Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Python Hyena Man of the House (1995): Dir: James Orr / Cast: Chevy Chase, Jonathon Taylor Thomas, Farrah Fawcett, George Wendt, David Shiner: Nauseating and pitiful comedy about growing up. It stars Jonathan Taylor Thomas who witnesses his father take off with his secretary. Or perhaps his father and secretary realized what a waste of film this is and decided to ditch production. He forms a protective bond with his mother until Chevy Chase enters as a lawyer who wishes to marry her and will attempt to bond with Thomas to do so. Thomas does everything to make him miserable including joining Indian Guides, but Chase has bigger problems when a group of thugs come looking for him after a case won against their boss. This doesn't stop him from fulfilling a promise to go camping with the Indian Guides. James Orr directs half-heartedly with locations that resemble Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. Stereotypical moron villains ruin credibility. Thomas is a total bore whose presence here resulted from his fame on the sitcom Home Improvement. Chase recites previous roles reminding viewers that he has done funnier films. Farrah Fawcett is totally wasted as the mother. George Wendt plays a fellow Indian guide father. David Shiner plays a character who calls himself Silent Thunder. It is a name that sounds like farting in a quiet place. Themes of trust and adult role models highlight this armature trash. Score: 2 / 10

tootsielover68 I understand the problems many people have with this movie. There are a few ridiculous subplots and hokey slapstick violence in a little over 90 minutes that seems redundant and ridiculous. But when I heard how underrated this movie actually really is I must say I was shocked. OK so there are some stupid subplots in the movie but so what? A lot of pre-teenagers (as well as early teenagers) can really learn a lot from this movie especially if they have experienced a family event like a divorce and having to deal with a step-parent. I am one who has had to deal with a divorce and a step-parent and they both are no day at the beach whatsoever. But the Jonathan Taylor Thomas character in this movie really reminded me of being younger and how I thought it was fun to do silly tricks and manipulations to get my step-parent to go away. And with all the hype of Farrah Fawcett recently passing away I think a lot of people who are interested in her career should look back at this movie as this was one of her very few Hollywood theatrical films. She had much more success on the smaller screen as we all know. I think a lot of people also had trouble with this movie because it tried to make Chevy Chase into more of a heartwarming character unlike his "Caddyshack" and "National Lampoon's Vacation" series characters. Why people had a bad reaction to that is a mystery to me. Comedians like Chase should not be playing silly oafs their whole career. Sometimes it is OK to change characters if you are going in the right direction and for the most part I think Chase was doing so here. And George Wendt's supporting performance as the Indian Guide leader I thought was very good and made him into a more endearing and heartwarming character unlike his Norm Peterson fame on "Cheers". As aforementioned a few things in this film do not work. For instance on the camping trip that Chase and Thomas attend in the woods with the Indian Guides and Chase tells a campfire story it is supposed to be funny but it really isn't.At least that monologue could have been written better for Chase. The supporting charactersmake that scene more interesting. I also don't like the subplot of the man who wants to kill Chase because he sent his father to prison as a prosecutor for committing a crime. We get some hokey dialog once again there and then it turns into a semi "Home Alone" rip off trying to scare away the bad guys with "Home Alone" like booby traps. But aside from those flaws I think "Man of the House" on the whole is a good film that parents and kids alike can enjoy and learn a lesson from. And with all the parents complaining about content in films today and how "family films don't exist" I think this one blows that theory. There is only one mild discussion about sex (it is a pre-teenager film what else do you expect?) profanity is very mild, and the violence is done on such a slapstick level that you cannot take it seriously at all. By the end of the film Thomas likes having Chase for a stepfather and now life will be great with his mom and Chase. I only wish the ending of this movie could have happened with the situation in my parents divorce and my later teenage years. All I am saying is ignore this movies flaws and go along for the ride. If you have experienced something like this in real life this will be a movie you will be glad you didn't miss.

stephanie_brewer928 This is the best movie to watch is you are feeling down. The Man of the House is just so funny, I could watch this movie over and over, and never get tired of watching it. Even now, just writing about it, makes me smile. You have to watch this movie if you haven't seen it yet! Just for fun, if you have seen, watch it again! I relate to J.T.T. in this movie, I have done some pretty mean things to my step-dad, but never anything like making him join an Indian Guide club. The actors in this movie, just crack me up. Also, the songs picked out for this movie just fit so perfectly. I love all the songs on this movie! The parts with music playing, just makes the movie even funnier some how! All I have left to say is, I love this movie! It is great!

cornish_pixie A mildly amusing, simple film that is good to fill in time. It's just another Disney family movie, with no outstanding features; the script is plain, the acting average and the plot predictable but variable enough to keep your interest."Man of the House" centers around a young boy, Ben, who is unhappy about his single mother bringing home boyfriends. When she plans to marry one, he plots to get rid of the boyfriend so it can be just him and his mother again. This leads to a Boy Scout meets Native Americans type group of fathers and sons where Ben hopes he will be able to drive Jack away.Slight violence and language but no blood and guts. Rent if for the whole family.