
Teri Garr	...	Caroline
Fred Koehler	...	Alex (as Frederick Koehler)
Taliesin Jaffe	...	Kenny
Courtney White	...	Megan
Brittany White	...	Megan
Martin Mull	...	Ron
Ann Jillian	...	Joan
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Jinx
Christopher Lloyd	...	Larry
Tom Leopold	...	Stan
Graham Jarvis	...	Humphries
Carolyn Seymour	...	Eve
Michael Alaimo	...	Bert
Valri Bromfield	...	Doris

Storyline

Jack and Caroline are a couple making a decent living when Jack suddenly loses his job. They agree that he should stay at home and look after the house while Caroline works. It's just that he's never done it before, and really doesn't have a clue.

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Plot Keywords:

home | camera shot of feet | laid off | blockbuster | baby | 

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Taglines:

Caroline's a rising executive. Jack just lost his job. Jack's going to have to start from the bottom up.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 July 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mr. Mum

Filming Locations:

1050 Arden Road, Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$64,800,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aaron Spelling Productions, Sherwood Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First movie for actor Michael Keaton where he was top first billed.

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Goofs

Plot takes place in Detroit. In supermarket, you clearly see a display for C&C cola/sodas. C&C sodas are distributed only in the northeast united states. Detroit is in the mid-west

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Quotes

Humphries: All of us here at Schooner Tuna sympathize with all of you hit so hard by these trying economic times. In order to help you, we are reducing the price of Schooner Tuna by 50 cents a can. When this crisis is over, we will go back to our regular prices. Until then, remember, we're all in this together. Schooner Tuna. The tuna with a heart.

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Connections

References E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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Soundtracks

"Nadia's theme"
(uncredited)
(from The Young And The Restless)
by Perry Botkin Jr. & Barry De Vorzon

User Reviews

Megan and I are starting to watch the same TV shows. I'm liking them. I'm losing it!

Mr. Mom is directed by Stan Dragoti and written by John Hughes. It stars Michael Keaton, Teri Garr and Martin Mull. Music is by Lee Holdridge and cinematography by Victor J. Kemper. Plot sees Keaton as Jack Butler, who after being laid off from work, is forced to become as house husband when his wife Caroline (Garr) lands a good job with Schooner Tuna. Something he's really not cut out to do.

Ah, well, look, it's obviously very eighties, and thankfully society has moved on in leaps and bounds since this film was released. But good honest comedy is just that, honest, and for those looking for a good chuckle whilst admiring the talent of a pre-Batman Keaton, Mr. Mom is a bad mood lifter. Condensed into the 90 running time are enough gags and fun sequences to fill out a 12 episode sit-com, with a pre-teen-angst trail blazing John Hughes scripting it full of quotable lines. Lines which Keaton delivers with the comic timing not befitting someone just starting out in films.

The fun is mined from Jack being hopeless at basic household chores whilst badly tending the three young children at the same time. Enter scenes involving shopping, dropping the kids off at school, laundry, cooking and ironing. As his masculinity starts to wane, Jack starts too slob out and gets his kicks by watching day-time soap operas and playing cards with the neighbourhood women. This coincides with his wife Caroline (Garr adorable) advancing well at work, but paying a price for it by being away from the family home far too much. There's also the looming presence of Caroline's smarmy boss (Martin Mull delightfully sleazy) and the good time girl (Ann Jillian sexing it up) who has her eye on Jack for fun and frolics. Both of these are stereotypes, but they existed then as much as they exist now, with that, it's easy to cut Mr. Mom some slack.

Supporting slots fall to Christopher Lloyd (who would re-team with Keaton for the very funny The Dream Team in 1989), Jeffrey Tambor (City Slickers), Graham Jarvis (TV Starsky & Hutch/Cagney & Lacey) and Miriam Flynn (National Lampoon's Vacation). The child actors put in pleasing turns, where they score funny points both visually and orally, and director Dragoti (The Man With One Red Shoe) directs in an unfussy natural way. Ultimately it's Keaton and Hughes' script that lifts it to better comedy heights, the latter of which also plays on some basic fears that arise in the real world. Yeah, it's not just about Jack's bumbling around the home, that John Hughes was a sharp man you know? 7/10