Jack the Bear (1993) User Reviews

Another revealing look at growing up

[cosmic_quest · 7/10 · 16 September 2002]

'Jack the Bear' is drama set in the Seventies revolving around Leary family and their first summer since the loss of their wife and mother. John hosts a late-night horror show and, while he has an understanding of television, he struggles to be a proper father to his sons, thirteen-year-old Jack and four-year-old Dylan. Instead Jack is left to be a substitute parent to his young brother while not only going through adolescence but is also struggling with the recent loss of his mother.

This film is a much darker version of the subjects brought up in 'My Girl' with the lead here being a boy instead of a girl. It was quite interesting to see a boy (instead of a girl who is usually cast in such movies) cope with the loss and guilt over his mother's death, shouldering the responsibility of caring for his little brother and alcoholic father and learning the lessons of his first love.

One of the main themes of the film is coming-of-age, both for Jack and his father. John is relearning how to be a parent without his partner by his side and redefining his relationship with his boys. As for Jack, as a boy of thirteen, he is starting to see life through an adult's eyes as he lets go of childhood innocence. One of the harshest lessons of the adultworld he learns, is that not all monsters are ugly things who live in the closet and humans can be evil too when his younger brother kidnapped by a Nazi neighbour who harbours a grudge against his father and a young lad in his neighbourhood develops some Nazi traits when he turns to the wrong person for a role model.

This films is really enjoyable, both with cute moments (Jack's little brother is adorable) and darker, angstier times. Definitely worth a look.

MAGNIFICENT!

[kathygclawson · 8/10 · 27 March 2002]

DeVeto gives the performance of his career in this lesser known film. A period piece set in the early 1970's, about a widower raising two young boys alone. His wife is killed in an auto accident shortly after storming out the house because she and Jack had an argument. He blames himself, and turns to alcohol. A touching and comic film that did not get the attention it deserves. This is a must see.

Very touching

[mattymatt4ever · 8/10 · 30 September 2002]

"Jack the Bear" is a touching, underrated piece of cinema with fine performances all-around. Danny DeVito gives one of his best performances, combining his knack for comedy with his knack for serious drama. His character rings very true to life. Many people who seem extremely happy and always crack jokes are actually hiding tons of emotion baggage. Just look at most comedians. How many of them live clean, happy lives? DeVito's character, John, knew how to make people laugh and smile, but the only one who could see what's hiding behind his smile is his eldest son, Jack. I know people like John, who are almost always cheerful, but later on I found out they're really crying on the inside.

DeVito steals the show, like he usually does, but the rest of the cast is superb as well. The boy who plays the son is quite good, though his emotional outbursts are sometimes hammy. Miko Hughes, who was terrific in "Mercury Rising" with Bruce Willis, delivers a wonderful performance even though he hardly says a word throughout the film. His facial expressions and body language, especially considering how young he was, is impressive enough. Reese Witherspoon shows that she was just as cute and charming back then, as she is now (everyone should check out her very first film, "Man in the Moon"). Gary Sinise gives one of his most creepy, powerful performances as a racist Nazi loner, who threatens the children in the neighborhood. The scenes with him are extremely compelling, almost heart-stopping.

This is a fascinating, uplifting story that's only sometimes manipulative. I was very touched, and some scenes even brought me to tears. John is the type of character you feel much sympathy for, despite the fact that he's an alcoholic and tends to cause a scene. You feel even more sorry for him because of that. We don't want to see his life go through this downward spiral. Yet nobody's perfect. We all have our fatal flaws.

My score: 8 (out of 10)

Like Stand by Me, a kids film for grownups

[Alfabeta · 13 August 2009]

Most people are surprised when they find out about this film. The only one to blame for this is the studio, because the trailer, synopsis and the poster don't do it justice.

When it was released, most people probably thought it was a kids movie, so they skipped it. In fact this is a "kid's movie for adults" genre that had it's glory days from the second half of the 80ies (with the "all boys" Stand by Me) to the second half of the 90ies (with the "all girls" Now and Then). These movies (usually a grownup character's reminiscence of childhood days) are about kids, but their tribulations (although not always probable) are with the real world. This ain't no Goonies, but it isn't Dolores Claiborne either. These films were meant for us (the kids that grew up and now can laugh, with a certain nostalgic feel, about the adventurous moments of childhood).

