Uncle Buck (1989) -
I have been avoiding this film for years. Not for any specific reason, I suppose there was a time when I found Macauley Culkin and John Candy a bit unfunny and cringey to watch and I just never got around to it after that, because I had other things to watch, but as part of my ongoing attempt to understand film better and to construct a list of the greatest films, I thought I should give it a go, in case it should be worthy.
There wasn't really that much to it. In a way it seemed like it was part of something bigger, like a sitcom episode or something where the parents as lead characters needed the week off, so the producers wrote in an Uncle character for a kids episode.
It was however relatively enjoyable, not exactly laugh out loud funny, not even in a cheap slapstick way, as I had expected, but in a subtle and easy way.
Perhaps if I'd watched it when I was a lot younger or when it was released, I wouldn't have understood the Uncle thing as much, but with the love I have for my own sisters offspring, I could definitely relate to his protectiveness of Tia, who quite frankly would have had a slap a long time before if she'd been mine, but it was clear that the parents were a bit clueless on that front.
I did think that Elaine Bromka in the role of the Mother was very good though. She provided a "Straight Man" for the rest of the comedy, which cleverly grounded it.
I could also see why Macauley, playing Nephew Miles, became so popular. It was clear from his performance in this film that he could go far, which I suppose he didn't live up to in the traditional sense, but for an 8/9 year old, he really knew how to deliver the lines with comedic timing, which probably lead to his casting in 'Home Alone' (1990).
So, it wasn't the worst film by a long shot, but I would have liked a bit more drama/excitement to it, perhaps some sort of shenanigans that saw them all in trouble until they pulled together. That may have given it more opportunities for jokes too, because it did need more.
619.21/1000.
I have been avoiding this film for years. Not for any specific reason, I suppose there was a time when I found Macauley Culkin and John Candy a bit unfunny and cringey to watch and I just never got around to it after that, because I had other things to watch, but as part of my ongoing attempt to understand film better and to construct a list of the greatest films, I thought I should give it a go, in case it should be worthy.
There wasn't really that much to it. In a way it seemed like it was part of something bigger, like a sitcom episode or something where the parents as lead characters needed the week off, so the producers wrote in an Uncle character for a kids episode.
It was however relatively enjoyable, not exactly laugh out loud funny, not even in a cheap slapstick way, as I had expected, but in a subtle and easy way.
Perhaps if I'd watched it when I was a lot younger or when it was released, I wouldn't have understood the Uncle thing as much, but with the love I have for my own sisters offspring, I could definitely relate to his protectiveness of Tia, who quite frankly would have had a slap a long time before if she'd been mine, but it was clear that the parents were a bit clueless on that front.
I did think that Elaine Bromka in the role of the Mother was very good though. She provided a "Straight Man" for the rest of the comedy, which cleverly grounded it.
I could also see why Macauley, playing Nephew Miles, became so popular. It was clear from his performance in this film that he could go far, which I suppose he didn't live up to in the traditional sense, but for an 8/9 year old, he really knew how to deliver the lines with comedic timing, which probably lead to his casting in 'Home Alone' (1990).
So, it wasn't the worst film by a long shot, but I would have liked a bit more drama/excitement to it, perhaps some sort of shenanigans that saw them all in trouble until they pulled together. That may have given it more opportunities for jokes too, because it did need more.
619.21/1000.