My Father the Hero (1994)

A teenage girl on vacation in the Bahamas with her divorced father tries to impress a potential boyfriend by saying that her father is actually her lover.

Director:

Steve Miner

Writers:

Gérard Lauzier (screenplay "Mon père, ce héros"), Francis Veber (screenplay)

Stars:

Gérard Depardieu, Katherine Heigl, Dalton James

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gérard Depardieu	...	Andre
Katherine Heigl	...	Nicole
Dalton James	...	Ben
Lauren Hutton	...	Megan
Faith Prince	...	Diana
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Mike
Ann Hearn	...	Stella
Robyn Peterson	...	Doris
Frank Renzulli	...	Fred
Manny Jacobs	...	Raymond
Jeffrey Chea	...	Pablo / 'The Baha Men' Band Member
Stephen Burrows	...	Hakim
Mike Robinson	...	Tom
Robert Miner	...	Mr. Porter
Betty Miner	...	Mrs. Porter

Storyline

Andre (Gérard Depardieu), a Frenchman divorced from his American wife takes his teenage daughter, Nicole (Katherine Heigl), on vacation with him. She's desperate to appear as a woman and not a girl, so in order to impress a local boy, she makes up more and more ridiculous stories, starting with Andre being her lover. Andre is desperate to make Nicole happy and so plays along with her crazy games, and the stories they make up get increasingly bizzare.

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Plot Keywords:

misunderstanding | jailbait | watching tv | african caribbean | remake of european film | 

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Taglines:

Fathers have just one problem with raising their daughters. They grow up!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and elements of sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alicia Silverstone was considered for the role of Nicole.

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Goofs

When the father is waiting up for Nicole, he sees her walking towards the house. He runs to the couch to pretend he was already asleep. When he kicks off his shoes, one lands on the floor by the couch while the other appears to bounce off the table onto the floor on the far side of the table. We see Nicole walk in. Then when we see the father again, the straps of one of his shoes can be seen on the table by the ashtray.

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Quotes

Andre: How did it go?
Nicole: He's very impressed by you. He thinks you're a great guy.
Andre: [sarcastically] What a relief.
Nicole: And I told him I'm staying with you.
Andre: Isn't he jealous?
Nicole: I told him there's nothing to be jealous of. That there's nothing between us anymore because of... Promise you won't get mad?
Andre: Why do I get so frightened every time you ask me that?
Nicole: Because of your heart.
Andre: My heart? What about my heart?
Nicole: I told him you were dying.
[...]

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Alternate Versions

In the US theatrical release, the bathing suite worn by Katherine Heigl, which was originally a thong, was digitally altered to cover her rear because it was thought American audiences would balk at such a young girl wearing such a thing.

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Connections

Referenced in Psych: Daredevils! (2008)

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Soundtracks

OH, FATHER
Written by Fred Ferguson, Steve Greenberg, Curtis Jones, Herschel Small and Kendal Stubbs
Performed by The Baha Men
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. / Big Beat Records
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Funny Film That Deserves More Credit

My Father the Hero (1994)

*** (out of 4)

The recently divorced Andre (Gerard Depardieu) takes his teenage daughter Nicole (Katherine Heigl) on vacation to the Bahamas where she quickly gets a crush on a young boy and decides to try and impress him by saying her father is actually her older lover.

I still remember seeing MY FATHER THE HERO in theaters the day it opened and it really made me laugh. In fact, there were moments where I laughed extremely loud as did many others in the theater. I was shocked to see all the negative reviews that the film got but it clearly rubbed some critics and people the wrong way and especially with its subject matter.

Reading over my plot description now, it's easy to see why some might find it offensive but it's actually done in a rather clean way so one shouldn't be expecting some sort of dirty comedy. In fact, the film's actually a very funny ilttle gem about a teenage girl not knowing the trouble that her lies are starting.

What really makes this film work so well is the performance by Depardieu. The French legend is downright hilarious here and especially the way he breaks loose when he finds out what his daughter and said and what she has gotten started. I'd also say that Heigl was also very good here, years before she would become a star.

Details

Country:

France USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

4 February 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

My Father the Hero

Filming Locations:

Paradise Island, Bahamas

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,645,251, 6 February 1994

Gross USA:

$25,479,558

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,479,558

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Cité Films, DD Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1