Overboard

Each time this movie appears on cable television I cannot help but watch it. I've probably seen it about 5 times by now. It is not the best movie I've seen, but something about it is magnetic. Yes, the plot is as predictable as can be, but it is a good story. The central characters are likeable as well as some of the supporting players (especially Roddy McDowall as Goldie's long-suffering servant). It's a good movie if you're looking for a few laughs and to feel happy, because that is what Overboard generates.

Kurt Russell plays the widowed father of four boys who are as far from the Brady Bunch as you can get. He's a bit of a big kid himself who thinks just paying the bills and providing food and a roof is all that matters. In fact rich Hollywood heiress Goldie Hawn hires him to redo her shoe closet on her yacht while they are vacationing in the Pacific Northwest in the Columbia River. When it doesn't meet her most exacting standard she stiffs Russell on the $600.00 she was going to pay him. But when Goldie falls overboard in the middle of the night and acquires a case of amnesia, Kurt claims her as his bride and she goes off to become his bond servant.

Strange things do happen and eventually Goldie starts really thinking she belongs with him after some rough initiation. House work and she are strangers. It's helped however by the fact she has one drip of a husband in Edward Herrmann. And her work ethic was acquired from her mother Katherine Helmond who apparently understudied with the Helmsley family.

Kurt and Goldie and the 4 kid actors who play Kurt's kids in Overboard provide the best scenes in the film. Sad to say it gets so raunchy a G rating is impossible. Still the PG is there even if close to the wire.

Overboard is the perfect kind of vehicle for Kurt and Goldie and their fans will eat it up.

So will the rest of the movie going public.

Yeah, sure, you know how it's going to end. Yes, it has all been done before. But the heart of this snob turned sweetheart story is relayed with such charm and grace by Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russel, and supported by such a strong cast (Roddy McDowall among others), that it is enjoyable none-the-less.

Movie snobs, insisting on original plots (as if there really are any) might not love this flick. But anyone who can appreciate proven talent in a good-natured comedy will find these 2 hours time well spent. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to smile.

This is a comedy that doesn't suffer from time or repeated viewings. It has all the trappings of a true classic. The cast, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Edward Hermann and Roddy McDowall all put in good performances. The 4 child actors all do very well, too. The story is a funny one and it keeps me laughing. All in all, a very funny movie. I own it and will throw it in the DVD player every once in a while.

Being a guy must make the fact that I like this film so much a guilty pleasure because it really is a chick-flick with capital C. I usually do not like to rate romantic comedies very high unless they have a different story and Overboard certainly has a different and (I think) original story. If you can get past the fact that the male lead is deceiving a woman with amnesia then you're going to love this movie. The acting is very, very good. I don't usually like Kurt Russel but I think he is near perfect in this role. Goldie Hawn is excellent and I must say that she was quite good looking in her younger days. I never really laughed out loud during the movie but I sat through the whole movie with and involuntary smile on my face because of the cute dialog and the slow change in the characters. The other cast members are also quite good. I found Edward Herrmannto be the most interesting character in the movie but he wasn't used enough. The emotions portrayed by the characters seem genuine which is a nice change from many other romantic comedies *cough* Pretty Woman *cough* and the on-screen chemistry between Russel and Hawn was undeniable.

All in all a very recommendable and highly enjoyable movie.

8/10