What About Bob? (1991)

Director:

Frank Oz

Writers (WGA):

Alvin Sargent (story) &
Laura Ziskin (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 May 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Bob's a special kind of friend. The kind that drives you crazy!

Plot:

A successful psychiatrist loses his mind after one of his most dependent patients, a highly manipulative obsessive-compulsive, tracks him down during his family vacation.

Plot Keywords:

Vacation | Patient | Psychiatrist | Book | Phobia

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Bill Murray	...	Bob 'Bobby' Wiley
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Dr. Leo Marvin
Julie Hagerty	...	Fay Marvin
Charlie Korsmo	...	Sigmund 'Siggy' Marvin
Kathryn Erbe	...	Anna Marvin
Tom Aldredge	...	Mr. Guttman
Susan Willis	...	Mrs. Guttman
Roger Bowen	...	Phil
Fran Brill	...	Lily Marvin
Brian Reddy	...	Carswell Fensterwald, M.D.
Doris Belack	...	Dr. Catherine Tomsky
Melinda Mullins	...	Marie Grady
Marcella Lowery	...	Betty, Switchboard Operator
Margot Welch	...	Gwen, Switchboard Operator
Barbara Andres	...	Claire, Dr. Marvin's Secretary
Aida Turturro	...	Prostitute
Stuart Rudin	...	Crazy Man in New York Street
Cortez Nance Jr.	...	Lobby Doorman
Lori Tan Chinn	...	Bus Driver
Dennis Scott	...	Motorcycle Cop (as Dennis R. Scott)
Charles Thomas Baxter	...	Nursing Home Guard
Donald J. Lee Jr.	...	Nursing Home Attendant
Reg E. Cathey	...	Howie, 'Good Morning America' Director
Tom Stechschulte	...	Lennie, 'Good Morning America' Producer
Russell Bobbitt	...	Good Morning America Crew Member
Richard Fancy	...	Minister
Joan Lunden	...	TV Announcer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
April Cantor	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Oz

Writing credits (WGA)
Alvin Sargent		(story) &
Laura Ziskin		(story)
Tom Schulman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Bernard Williams	....	co-producer
Laura Ziskin	....	producer

Original Music by
Miles Goodman

Cinematography by
Michael Ballhaus

Film Editing by
Anne V. Coates

Casting by
Glenn Daniels

Production Design by
Leslie Dilley		(as Les Dilley)

Art Direction by
Jack Blackman

Set Decoration by
Anne Kuljian

Costume Design by
Bernie Pollack

Makeup Department
Fern Buchner	....	makeup artist: New York
Mary Burton	....	makeup assistant
Deborah La Mia Denaver	....	hair stylist: Mr. Murray
Romaine Greene	....	hair stylist: New York
Susan V. Kalinowski	....	hair stylist: Mr. Dreyfuss (as Susan Kalinowski)
Emanuel Millar	....	hair stylist
Matthew W. Mungle	....	makeup artist (as Matthew Mungle)
Dorothy J. Pearl	....	makeup artist: Mr. Murray

Production Management
David Anderson	....	unit production manager
Jennifer Ogden	....	unit production manager: New York
David Hoberman	....	executive in charge of production: Walt Disney Studios (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cyd Adams	....	second second assistant director
Donald J. Lee Jr.	....	second assistant director
James W. Skotchdopole	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Russell Bobbitt	....	property master
Daren Dochterman	....	junior illustrator
Roger G. Fortune	....	set designer (as Roger Fortune)
Douglas Fox	....	property master
Steven Gamiello	....	lead man: New York (as Steven R. Gamiello)
Robert Griffon Jr.	....	property master: New York (as Robert J. Griffon Jr.)
Donald G. Helderle	....	construction foreman (as Don Helderle)
Carol Joffe	....	set decorator: New York
Beth Kuhn	....	art director: New York
Frank B. Nieves	....	construction foreman (as Frank Nieves)
Ken Scaife	....	construction coordinator (as Kenneth Scaife)
Wayne Shepherd	....	lead man
Jonathan Bobbitt	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Scott De Shields	....	construction coordinator: reshoots (uncredited)
Jea DeVoe	....	stand-by painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Andrew Adams	....	cable person
Bruce Bell	....	foley mixer (as Bruce R. Bell)
Denis Blackerby	....	dubbing recordist
Liz Carlin	....	assistant sound editor
John K. Carr	....	sound editor (as John Carr)
David Grannis	....	assistant sound editor
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Devon Heffley Curry	....	adr editor (as Devon Curry)
Pieter Hubbard	....	sound editor
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Doc Kane	....	adr mixer
Kim Maitland	....	boom operator: New York
Kenneth C. Mantlo	....	boom operator (as Ken Mantlo)
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Phillips	....	supervising sound editor
John Phillips	....	sound editor
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Hal Sanders	....	sound editor
Scott Shadden	....	assistant sound editor
Edward M. Steidele	....	foley artist (as Edward Steidele)
Robert Warwick	....	sound editor
Ed White	....	sound mixer
Robert Gramaglia	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Vincent Zabaly	....	sound transfer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Richard O. Helmer	....	special effects supervisor

