Max Dugan Returns

As an actress, Marsha Mason always makes the best of an occasionally bad situation ("Audrey Rose", "Chapter Two"), yet in "Max Dugan Returns" she really gets to shine with excellent material. She has often played mothers, but Mason's relationship here with screen-son Matthew Broderick is extremely warm and real--it lives beyond the wisecracks--and as a daughter to Jason Robards she's funny and occasionally maternal. Plot about an L.A.-area teacher struggling to keep ahead of the bill collector has a jaunty, lively rhythm and a vitality that puts it above most family comedies. When the teacher gets a visit from her long-lost father, carrying a satchel of stolen money, the story thickens but doesn't bubble over. Director Herbert Ross does a good job at keeping the situation grounded. Donald Sutherland is perhaps an odd casting choice as the detective/love-interest investigating Pop (Sutherland has played so many heavies, he still has an evil glint in his eyes and an edge in his voice), however he makes the character right for him. Credit Neil Simon with one of his best scripts; he has no agenda here except to make us laugh, though that presents a problem when reality sinks in and daughter and dad have to deal with the moral (and legal) ramifications of the money. There are some quick lines at the finale designed to make the ending a happy one, but I'm not so sure Mason would be in the clear after the police become involved--nor would her romance with Sutherland be quite so rosy once he has to choose the law over his feelings for her. And why does Mason say "he's going to drive" at the finale when the car turns into an animated plane? Would Pop ditch the car at the airport? And what about that lunch date at Pizza Hut? When Mason and Broderick show up in a taxi, wouldn't detective Sutherland be a little bit suspicious? *** from ****

MAX DUGAN RETURNS is a lightweight comedy from Neil Simon about a widowed schoolteacher (Marsha Mason) with a young son (Matthew Broderick, in his film debut), struggling to make ends meet, who one night is reunited with her estranged father (Jason Robards), who shows up on her doorstep wanting to make up for lost time with $687,000.00 in tow. Mason is reluctant to get involved with Dad because the money is not really his but when she learns that he is dying, she softens and decides to grant his dying wish...to spend some of his final time on earth with his grandson. Throw into the mix a police detective (Donald Sutherland) who, upon finding out who Max is, is definitely torn between getting his man and or getting the girl. This comedy charms from start to finish with a lot of classic Neil Simon one-liners and Robards turns in one of his most charming performances as Max Dugan. Yes, there are plot points that are left dangling and you just have to accept that, but if you can, MAX DUGAN RETURNS is a delightful and diverting comedy that will grown on you with multiple viewings.

Robards carries this Neil Simon picture delightfully. It moves along with a nice pace and keeps the laughs coming.

I remember as a kid being intrigued by the ad for this movie, with its cartoon image and its stick-in-the-head tagline ("Prices are double. Your love life's in trouble. The car won't start. Your boss has no heart. The door squeaks. The roof leaks. Your stereo just went mono. All you need is a little Max Dugan.") But the movie disappeared quickly, and it seemed to have vanished completely, since I never remember it coming on television. I was surprised that it received a DVD release, since there was nothing to indicate it had built a cult. Anyway, I decided to finally watch it.

Although it's branded as a comedy, it really isn't. Yes, there is the occasional one-liner, but mostly it's a light-hearted drama. And a charming one at that. Neil Simon wrote some very likable characters, even down to the ones who show up quickly and disappear never to be seen again in the movie. The cast could not be better. Broderick in his debut performance tones it down compared to how annoying he became when he was older. Sutherland is believable as a cop who has feelings for the woman in his life yet still feels he has his duty as a cop. Robards and Mason, who have most of the focus, are also good.

The movie isn't without problems - there are a few spots where the characters seem unusually dim-witted - but overall it's a sweet movie that will make you feel good at the end. Give it a try.

I always enjoy watching this movie during those (rare) times that it comes on TV. I realize now that this movie makes an ideal holiday film, one that should best be seen around either Christmas/New Year's, or Thanksgiving holiday time. Why? Simply because it has such a strong "family values" theme to it. (Oh, and Max Dugan (Jason Robards) is also very generous with giving splendid gifts to his daughter and grandson (Marsha Mason and Matthew Broderick) in the film).

Perhaps a bit corny by today's film standards, I would nevertheless recommend this film to anyone who lived through the 80's - at least to those who were cognizant of everything that was going on around them. It should stimulate a few memories of the zeitgeist of the 80's (like, think "materialism" and "philosophy") - and it's all done without special effects or smoke and filter-lens photography.

This film shows Jason Robards in one of his best roles, with that deep, smooth, mellifluous voice of his just hitting all the right notes. Matthew Broderick is fun to watch in this film as well; it's an early peek at his big-screen work before he hit it big as Ferris Bueller in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". Donald Sutherland is interesting as always, and Marsha Mason is excellent as the single mom trying to cope with all the crazy stuff happening to her.

If you like this film, I would recommend you rent "Rocket Gibraltar" (1988) starring Burt Lancaster. Another excellent family film that showcases a well-known actor in one of his last film roles.