A Family for Joe

Nick, Holly, Chris and Mary are four children who have lost their parents in a traumatic plane crash, and despite being lucky enough to find the caring Brewster family to take care of them, Mary, the youngest, is still mute from the stress and grief and Nick has fallen into a bad crowd of punk kids who smoke weed and steal. The Brewsters regretfully inform the children that they may have to be separated, and Nick comes up with a plan...

The kids have an estranged grandfather, Joe, and they hatch a plan to bring a hobo to fill in for the job (he pretends to be their grandfather). At first the kids don't really trust him much, but as time goes on, he turns out to be the best surrogate grandfather anyone could ever have. He even gets himself a job at a local shipyard and starts cooking food. The problem is, how long will it last before the nosy social worker, Ms. Collins, gets into their plan? And how can Joe keep the kids out of trouble and lay down the rules at the same time?

A Family For Joe got off to a rocky start with me; when the kids read their lines at first it reminded me of a bad 80's sitcom. But as with many good movies, you've gotta watch the whole thing to really appreciate it. The acting was, for the most part, not bad for a TV movie, and Robert Mitchum did an outstanding job in his role as Joe. The soundtrack wasn't exactly memorable, but it fit the plot and didn't get on my nerves the way the soundtrack to the movies Prancer or Not Without My Daughter did. I'd definitely recommend A Family For Joe, preferably if you have kids, it's a good family movie. There is a mention of drugs but not promoting them, in fact it is explaining why drugs are bad, and the only thing close to swearing is the word damn, said once. You might want to watch it yourself first just to be sure, but it's not inappropriate or anything.

At the age of 73 Robert Mitchum embarked on one of the most unusual projects in his career. Probably no one ever associated Mitchum with doing a family situation comedy. But here he was in a pilot for such a show in A Family For Joe.

The four Bankston kids who lost both parents in a plane crash are about to be split up and they don't want that. They have a grandfather who no one has seen in 40 years since he walked out on the family. So they go grandpa hunting.

They find Mitchum sleeping in a cardboard box and homeless and when he saves them from being mugged. He might be just the ticket. And of course he grows i to the job.

I can't help thinking that Robert Mitchum who actually spent time on a Georgia chain gang and as a hobo on the road in his youth understood this man well. What you see is Mitchum if he had never followed the life path that led him to Hollywood, he channeled those experiences good.

One thing that must have given some a jolt is Mitchum of all people warning the oldest kid Chris Furth against the evils of demon weed. His marijuana smoking nearly ended a budding career in 1949. But you nary see a tongue bulging in the man's cheek.

The show was picked up but did not last. I guess it was a bit too old fashioned for the 90s. Still it's a pleasant bit of family viewing.

The idea behind "A Family for Joe" is clever and could have worked. But the execution leaves a lot to be desired and instead of being edgy or heartwarming, it seems more like an episode of "Full House" when it comes to realism.

When the story begins, four kids have been orphaned and are going to be separated and placed in various homes. To avoid this, the three older kids come up with an idea. The only family member they have is a ne'er-do-well grandfather who disappeared many, many years ago. No one has seen him in decades and so if the trio could find a guy to pretend to be their grandfather, they could all stay in their family home, as the kids inexplicably seem to have lots of cash though the parents never made arrangements for their care upon their deaths!

So why didn't I love this heartwarming made for TV movie? Well, so much of it smacks of Hollywood and seems completely unrealistic. The ever-present music is schmaltzy, the kids all look like they were dressed by the folks who produced the ABC family comedies of the time (such as "Full House", "Family Matters" and so many other similar shows), and the dialog seems like nothing you'd actually ever expect real people to be spouting. It also needed an edge and needed broader appeal, as the movie looked more like something for kids and very undemanding adults. About the only thing I did like was Robert Mitchum as Joe....he was interesting. The kids, on the other hand, seemed plastic.

By the way, the network apparently KIND OF liked the film and made 9 episodes of a very short-lived TV series. I've never seen the shows...and that's okay with me.

What more can I say but that this was a brilliantly done film with Robert Mitchum who was "adopted" by some kids as their "Uncle Joe" because they were orphaned when their parents died in an accident.

You find this film with Mitchum being a "Homeless person" who lived either in cardboard boxes and or on park benches. He is "taken in" by some kids to act as their guardian so that these kids would not be moved to a childrens home.

This is one of the VERY few drama's I like as much as I do and highly recommend that it be watched. You see Robert Mitchum as you have never seen him before.

Admittedly, I am a huge fan of any Robert Mitchum product. And then, late in his career, this TV series came along and he played this sentimental role as homeless man, who finds a place in a family of 3 enterprising children, without parents--each needing the other. I found it to be less comedy (as some have tabbed) and more about family values. Heart-warming situations every week for about the 6 episodes that it ran.

I was sad when it ended. But a couple of years ago I searched the web and found a commercial source for the DVD of the entire TV series.

Robert Mitchum was so under appreciated for his natural talent. If you look at the body of his work, he could play any type of role. My favorite was "El Dorado". "Promises to Keep" Iwith Tess Harper and Mitchum's son) was a TV movie that showed his softer side. And, yes, he played too many "B" movies. But he didn't care. He liked not being poor and making, as he called it, "easy" money. Did you know he even wrote, acted and recorded "Thunder Road"? He will always be my favorite.