Stunts
Bobby Burns	....	stunts
Michael Steve Jones	....	stunts
Jim Kindelon	....	stunts
Dennis Scott	....	stunt coordinator (as Dennis R. Scott)
Steve Hart	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Stuart Abramson	....	key grip
Florian Ballhaus	....	first assistant camera
Darrell Blevins	....	grip
Arthur Blum	....	dolly grip
Jerry DeBlau	....	gaffer: New York
Randy Downey	....	lamp operator
David M. Dunlap	....	camera operator
Dennis Gamiello	....	key grip: New York
Dave Gillespie	....	grip
Nils Johnson	....	video assist operator
Jay Kemp	....	lamp operator (as Jay Douglas Kemp)
Craig Kohtala	....	best boy grip
Jack Kohtala	....	grip
Bobby Mancuso	....	second assistant camera
Greg Martin	....	grip (as Greg M. Martin)
Charlie McIntyre	....	lamp operator (as Charles H. McIntyre III)
Robert W. Meyers	....	rigging gaffer
Peter John Petraglia	....	best boy: New York
Ronald J. Pure Jr.	....	lamp operator (as Ronald Joe Pure Jr.)
John 'Fest' Sandau	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Steve Sanderson	....	camera trainee
Larry Thomas	....	lamp operator
James R. Tynes	....	chief lighting technician (as Jim Tynes)
David M. Walsh	....	additional photographer
Barry Wetcher	....	still photographer
David Knox	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Gábor Kövér	....	camera operator: "b" camera (uncredited)
Sal Martorano	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
William Dean	....	extras casting
Jill Greenberg	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Butler	....	costumer: Mr. Murray
David Dumais	....	wardrobe supervisor: New York
Julie Glick	....	costumer (as Julie Lynn Glick)
Marie Kaderback	....	costumer
Hugo Peña	....	costume supervisor
Susan J. Wright	....	wardrobe supervisor: New York

Editorial Department
Christopher Cibelli	....	assistant film editor
James Garrett	....	assistant film editor (as James A. Garrett)
James D.R. Hickox	....	assistant film editor
Sandy Isaac	....	post-production coordinator
Bob Kaiser	....	color timer (as Robert Kaiser)
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Adam P. Scott	....	apprentice film editor

Music Department
Oscar Castro-Neves	....	additional orchestrator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Nancy Fogarty	....	music editor
Darlene Koldenhoven	....	vocal contractor
Joel Moss	....	music mixer
Joel Moss	....	music recordist
Thomas Pasatieri	....	additional orchestrator

