My father, ce héros

First time I watched this movie was on Laser Disc about 5 years ago. I liked it so much I taped it from HBO a couple of years later. The plot is a wee bit cliche, but there are many unexpectedly entertaining scenes, like when Gerard Depardieu (Andre) sang 'Thank Heavens for Little Girls', inoblivious to the fact that the audience thought he was a paedophile, and all those fights between Katherine Heigl (Nicole) and James Dalton (Ben) were just so... amusing, especially with Dalton being impossibly cute and all. Anyway, now I've finally bought the DVD and I'm re-watching it regularly.

Just a funny movie!! A movie you can enjoy to laugh without anything bad. My family and I have enjoyed this movie repeatedly throughout the years!

My Father the Hero (1994)

*** (out of 4)

The recently divorced Andre (Gerard Depardieu) takes his teenage daughter Nicole (Katherine Heigl) on vacation to the Bahamas where she quickly gets a crush on a young boy and decides to try and impress him by saying her father is actually her older lover.

I still remember seeing MY FATHER THE HERO in theaters the day it opened and it really made me laugh. In fact, there were moments where I laughed extremely loud as did many others in the theater. I was shocked to see all the negative reviews that the film got but it clearly rubbed some critics and people the wrong way and especially with its subject matter.

Reading over my plot description now, it's easy to see why some might find it offensive but it's actually done in a rather clean way so one shouldn't be expecting some sort of dirty comedy. In fact, the film's actually a very funny ilttle gem about a teenage girl not knowing the trouble that her lies are starting.

What really makes this film work so well is the performance by Depardieu. The French legend is downright hilarious here and especially the way he breaks loose when he finds out what his daughter and said and what she has gotten started. I'd also say that Heigl was also very good here, years before she would become a star.

Most everyone seemed to find this film charming.

Am I the only one who found the premise of this film rather disturbing? A teenage girl trying to pass her father off as her boyfriend... After seeing the trailer and the first five minutes on television, I immediately sought ways to repress the memory of this film.

Maybe I should have given it more of a chance. Maybe next time around.

This is a great comedy and I recommend it to many viewers. The most hilarious scene in my opinion is when Depardieu is playing the piano in a bar; he doesn't know that his daughter is trying to pass him off as her boyfriend, and he's singing "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" ... all the patrons except for one woman walk out in disgust, thinking he's a child molester! That scene is absolutely priceless and will leave you splitting your sides, guaranteed.