Mr. Mom (DVD, 2000)

Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice and Batman) is a scream of laughs in this movie. He plays an automobile executive, Jack Butler, who loses his job in the 1980s and cannot find employment. On the other hand, his wife Caroline, (Teri Garr) who enters the job market in desperation for money, has no problem. So the result is that Jack becomes the stay-at-home parent, which was very unusual in those days.

The laughs begin when everything goes wrong for Jack: a washing machine with connecting hoses that go wild, a vacuum cleaner that has a mind of its own, the school with drives for in and out, the grocery shopping in the days before bar-coding, and so on. Jack becomes addicted to "The Young and The Restless" and lets himself go. When he finally cleans up, the neighbor played by Ann Jillian makes a play for him. The neighbor wives kidnap Jack and take him to a Ladies night at a local male strip joint.

The laughs continue with Caroline, now an important employee in an advertising agency: her boss (Martin Mull) won't leave her alone sexually in the days before sexual harassment lawsuits. She is trying to win the contract with a tuna processing company with a president who is hard to please.

There is some melodrama to the movie too. Caroline misses Halloween with her kids because she has to go out of town. The youngest child faces the fear of having to give up his wobbie--a blanket. The husband and wife have a dilemma when they think that the other is having an affair.

If you ever need to escape a world of problems, this is the movie for you to take your mind off of everything. It is right up there with "Overboard" as my number one favorite comedy.

What happens when the breadwinning male, loses his job, and his wife gets hired on as an executive? This role-switching comedy also has some sage wisdom. "I took pride in what I did," says the wife to her at-home slacking husband. "If I was doing so bad, why did production go down AFTER I left?" and, "Talk to my kid like that again and I'll take you out!" says the male to his former supervisors. Old, OLD scenes from the Young and Restless add even more to the comic punch. Even though it was filmed long ago, this movie holds up in today's society. They don't make many like this any more...and I miss that.

Although Mr. Mom is an older movie it still speaks to events affecting many households today; Dad the primary bread winner losses his job and mom brushes up on her skills and takes the role of bread winner. Hence, dad becomes mom.

The movies takes you through dad being inept and overwhelmed by running the house to finding his way of coping and making it work. The underlying message is being a stay at home mom is not as easy as it looks; it is hard work and often a thankless job.

The movie is funny and at times far-fetched, but enjoyable to watch.

I definitely recommend this movie for an evening of fun, humor, and thought provoking consideration of the man of the house.

A very funny in depth look at role revasals when an
auto executive is laid off during the height of the resesion of the early 80's where the conventional roles of the family unit are reversed and in fact that his wife is vary sucessful in advertising while having to deal with a chauvinist boss who has made it his mission to seduce Michael Keatons wife Terri garr. great performance and history repeats itself once again with the recent automotive resesion in the late 2000's so buy American!A record 24% unemploment in Detroit which is the highest in the nation.

Sweet 'Oldie' Movie!!! I think from 1983. Michael Keaton at his funniest, and Terri Garr at her finest! Anyways, the movie is very cute, and for the most part family-friendly (except the gross chippendale's scene-barf!) I like the end where the commercial is going and the Tuna guy is talking about 'America'.
It makes you feel good about families,America,and that they live happily ever after.... Anyways, no more read! You buy now! Get yerself a great deal on E-Bay, and pop some popcorn....Mr. Mom is comin' to town!!!