Fathers' Day (1997)

A woman cons two old boyfriends into searching for her runaway son by convincing both that they are the boy's father.

Director:

Ivan Reitman

Writers:

Francis Veber (film Les Compères), Lowell Ganz (screenplay),

Stars:

Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robin Williams	...	Dale Putley
Billy Crystal	...	Jack Lawrence
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Carrie Lawrence
Nastassja Kinski	...	Collette Andrews
Charlie Hofheimer	...	Scott Andrews
Bruce Greenwood	...	Bob Andrews
Dennis Burkley	...	Calvin the Trucker
Haylie Johnson	...	Nikki Trainor
Charles Rocket	...	Russ Trainor
Patti D'Arbanville	...	Shirley Trainor
Jared Harris	...	Lee
Louis Lombardi	...	Matt
Mark McGrath	...	Sugar Ray Band
Craig Bullock	...	Sugar Ray Band
Charles Stan Frazier	...	Sugar Ray Band

Storyline

Jack Lawrence is a smart allec lawyer who is one day visited by an ex-girlfriend who tells him her kid was his. Enter Dale Putley, a depressed goofball who is also a writer, meets with the same ex-girlfriend who tells him her kid is his. One day Jack and Dale meet and discover what had happened: they've been told the same story and now there's a question of who the real father is. They learn their son is following a rock band called Sugar Ray around. So Jack and Dale hit the road to Sacremento and find their drunk, lovestruck son. Soon after they bring him back to their hotel room, their son escapes and Jack and Dale must use teamwork to find him again, bring him home, and find out which one of them is the real father.

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Plot Keywords:

rock | con | runaway | remake of french film | marriage | 

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Taglines:

One kid. Two dads. A who done it.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sex-related humor and drug references

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 May 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un papá de sobra

Filming Locations:

La Cienega Oil Fields, La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$85,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$8,776,159 (USA) (9 May 1997)

Gross:

$28,659,604 (USA) (18 July 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Northern Lights Entertainment, Silver Pictures, Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Before appearing in this film, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal were already a well-known comedy duo, thanks to their work in Comic Relief. The original French film this is based on, Les compères also features a well-known comedy team: Pierre Richard and Gerard Depardieu. Just the previous year, Williams and Crystal had appeared (though they shared no scenes) in Hamlet, which also featured Depardieu.

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Goofs

Towards the end, when Jack and Dale are looking through the album of baby pictures, Dale says, "I want that one," and begins removing the plastic sheet covering a 5x7-ish portrait with a blue background. Jack slaps his hand and says, "You can't do that." When they turn the page, the photo has changed to a mostly red, full-page sized image.

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Quotes

Nikki: Well, Scotty, you're boring. I liked you for a while, but now I can't stand looking at you. Even your voice makes me sick.
Dale Putley: That was lovely.
Jack Lawrence: Yes, Hallmark is waiting for you.

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Connections

Referenced in The Jay Leno Show: Episode #1.91 (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Nothing"
Written by Kim Shattuck
Performed by The Muffs
Produced by The Muffs

User Reviews

Big talents produce few laughs

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Take a terrific French comedy, produce an American remake, and watch many of the laughs disappear. Even the two huge talents who star in this film can't save it. This film isn't nearly as bad as most of the reviews seem to suggest, but it really is nothing more than ordinary at best. Do yourself a favour, and watch the original film, "Les Comperes", instead of this one. Plus, Gerard Depardieu seems as though he could give a stronger head-butt than Billy Crystal, don't you think?