Here, Danny has a very interesting main supporting role as a caring and sacrificing (if flawed) father of two boys during the day, and a host of a macabre kids show during the night. As it's predecessors, this movie also does some things right and some things wrong. It has many good and serious elements, and yet it is really sweet all the way through. This sweetness is created by great direction that menages to capture a nostalgic vibe, especially through 60ies classic rock soundtrack, special camera lance shading (like we're watching something from the past) and a sense of actual neighborhood and family community (a street where Danny and the kids live). Just in the "look" department, this film mostly resembles the look of 1993's film "Matinee" with John Goodman. The past we see here may be real or yet, just a way we want to remember it, but it does feel real enough and that helps in our occasional suspension of disbelief for the plot. On the other hand, this film is occasionally very melodramatic, often predictable (way way too much obvious foreshadowing) and sometimes not sure what it is (a serious drama or adventurous film). They could say they were going with recreating the real "life" (which is often a comedy and a tragedy) feeling with that one. Kids do a great job (especially the kid brother) and actors do make a wonderful (again if melodramatic) sense of family unity against all odds.

Long story short, this is a movie of "Stand By Me" kind and if you like the latter (or Danny) do watch this one.

They are not kids movies, but they are not real dramas either. They are the past that we can identify with because we feel it could (or should) have been our own.

It's hard being a father

[lib-4 · 7/10 · 6 June 1999]

I was very impressed with the emotions shown in this movie. Sometimes DeVito can be grating, but in this movie he shows genuine caring. The death of the mother and the menacing neighbor ( Sinese is remarkable) make this a movie that one can view on many levels. A story of the strength of love and survival in the hardest of times.

Strong Performances But A Lacking Movie

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 18 November 2016]

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.

Some aspects of the film are really good. I liked Danny DeVito's Al Gory character, for example. And the performances as a whole are strong -- we get not only DeVito, but also Gary Sinise, Miko Hughes, and Reese Witherspoon in what has to be one of her earliest roles (I could look it up but I didn't).

The overall film seems lacking, though. The kidnapping part feels off, and the whole Neo-Nazi aspects come across as exaggerated and unrealistic. Maybe I just don't know the 1970s, but this did not strike me as a real situation.

Growing up is never easy

[Andreas_N · 9/10 · 11 January 2006]

Jack the Bear is a wonderful movie. It is the story of John Leary (Danny DeVito) and his two boys, Jack (Robert J. Steinmiller, Jr.) and Dylan (young Miko Hughes, known e.g. from his later accomplishment in 'Mercury Rising'). It is a story that takes a bittersweet look at the joys and pains of growing up. By doing so it elaborates on weighty issues, while at the same, it has a certain amount of humor to it. Yet despite the subtle comedian edge, this movie is by no means a comedy. It is a very emotional and instructive tale of one family's struggles, of challenges and tragedies. It features sincere messages of life and can be seen as a symbolic story that stands for the premise that growing up is never easy. Sometimes it is painful. Sometimes it is scaring. Then again, when the chips are low and the world seems to fall apart, there is hope. Hope you find within your family, hope – and the knowledge that there will be brighter days ahead.

Danny DeVito plays Jack Leary, a widower who works as a monster-host of a late night horror show and who entertains the neighborhood kids with silly ghoulish antics. His twelve-year-old son Jack is the movie's main protagonist. He talks to the audience as if he would tell the story of his life – which he does to some extent. The entire developments are told through his eyes mainly. Thus the story is endowed with the childish naivety that makes it so special and so sincere. Dylan, Jack's little brother, is about four years old. The setting is Oakland, California, in 1972.

The main theme that runs through the entire story is the theme of monsters. Jack Leary, the perfect monster in his TV show, is not the only one. Right at the beginning Jack says that he would find out that summer that real monsters existed. Then there is Jack's "monster" crush on the lovely girl at school (young Reece Witherspoon), which is a sub-theme of the plot. We share Jack's joy and his confusion after their first date, which is so funny as many will be able to identify with his tenseness prior to and his enthusiasm after their first kiss. The real monster is introduced as weird and apparently dangerous Norman Strick (Gary Sinise, who completes the quality of the cast), who turns out to be a deceitful and dangerous antagonist.

The strongest emotional theme is that of family life. John's wife, Jack's and Dylan's mom died the previous winter in a road accident after some heavy arguments with her husband. This left a huge gap in the boys' lives and painful scars on Jack in particular. He occasionally seems to see her, and we get some flashbacks to their time together throughout the movie. This is very tough and intensifies the feeling of loss and loneliness. This theme is then even more so addressed when Dylan is kidnapped, which is presented in all its horror and pain for Jack and his dad. Very close to this is John's struggle to be a good father, to overcome his irresponsibility and live up the needs of his boys. All of these aspects mixed together make up the story's strength and provide substantially more than mere entertainment, but real issues of daily struggles and common problems.

