Jack the Bear (1993)

Danny DeVito is John Leary, a professional clown, whose wife's death in a car accident has left him to care for his two young boys.

Director:

Marshall Herskovitz

Writers:

Dan McCall (novel), Steven Zaillian (screenplay)

Stars:

Danny DeVito, Gary Sinise, Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Danny DeVito	...	John Leary
Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.	...	Jack Leary
Miko Hughes	...	Dylan Leary
Gary Sinise	...	Norman Strick
Art LaFleur	...	Mr. Festinger
Stefan Gierasch	...	Father-in-Law
Erica Yohn	...	Mother-in-Law
Andrea Marcovicci	...	Elizabeth Leary
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Peggy Etinger
Reese Witherspoon	...	Karen Morris
Bert Remsen	...	Mitchell
Carl Gabriel Yorke	...	Gordon Layton
Lee Garlington	...	Mrs. Festinger
Lorinne Vozoff	...	Mrs. Mitchell
Justin Mosley Spink	...	Dexter Mitchell

Storyline

Danny DeVito is John Leary, a professional horror host "Al Gory"; whose wife's death in a car accident has left him to care for his two young boys. Loving, but useless at the daily job of fathering, the onus falls on plucky Jack the Bear (Robert J. Steinmiller, Jr.) Leary's conscience, and a quantity of alcohol, leads him to denounce a neo-fascist candidate on his children's television program, and also to the kidnapping of youngest son Dylan (Miko Hughes) by a disturbed neo-Nazi supporter.

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Plot Keywords:

usa horror host | usa male horror host | male horror host | movie reality crossover | halloween costume | 

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Taglines:

Laugh. Cry. Hold on tight.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for elements of theme, and for some terror

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul McMichael was an original choice to play Edward Festinger.

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Goofs

At the end when Jack is playing the piano, Dylan comes downstairs and starts walking towards him. In the next shot, Dylan is back at the stairs again.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jack Leary: I thought I knew all about monsters. I used to watch them late at night on Dad's TV show. After we moved to Oakland, he stopped doing kid's shows, because he was different now. Everything was different. Now he was Al Gory, monster of ceremonies at Midnight Shriek.

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Connections

Features The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

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Soundtracks

(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo
Written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon
Performed by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

User Reviews

A Different Kind of Horror Film

The Leary family, John (Danny DeVito), Jack (Robert J. Steinmiller, Jr.) and Dylan (Miko Hughes), have moved from Syracuse, New York to Oakland, California in the early 1970s. John was a children's show host in Syracuse, but also has a love for horror films, and becomes a television horror film host in Oakland. On one level, the film is just a drama about the Leary's trying to settle into their new life. On another level, Jack The Bear is about confronting various kinds of monsters, from make-believe to human, as well as more abstract "monsters", including behaviors that are difficult to control and accidental tragedies such as deaths.

I've seen Jack The Bear a few times now, and every time I see it I like it even better. The performances are fantastic, taking you on a roller coaster of emotions. But it almost requires multiple viewings to really "get" the film. At its heart is the growing presence and threat of the various "monsters" mentioned above. The various monsters are all woven together in very complex ways, and most of the developments later on in the film are about how those monsters can be conquered, but always at some price. Just as the threads are densely combined, so is the vanquishing of the monsters, and both the development of the monsters and the "solutions" to them are like various pieces of a large jigsaw puzzle, each piece necessary for the whole, and often affecting the whole in unexpected ways.

The direction, script, editing, cinematography, and all of the technical aspects are impeccable. The score is also wonderful and not only enhances the setting, but underscores the dramatic developments if you listen to the lyrics closely.

A 10 out of 10 from me. Don't miss this film.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 April 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jack the Bear

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,219,891, 4 April 1993

Gross USA:

$5,145,823

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,145,823

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, American Filmworks, Lucky Dog Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1