What About Bob? (1991)

A successful psychotherapist loses his mind after one of his most dependent patients, an obsessive-compulsive neurotic, tracks him down during his family vacation.

Director:

Frank Oz

Writers:

Alvin Sargent (story), Laura Ziskin (story)

Stars:

Bill Murray, Richard Dreyfuss, Julie Hagerty

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Murray	...	Bob Wiley
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Dr. Leo Marvin
Julie Hagerty	...	Fay Marvin
Charlie Korsmo	...	Siggy Marvin
Kathryn Erbe	...	Anna Marvin
Tom Aldredge	...	Mr. Guttman
Susan Willis	...	Mrs. Guttman
Roger Bowen	...	Phil
Fran Brill	...	Lily
Brian Reddy	...	Carswell Fensterwald
Doris Belack	...	Dr. Tomsky
Melinda Mullins	...	Marie Grady
Marcella Lowery	...	Betty / Switchboard Operator
Margot Welch	...	Gwen / Switchboard Operator
Barbara Andres	...	Claire / Dr. Marvin's Secretary

Storyline

Doctor Leo Marvin, an egotistical psychotherapist in New York City, is looking forward to his forthcoming appearance on a "Good Morning America" telecast, during which he plans to brag about "Baby Steps," his new book about emotional disorder theories in which he details his philosophy of treating patients and their phobias. Meanwhile, Bob Wiley is a recluse who is so afraid to leave his own apartment that he has to talk himself out the door. When Bob is pawned off on Leo by a psychotherapist colleague, Bob becomes attached to Leo. Leo finds Bob extremely annoying. When Leo accompanies his wife Fay, his daughter Anna, and his son Siggy to a peaceful New Hampshire lakeside cottage for a month-long vacation, Leo thinks he's been freed from Bob. Leo expects to mesmerize his family with his prowess as a brilliant husband and remarkable father who knows all there is to know about instructing his wife and raising his kids. But Bob isn't going to let Leo enjoy a quiet summer by the lake. By ...

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Plot Keywords:

obsessive compulsive disorder | vacation | patient | psychotherapist | neurotic | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 May 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

What About Bob?

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,216,334, 19 May 1991

Gross USA:

$63,707,829

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$63,707,829

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Touchwood Pacific Partners 1

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer Laura Ziskin recalled having a disagreement with Bill Murray which led to her getting tossed into a lake by him. She confirmed in 2003, "Bill also threatened to throw me across the parking lot and then broke my sunglasses and threw them across the parking lot. I was furious and outraged at the time, but having produced a dozen movies, I can safely say it is not common behavior."

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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.

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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...

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Alternate Versions

When aired on Showtime Family in April, 2018 a line of dialogue was deleted. When Bob goes to Dr. Marvin's lake home, for the first time, he senses that Dr. Marvin is angry and upset. Dr. Marvin's line, "Problems don't go away just because I do." has been cut.

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Connections

Referenced in Guys with Kids: First Word (2013)

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Soundtracks

Good Morning America Theme
from "Good Morning America (1975)"
Written by Marvin Hamlisch and Richard Hazard
Courtesy of Capitol Cities ABC, Inc.

User Reviews

Great comedy

l wasn't sure if I wanted to give this movie 7 or 8 points till seeing the last 20 minutes. There Richard Dreyfuss has been in full cry. I needed to laugh so hard, that I am forced to give this movie 8 points. As a movie itself, if I use all criteria I use on other films, this movie would not deserve 8 points. The story is predictable (I knew exactly how it was going to end from the very beginning), camera work, music and characters are not actually special. All has been there before, and was copied again and again afterward. But as a comedy, this movie totally did what it was supposed to do. It was absolutely hilarious!

Sometimes the humor was a bit too silly, and Bill Murray has been overdoing it from time to time - and I still needed to laugh my butt off. Watching the way smaller Dreyfuss beside the tall, dumb looking Bill, screaming and shouting like an angry dwarf, was a way too funny image.