What About Bob?

This relatively simple, good Frank Oz comedy is to me one of Bill Murray's best. In here, the former 'Ghostbuster' star is Bob Wiley, a good-hearted obsessive-compulsive who tracks down his new psychiatrist when he goes on vacation with his family; his annoying but good-hearted actions, coupled with the doctor's upcoming TV interview, cause the man to slowly go crazy himself.

I find this film rather polarizing, exactly because of Murray; or, to be more precise, his character. Bob Wiley is good-hearted and enthusiastic to a fault, to the point of being obnoxious. You can't help feeling sorry for the psychiatrist (a very good Richard Dreyfuss) for having to put up with him. And Murray, himself, does a great job; he is not obnoxious in an overly cheerful/clownish way (like Robin Williams, for example), but rather in the comedic OCD way his character is supposed to be. His is merely great acting; a bit TOO good acting, though, as sometimes I myself felt irritated with Bob.

Richard Dreyfuss does a very good job too. His character, an overly-uptight and arrogant 'genius' psychiatrist, is shown in a way that we should feel he deserves the hell Bob inadvertently brought him; yet, because of Bill Murray, we can't help sympathize with him. Still, his breakdown moments are hilarious and the interactions between Dreyfuss and Murray are perfect.

The supporting cast exists, but it is really Murray's and Dreyfuss' show.

In the end, it comes down to how you cope with Murray's character. Whether you can stand him and laugh, or whether you find him so irritating to the point of being unbearable. I certainly found it quite funny and liked it, and would not hesitate to recommend.

Gee,...considering this is probably Bill Murray's funniest comedy and it is rated so poorly, no wonder he's recently taken to making odd and very unfunny movies. After all, with WHAT ABOUT BOB?, GROUNDHOG DAY and THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE, he was responsible for probably three of the top comedies of the 1990s...yet all are rated relatively low on IMDb. I just don't get it.

Bob is one of the most annoying and compulsive patients any psychiatrist can have. He's needy, histrionic and sneaky, so when his brand-new therapist goes on vacation, Bob connives to find Dr. Monroe and vacation with him and the family! Now this stalking behavior isn't particularly funny, but what makes this such a great comedy is that Dr. Monroe is a sanctimonious and pompous jerk and it's fun to watch Bob make Monroe's life miserable!! Plus, unlike some comedies that let up, in this film every time you think things can't get worse for Dr. Monroe--they do!! This makes for a funny and deliciously black film--one that can't help much make you chuckle.

By the way, I was a psychotherapist and now teach psychology instead of work with patients. When the film came out, many of my colleagues were scared to death by the film because it did hit close to home, while others thought it hilarious. Having never had a patient like Bob, I guess it was pretty easy for me to laugh at the whole thing!

I have to go now--I'm about to teach my class about "death therapy".

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie the first time I saw it, laughing most of the way. By the second look, Bill Murray's deliberately obnoxious-pushy character now started driving me crazy, too. No longer was it just Richard Dreyfuss being tormented. By the third viewing, I'd had enough.

Murray, "Bob," is so annoying, so irritating, that you either laugh or want to kill this guy yourself as he hounds his psychiatrist all over the place. Kudos to Dreyfuss to put up with, even if it's just acting. Murray certainly did his job well in this film. He was the perfect actor to play "Bob."

Highly recommended for one but beware "Bob" may drive you nuts, too.

"What About Bob?" is a laugh-out riot with Bill Murray playing the title character of Bob Wiley, a somewhat neurotic nut ball who's in need of therapy in order to calm his nerves from all the fears he has from germs, elevators, and God knows what else. Richard Dreyfuss plays his psychiatrist Dr. Marvin, a pompous doctor who can't value time with his family until his book becomes a hit and has a chance to talk about it nationwide. It's when Bob and Dr. Marvin meet face-to-face where the barrel of laughs begin with the patient making his life upside down while winning the hearts of his family, enemies and everybody around him. I've been a fan of Bill Murray since his performances from Ghostbusters to Caddyshack and he never disappoints.

Frank Oz directed this comedy that stars Bill Murray as Bob Wiley, a neurotic, needy and lonely man who has seen many psychiatrists, but feels most comfortable with egotistical Leo Marvin(played by Richard Dreyfuss). However, after Dr. Marvin takes a month-long vacation with his family in rural New Hampshire(where he expects to be interviewed by a network morning show) he is stunned to find that Bob has somehow followed him there, and refuses to leave, even ingratiating himself with his wife and children, and that's just the beginning... Amusing comedy with terrific performances, and a most sly premise, which could easily have been turned into a suspense thriller involving stalking!