Seen from socio-cultural aspects, this movie is typically American in its entire setting and its developments. Following the emotionally stirring showdown with Norman Strick, Jack has an emotional breakdown and cries for his mother. When John tries to comfort him, Jack shouts: "No, nothing is all right!" Then John looks straight into his son's eyes and replies: "Then we gonna make it all right." This is the embodiment of the American Dream, the American attitude never to give up and keep fighting, even if the chips are low and the times are hard and full of privation.

The cast is outstanding, the acting is very convincing and the themes are brilliantly worked out. It is the struggle of a father to keep his kids; it is one boy's quest to find happiness; it is a typically American tale of courage and steadfastness, of values, trust and love. The movie captures pure messages of life, is exciting and displays tremendous wisdom, all woven together in the cultural stratum of 1972. And finally, it has genuine humor and provides first class entertainment for the entire family. You will enjoy Jack the Bear, and you have all reason to do so.

Warning To Parents: NOT A Warm & Fuzzy Film

[ccthemovieman-1 · 3/10 · 26 December 2007]

First of all, the cover on this movie fooled me, I admit. It shows a warm-and-fuzzy picture of two young kids snuggling up to their (I correctly assumed) dad. Add the kid-sounding movie title - "Jack The Bear" and the film description "family fare" that critic describe it as on the front and back cover, and I, naturally, assumed this was "safe" material. What I forgot to check was the rating. Had I seen "PG-13," I would have been warned. No, this isn't Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but it's certainly not some teddy bear, sweet family movie, either.

"Jack The Bear" has its good and bad moments, it's good family scenes but also its profanity and down time. In the end, it tries to do too many things at once. In that process, the last quarter of the movie gets out of control and ruins the positive effect one might have had through the first three quarters. It's like having your football team play a good first three quarters, be leading the game and appearing all set for a victory, and then falling apart and blowing it in the last quarter.

The Nazi bit with weird neighbor Norman (Gary Sinise) seemed unnecessary and made this otherwise warm-but-also-sad single parent story disjointed. I usually like mixing categories, if you will, like adding comedy to drama but this was a film that didn't seem sure what it wanted to be, and suffered for it. Still, it wasn't boring, but just don't watch it with your little kids.

A Different Kind of Horror Film

[BrandtSponseller · 10/10 · 16 January 2005]

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.

Nice family movie, but also a somewhat contrived one

[princebansal1982 · 5/10 · 6 June 2011]

I really was in spell of this movie. I was loving it. It was funny and heartwarming. Characters are believable but then the plot goes downhill. the plot becomes expected and keeps falling into clichés. Everything that you think that movie shouldn't do, it does.

The whole thing really doesn't makes much sense and things just seem to happen to get the required emotions from the viewer. But even with these shortcomings in the plot, I have given it an average rating. Mostly due the interesting first half. It could have been really good if the movie had a better and more believable plot.

In the end, how you perceive it will depend mostly on your own experience. Naive viewers will fall in love with it. More jaded and more astute viewers will be able to see behind the ruse. I however felt in between. I was able to see through the ruse, but I still wanted the movie to redeem itself somehow.

A brave film

[jasonay · 31 October 2003]

Warning: Contains some spoilers

Although essentially a "coming of age" drama, few coming of age films show the degree of anger experienced by the title character of this movie. Jack is an adolescent who, as the movie opens, has just moved to a new neighborhood after the death of his mother. During the next few months he faces some harsh realities such as a new school, his deteriorating opinion of his father, the abduction of his little brother and his fear of a dangerous neighbor. He deals with his problems the only way he can - by crying. None of these themes are new in a coming of age movie but the emotions Jack goes through seem multiplied by 100 when compared to similar films. When he feels guilt, I was shocked by its intensity. And when he feels angry, I felt uneasy at the degree of rage shown by a basically mild mannered preteen.

The film is also not afraid to show its characters acting unpredictably. I came to care about them and was sometimes shocked by their behavior.

This movie is too intense for small children, but unfortunately adults may be put off by the storyline and the age of the main character. However, I'd recommend it to teens and adults who might have forgotten how rough adolescence can be.

