Mister Mom - Profession : Père au foyer

I know it seems weird to say this about a John Hughes film, but I honestly think this is one of the great films of all time. There are so few movies that are so.. flawless. The script is hilarious. The editing is seamless. Every line is quote-worthy. The acting is spot-on. Michael Keaton is at the top of his game, Terry Garr is a comic genius, and the casting is perfect.

The story is both goofy, and rather deep. It conatins at least a dozen of my top 100 all-time favorite movie 'moments'. Its the kind of film you see late at night on TV, and you start watching a few minutes, then suddenly before you know it, you've watched the whole thing AGAIN. Obviously, I highly recommend this film, and encourage more filmmakers to study it, because they just don't make 'em like this anymore.

The family man Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) is happily married and lives with his beloved wife Caroline Butler (Teri Garr) and their children Alex, Kenny and Megan in a suburb of Detroit. Jack is an engineer that works in an automobile factory with his friends Stan (Tom Leopold) and Larry (Christopher Lloyd) and they go to the work in car pool with their boss Jinx (Jeffrey Tambor). When Jack loses his job, Caroline looks for a job and finds in the advertising agency that belongs to Ron Richardson (Martin Mull). Soon Caroline succeeds in holding an important account in the agency and climbs positions and responsibilities. Meanwhile Jack learns how hard the household chores and childcare are.

"Mr. Mom" is a funny 1983 film made in the period of the 1980´s recession and foresees the beginning of the decline of the Detroit´s automobile industry. The plot has many clichés but is entertaining and hilarious. Michael Keaton and Teri Garr show chemistry and have great performances. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Dona de Casa por Acaso" ("Housekeeper by Chance")

Simple-minded fun is ensured from this charmingly light-hearted suburban family comedy penned by John Hughes, produced by Aaron Spelling and starring the likes of Michael Keaton (after his break through performance in "Night Shift" the year before), Terri Garr and the comic actor Martin Mull. There's just something about "Mr. Mom", while it didn't have me in stitches it seemed to be a pleasant farce which remains quite likable with its repetitive, if accidental gags caught in real life situations (some being over dramatised e.g. the sitcom daydream sequences to enliven the humour) and the daily chores that fill a housewife's cycle. Keaton is a good sport finding him in plenty of red-faced and grinding situations that soon begin to affect his mental state of mind. Keaton balances the right moods in an amusingly bright turn and goes on to prove how well of a versatile actor he was. When the tables are turned for Garr's character… that's when she comes out with a wholesomely good performance and a fine show-in by Mull as her smarmy boss. Also in small parts are Jeffrey Tambor and Christopher Lloyd. Stan Dragoti's breezy direction lets it unfold and Hughes gimmicky material is quite snappy with its banter, but satirical with its vision (despite the silly slapstick) without losing any of its warm-hearted appeal.

Mr. Mom is, yet again, one of those movies that I have been watching since I was a kid. This is one of Michael Keaton's best movies I think, forget Night Shift and all that. Keaton's greatest strength is comedy. Mr. Mom is well put together, is always funny, and never lags. It does a brillant job of protraying role reversal and the rest of the cast makes this movie a joy to watch. Everyone is good, singling someone out for special praise is unnecessary. I hate kids in movies but I loved the kids in this one. It's because they are not annoyingly cute or naughty or too sweet, they're just normal kids. Bottom Line: This is a great movie and every movie fan and family should have it on the shelf.

Of all comedies that I have seen in my 23 years, "Mr. Mom" has got to be one of the best and funniest of them all. I have been a fan of this movie since I was about 4 years old! To be exact, I think I taped three different copies on cable and network until I bought it on video and finally on DVD!

Michael Keaton plays Jack Butler, who, along with several co-workers, loses his job at an auto plant due to layoffs. To make ends meet, wife Caroline (Teri Garr) gets a job at an advertising agency, and he stays home with the kids. Easy, right? Absolutely not! From out of control vacuum cleaners, washing machines and toasters, to the neighborhood ladies, including Joan (Ann Jillian), who has her eye on Jack, running the household is horrendous. On top of this, Caroline is climbing the corporate ladder. But success comes with a price in the form of long hours, travel, and persistence from boss Ron (Martin Mull), who sets his sights on Caroline. Can Jack and Caroline keep the family together despite these woes?

It is my belief that "Mr. Mom" is one of the best comedies of all time, and features Michael Keaton and Teri Garr at their best. People of all ages should see this movie. It shows how successful familial role revearsals have the power to be, and demonstrates how to challenge previous stereotypes about career and family. A great film not to be missed!