Transportation Department
Randy Burke	....	transportation captain
Harry J. Leavey	....	transportation captain: New York (as Harry Leavey)
James Sweeney	....	transportation captain: New York (as Jim Sweeney)
Gaston Veilleux	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Mark A. Baker	....	location manager: New York
Audrey Bamber	....	assistant: Mr. Dreyfuss
Charles Bartlett	....	adr voice
Charles Thomas Baxter	....	location manager (as Charles Baxter)
Farley Blackman	....	boat master
Rafe Blasi	....	unit publicist
Ruth Britt	....	adr voice
Joseph Chapman	....	adr voice
Ritchie Copenhaver	....	assistant location manager
Greg Finley	....	adr voice
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Javier Grajeda	....	adr voice
Wendi Haas	....	production coordinator: New York
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice (as Barbara Iley)
Scott Harris	....	production assistant
Rosanna Huffman	....	adr voice
Judith Jennings	....	location teacher
Jack Kandel	....	adr voice
Lisa Lynn Kearsley	....	production coordinator
Carlyle King	....	adr voice
Daamen J. Krall	....	adr voice (as Daamen Krall)
Marsha Kramer	....	adr voice
Timothy Lee	....	production assistant
Marci Levine	....	first assistant accountant
Susan Malerstein	....	script supervisor
Susan V. McConnell	....	assistant production coordinator
Susan Napoli	....	adr voice (as Stephani Ryan)
David Randolph	....	adr voice
Noreen Reardon	....	adr voice
Ilyse A. Reutlinger	....	assistant: Mr. Murray (as Ilyse Reutlinger)
Candisse Reynolds	....	craft service
Blair Richwood	....	assistant: Laura Ziskin
Diana Schmidt	....	assistant: Mr. Oz (as Diana D. Schmidt)
Gary Schwartz	....	adr voice
Vernon Scott	....	adr voice
Tandi Slater	....	production accountant
Dana Williams	....	production coordinator
Betty Chin	....	assistant production coordinator (uncredited)
Letty Gray	....	production office (uncredited)
Michael McGee	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jacobus Rose	....	production executive (uncredited)
Kira Willoughby	....	caterer: special dessert catering (uncredited)
Derek J. Young	....	additional voice (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Touchstone Pictures (presents)
• Touchwood Pacific Partners 1 (in association with)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1991) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Touchstone Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Touchstone Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1994) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Touchstone Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Touchstone Home Video (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Gativideo (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Bryansteen's Gun and Archery  prop guns
• Buena Vista Sound  re-recording facilities
• Cinema Research  opticals
• Columbia Recording Studios  music recorded and mixed at
• Effects House, The  opticals
• Soundworks West  score mixed at
• Tomkats Catering  catering
• Walt Disney Pictures and Television  for purposes of copyright law in the United Kingdom this picture was created by

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

8254 Scruggs Road, Moneta, Virginia, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Frank Oz wanted Patrick Stewart to play Leo Marvin.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Marie from Good Morning America is interviewing Dr. Marvin and Bob, Leo inadvertently calls her "Joan" the first time he speaks to her. Joan Lunden plays/is the home-base correspondent for GMA. Leo had been rehearsing his speech to Joan Lunden all night, but Marie was the interviewer that came to his house. Leo froze up on TV and repeated his rehearsed message even though it was no longer appropriate.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bob Wiley: I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful... I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful... I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Zombieland (2009)

Soundtrack:

Singin' in the Rain

What about Bill!

It might be a little simplistic to call this "Bill Murray's Movie",because in truth,this film works just as well because it has a fantastic support from Richard Dreyfuss,Julie Haggerty,Charlie Korsmo,KAthryn Erbe and director Frank Oz. Still,you cannot watch this film without feeling like Murray's complete abandon in this film is what gives this film its pep,spark and life. This might be one of the more energized performances of his long and well-padded career.

Dr.Leo Marvin(Dreyfuss,who has settled into being the 'Uptight fuddy-dudd' roles from here,as opposed to the more restive,youthful roles of past movies like "Jaws" and "Goodbye Girl")seems to have it all. Loving wife,healthy,normal kids and a career that is on the verge of taking off:a comfortable private practice in New York and a self-help book about to be published nationwide. At the last minute,he accepts another colleague's patient(for whom he does not wonder as to why his peer is so breathlessly trying to pass this patient off to him):one Bob Wiley(Murray). Bob doesn't have anything wrong with him;he has MANY things wrong with him. Multiphobic,clingy and more than a little under-developed in his sense of emotional attachment,Bob misreads the good doctor's brush off(As the doctor gets ready for a Labor Day getaway with his famille)as being a cure-all,and is immediately smitten with the doctor's methods,approach,diagnosis and treatment. He decides he's going to insinuate himself into Dr.Marvin's life(in somewhat of a mixture of gratitude and need),and follows him to the rural,New England lakeside vacation where the Marvins are staying.

Alvin Sargent and Laura Ziskin's story and script make the actors' moves and lines so easy you'd almost think there were elements of improvisation. But Murray and Dreyfuss are(and not to belabor a point here but...)the key here. Murray's socially oblivious and free sense of bonding clashes DRAMATICALLY with the button-down professionalism of Dreyfuss' doctor,and as Muray thinks himself "Better",Dreyfuss' shrink seems to be getting worse,confounded by his unwanted patient's persistence and loyalty. While the unabashed enthusiasm of Murray's character might drive away some viewers who might see this as "annoying" or "too much", Murray fans and,I think,fans of sort of odd,non-formula comedies will DEFINITELY appreciate the whole story and rhythm of this film. Perhaps it's a bit too early to state this(though this film,which I first caught in the theaters in first release sixteen years ago,has had more than a decade to simmer in the memories of moviegoers),I feel this is something of a modern comedy classic. I've seen this film no less than three times and,to chime in with an IMDb message board poster,this IS a truly re-watchable movie.