Phenomenal

[SirTalyn · 10/10 · 29 May 2019]

In short, it's one of the best movies I've ever seen. Great cast ( including a very young Reese Witherspoon ) fantastic script and emotions that run the whole gamut. TOTALLY UNDERRATED !! Devito's best role ever. Just watch it. See how many heartstrings it pulls in you. My son told me to check it out and I've never looked back. All time Hall of Fame IMHO

wasted opportunity

[derrickneal-98015 · 5/10 · 26 October 2018]

With many films that stray off-course, it can be difficult to identify exactly where things go wrong. Not so with Jack the Bear. It takes little insight and virtually no digging to excavate the turning point, which occurs halfway through.The first part of the movie is like a thoughtful version of TV's The Wonder Years. While the distant shadow of tragedy still hangs over Jack the Bear, it's a background element. We see Jack take care of his little brother, experience his first day in a new school, develop a crush on a girl and invite her to his house for dinner, and stay up late at night to watch a horror-movie show that his father stars in. The film moves along at a leisurely pace, letting us float in nostalgia as we remember what it's like to be a child.However, about the time that Gary Sinese's Norman starts playing a major role, the film shifts from light drama to leaden melodrama, with doses of action and silliness thrown in for good measure. The second half of Jack the Bear is a jerky, uneven ride that never comes close to fulfilling the promise of what preceded it.

A heart-warming overlooked classic.

[ssannelli · 9/10 · 17 January 2005]

I bet you like me have lots of movies you saw when you were younger, and you remember them being great. Then, years later you get to see these movies, and they aren't that great, you understand that you've grown and that your taste in movies has changed...still some of "those" movies remain "classics" to you. I have a few of those movies...when I saw that Jack The Bear was coming out on DVD, I ordered a copy right away. I hadn't seen this movie since 93-95. I remember it being very powerful, even got my older brother in tears. Although, I wasn't sure how I would find it now 10-11 years later. I must say, it's truly a very powerful drama. It's very very touching, never seen De Vito this good, the kids, Senise etc - Everyone/everything is great. It's a very heart-warming story, and it feels very "real". It's truly a "classic" movie, and I must say I even appreciate it more now that I've grown up (26 years old).

Still - One of my favorite movies.

www.sannelli.com

Very heavy drama mixed with offbeat humor makes for strange film

[mlraymond · 5/10 · 29 November 2006]

I have to confess to being baffled by this movie. At times, it seemed a family drama of a father and sons coping with the loss of their wife and mother; then it seemed to be an eccentric comedy with DeVito's character as a well meaning but unreliable dad, and finally it seemed to become a bizarre horror thriller with an evil neighbor . This was the part I simply could not make sense of. I spent most of the latter part of the film trying to determine if Gary Sinise was actually dangerous, or just kind of an oddball, but harmless. It was unclear to me whether he had actually harmed the young boy who he apparently kidnapped, or if he really was intending to kill the other boy at the end. I simply could not get a handle on this character, what motivated him, why he was the way he was; was he mentally ill, a child-hater, a neo-fascist ? What was the significance of the kid wearing a Nazi uniform for Halloween? I kept wondering if the character would turn out to be a comic villain. I just found the character so underwritten that he was completely unfathomable. I never got any real sense of why he was supposed to be so evil, and why any of the neighbors would have tolerated his presence around children if they knew how deranged he was. The film is well acted and quite powerful, but it just doesn't work for me. The psycho neighbor throws the whole regular family drama out of kilter and takes the movie down such a strange path that the movie gets derailed.

A dark but well done family film

[Jack_Brock · 8/10 · 5 July 2020]

I found this film to be well done.

The film is told thru the eyes of the oldest son Jack, age 12, chronicling his family's life for the year after his family moves to Oakland from the east coast after his mother dies. We see his family trying to cope in their own way thru growing up and living life.

We see Jack's father John working nights and seemingly be more interested in being the neighborhood clown to the local kids than being a parent. The father's heavy drinking seems to add an extra burden on Jack of having to look after his younger brother like take him to his first day of school.

This eventually starts taking its toll on the family - John loses his job and his former in-laws take custody of the grandchildren. Jack seemingly is under stress feeling the strain all of this has taken on the family. The kids return home to their father. The film seems to take an unnecessarily dark turn with an unstable neighbor. The father stops drinking and becomes more of a good father to his kids.

The film I found slowly paced in some parts, though very well acted.

dark, but honest

[pawbel1 · 25 July 2004]

I found "Jack The Bear" to be a touching, honest portrayal of how life's trying times effect us, bring us closer together, and teach us to carry on. I found the acting very good and the dialogue believable. Devito does a good job in delivering his character earnestly, and his comic genius is well employed through his character's job as a movie host. Gary Senise does his usual fine job and the young actors are all excellent. The flashbacks of the mother are done tastefully, and though a dark film, it is entertaining and enjoyable. The scenes of the neighborhood kids interacting are accurate and the dialogue very natural and real. The attitudes of that era are captured quite accurately as well. I recommend this film highly.

