Something So Right

Patty Duke-Astin is Jeanne Bosnick, divorced wife of football player Mike (Fred Dryer), car saleswoman, and mother of 11 year old Joey (Ricky Schroder). As Joey acts out, Jeanne agrees to have a Big Brother for him - nightclub owner Arnie Potts (James Farentino), and after the initial awkwardness, Arnie becomes a positive influence. However when Arnie falls in love with Jeanne, this puts his position as Big Brother in jeopardy.

Duke looks very beautiful, thin except in one scene where a belted dress makes her tummy protrude, with shoulder-length brown hair and dark roots, and sensually crossing one leg as she sits on her bed in one scene. She supplies tears at a proposal, is strong in a rejection, and sings My Blue Heaven. Duke is funny in mime battling with Joey over the car radio and removing his foot from resting on a desk, the sour look on her face when repeating the idea of Big Brother, answering the suggestion of a stress-reducing technique of hanging upside down with `Only bats do that', in her wide-eyed reaction to Arnie's first appearances, her quick move from saying goodbye to Arnie and going back to Joey, and in her silly reaction to Joey telling her how she pretty she looks.

The teleplay by Shelley List and Jonathan Estrin includes an implausible lines like Joey saying how he wishes `I were happier more of the time' and `Everybody leaves', and bad ones like `Either love him or leave him'. The narrative also provides hackneyed conflict in jealousy raised by Jeanne then Joey, and that old standby of jokes made as a way of emotional distance - `Stop pretending you don't feel anything' - since Arne being the former manager of a vaudeville comedian allows for his banter eg impersonations of W C Fields. The dialogue does include laughs eg Jeanne referring to the troublemaker Joey as `John Dillinger', `Take off the hairshirt. We all make mistakes', and the idea of a near kiss between Jeanne and Arnie after a heimrich maneuver. Director Lou Antonio frames Jeanne and Arnie amusingly either side of a car in one scene, however it is telling how unfunny the Abbott and Costello Who's on First routine is as performed by Joey and Arnie. The pivotal angle to this triangle is Arnie, and in spite of fake looking stomach padding to make him look overweight, Farentino makes the sad Arnie enormously likeable and touching.

Young Ricky Schroder lives with his divorced mother, after her husband left them, or any male supervision or guidance. He seems to be on the path of a juvenile delinquent, as he's constantly in trouble and has no regard for learning. Patty feels he needs the presence of a "big brother." But when she goes for help, she's told there are more boys that need them than men volunteering for the job. One possible person comes to mind. Enter James Farentino, a middle-aged, hair-thinning character, with a vaudeville sense of humor. With practically nothing in common, James and Ricky try to connect. From beginning to end, this captured and impressed me as one of the most natural, relaxing and down-to-earth television movies I've ever seen. The people were real and relatable. I've never seen James Farentino play such a kooky character, yet endearing. At such a young age, Rick Schroder displays such matureness, and his discipline as an actor using his craft is evident. And, Patty Duke of course was perfect. They played off each other very well, and director Lou Antonio has created a world that feels like it's just down the road a bit from home. "Something So Right" is an excellent movie that enriches all those who see it.

I enjoyed this movie .I get it the son felt abounded by the father , however his Mum had given everything up for him .She needs a life too and his selfishness just goes to show how kids think . We give them everything and until they grow and learn about life it's tough .The father is a typical come into his life when he want and turns everything on its head . I loved the realistic characters they play their parts well.

Divorced mother has problems with her young son, who keeps shoplifting and getting into trouble, won't study, is generally unhappy, so society provides a solution by presenting a "big brother", a sort of adopted companion for the boy, he is totally out of place, a vaudeville comedian who at first stuns the mother and boy by his jerky manners, but gradually the boy accepts him, he gets astonishing results at school, and also the mother becomes fond of him, too fond, and there the problems start. They don't get any better by the real father coming home for one of his surprise visits, just coming and leaving, there are some settlements bordering on rows, but on the whole this is a uniquely charming and delightful comedy, all about relationships how they work and don't work, how to get along and not get along, and anyone could enjoy it and learn from it, and come out a better person afterwards.