Father Hood

his movie was great. I was 9 years old when this movie first came out. I can't tell you how many times I watched it. I have always loved it (and not just because Patrick Swayze is in it).

I love the plot and it is typical 90's style. To judge this movie by modern standards would be horrible. It's sweet. It really makes you think too (I can say that having worked for under aged victims of the state before).

In all, the movie is great, and I mean for all ages. Take it for what it is and not what you want it to be. I think it would be a great idea for a remake, but keeping to the original theme and plot as close as possible.

Siblings Kelly (Sabrina Lloyd) and Eddie Charles (Brian Bonsall) eagerly wait for the release of their father Jack Charles (Patrick Swayze) from prison along with Kathleen Mercer (Hallee Berry). Fifteen months earlier, Kelly escapes from the Dickensian Bigelow Hall. Jack is a petty criminal facing prison time. He robbed drug dealers until he robbed an uncover cop pretending to be a drug dealer. He's also waiting for a large deal to come in. With their mother dead, the kids were left in the foster system. Kelly tells Jack that Eddie is about to be placed in Bigelow Hall. After witnessing director Lazzaro lying to the court, Jack takes matters into his own hands and breaks Eddie out. Jack intends to leave the kids with his grifter mother Rita (Diane Ladd) but their case has become big news. Jack confronts Mercer for her flawed reporting but she's actually investigating the Hall for fraud.

The filmmaker may be attempting for comedy but there are no laughs to be had. This is a somewhat functional road movie of sorts. The little one is a bit annoying. Swayze is caught failing to be funny but his ample charms keep the movie from completely failing. This really doesn't work but the basic premise with Swayze almost works anyways.

Like most action movies, this one has an improbable plot and some impossible sequences. But this can be forgiven, since the movie is primarily a comedy. Patrick Swayze strikes the right note of comic, underclass insouciance, but the film does attempt to say something about parental responsibility and father/child bonding. It also raises some disturbing questions about the predicament of children in state foster care.

There are no love scenes, and little violence. With some language dubbing, this might be suitable for family viewing.

Note to Patrick Swayze fans: Even in his goofy rayon shirts, he's still gorgeous. And we never have to see him in prison clothes.

Kelly and Eddie Charles wait the release of their father Jack (Patrick Swayze) along with journalist Kathleen Mercer (Halle Berry) that wants to cover the story. Once Jack is out, trouble follows because he doesn't get along well with his not-long seen kids and he can't even stand them, and they spent the majority of the movie escaping after Jack does some of his foolish things and after a while ends up arrested, tried, acquitted and released once again.

The main problem of this movie is that the main character is a jerk and there is no attempt to make him likeable or endearing in the least. He is always on the verge of exploding and behaves like a fool for most of the time, causing trouble to himself and those near him. The kids were actually likeable because they couldn't stand their dad (just like the audience) and this is the reason why I didn't gave it a lower score (along with the soundtrack that is bound to give lots of nostalgic 1990s vibes).

In substance, one of those films billed as family entertainment but that fails to accomplish this mention. A bad lead, various stupid moments that luckily I forgot... this might also account for why only 15 persons apart from me dared to review it.

"Father Hood" is an overlooked little gem of a "road movie". Fine performances by Halle Berry, Sabina Lloyd and Brian Bonsall, two really fun "over-the-top" ones by Diane Ladd and Michael Ironside,

and a downright outstanding one from Patrick Swayze. The movie is helped by an unconventional storyline, but badly undercut by it's flashback framing which results in a formulamatic, abrupt ending. "Father Hood" would have worked MUCH better without these "bookends". Nevertheless, the movie brings up important issues of "family responsibilities" and the consequences of state intervention. As long as the foster system rewards state institutions for NOT placing children, such abuses will exist.

Pick this one up. It's worth the "ride."