Horrible

[bmi-861-929857 · 1/10 · 1 March 2014]

This has to be one of the most terrifying movies I have ever seen. First off, I found the movie on HBO family, and I assumed it was a light hearted family comedy, but boy was I wrong. The movie was extremely backwards, poking fun at a mentally disabled boy, calling him retarded, as well as using racial slurs and swears. In the film, a disabled man lives across the street, whom the neighborhood children are afraid of. I assumed this character would be like Boo from "To Kill a Mockingbird", but once again, I was wrong. It once again seemed very backward, by preying on the handicapped once again, as the character is later revealed to be the antagonist, and abducts, and leaves a three year-old for dead. I assumed it was a light hearted comedy considering Danny Devito was one of the main characters, but he has a serious drinking problem. This film has to be the worst movie I have ever seen, and Im surprised it is still being aired today.

A low-key gem, good performances - great editing

[RashadInOz · 9/10 · 27 December 2001]

I do start off with a bias - I like Danny DeVito. Not in the much announced movies like Twins, but in those that really give hime elbow room - and those that have him behind the camera. Ruthless People, War of the Roses, Madeline. And that's what happens in Jack the Bear. It's a low-key film with warm camera work that isn't afraid of shots that linger on the actors, letting their expressions speak rather than filling the space with words. I didn't go out of my way to see this movie - caught it by accident when it was on cable, but it's the best thing I've seen during my Christmas break. The more dramatic moments may a bit unreal, the characters may not be developed as much as some would like - but overall, a little gem.

Terrible. DeVito's only weak role.

[Cylex · 2/10 · 2 September 2002]

I watched this film because I love Danny DeVito but he was a fish out of water in this undefinable mess. Is it a family film? Comedy horror? Thriller? It jumped from one genre to another. Danny was barely recognizable with his horrible hair style and was given little chance to be funny or sympathetic. A waste of his time & mine. 2/10

There's No Such Thing As Monsters

[JakeRfilmfreak · 9/10 · 10 May 2023]

Jack the Bear is an absolutely wonderful movie, about Jack, portrayed by (Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.) trying to navigate his way through life after losing his mother in a car accident. With his alcoholic father John portrayed by (Danny Devito) and his little brother Dylan portrayed by (Miko Hughes). Jack struggles to find what he needs in life.

I love this movie, and it is my favorite performance from Danny Devito. The story is one many can relate to, from Jack finding his first love/broken heart portrayed by a young Reese Witherspoon, to trying to move on from the passing of a loved one.

Jack The Bear is a classic in my eyes, with an All Star cast. I would recommend this movie to anybody.

Danny DeVito is one of the best actors around...

[yusufpiskin · 8/10 · 19 December 2019]

Jack the Bear is an odd movie, but a really good movie. Its a shame that not enough folks have seen or heard of this. Its definitely worth a watch. DeVito shines in this I think it's my favorite role of his, Gary Sinesse is excellent as the villain, but it really comes down to the great performances of Robert Stienmiller Jr & Miko Hughes(pet semetary, new nightmare)as the two brothers.

I WAS Jack

[jjoreilly · 6 May 2007]

I lost my parents before I was ten...Jack and those flashbacks?...The movie nailed it...big time...The one where he yells at his mom and treats her badly, only to snap out of it to realize he was wrong, but it doesn't matter cause she's gone...man, I'm tearing up right now over that one...

I even grew up in Oakland in the early 70's and I was about that age too...Jack hitting the bottle was way too close to home too...a great movie...when I saw it for the first time, I was just blown away...very close to home for me...

The last half hour got a little weird but before that...that was me in '72...spooky, great movie...

Loved it

[emmegirl827 · 10/10 · 17 August 2000]

Jack the Bear, was a strong and powerful movie about a single dad, trying to raise his 2 boys. It is about life, and the struggles of it. There are also happy times, but there seems to be more sad than happy. I thought this movie was great, and I would highly suggest it. 8*)

Captivating

[easy_manor · 8/10 · 22 March 2005]

Sometimes you love a movie "just because". For me, this includes movies like The Swimmer (Burt Lancaster, 1968), and Somewhere in Time (Christopher Reeve 1980), and Garden State. Jack the Bear is like that. I found it captivating and fascinating. This is an artistic movie that takes some risks. If it "works" for you at all, then it might work very well. In any case, if you are a DeVito fan, you must see this. He is the essential DeVito; who else could have carried off this role. I like this movie more than most.

I heard a reviewer in Denver, who's name is Reggie, say that a Good Movie lets you put down your "bags" for a few hours. A Great Movie causes you to look into your bags. This movie was the latter.