Quoi de neuf docteur?

Having missed this reunion movie when it first aired, I was happy to catch it on cable TV recently. I wasn't expecting much, having been disappointed by these types of things before (Facts of Life, anyone?). But I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable this was. The entire main cast is back, which is the most important thing. The plot has Maggie running for Congress and the whole family pitching in to help out. Now, I watched the show back when it first ran but I wouldn't call myself a die hard fan. I completely forget how it ended, for example.

Most of the characters are faring well eight years after the series. We learn Jason writes novels now. Maggie works as press secretary to a phony running for Congress when the movie starts but things change and she winds up running for office herself. Mike and Carol are big successes. Mike's a VP of some ad company. Carol is a corporate lawyer. Chrissy is in high school and is a bit of a free spirit. She was a later addition to the show so I'll forgive them not focusing on her much. Poor Ben is a loser but at least he's not trading sexual favors for Sudafed. In the beginning of the movie he's wearing the worst wig for some unknown reason but thankfully that doesn't last long. Ben's part of the story is probably where my memory of the show being murky hurts most. I don't recall Ben being this much of a loser on the show.

The cast does well recapturing their characters. The thing I was most surprised at was how into the whole thing all of the cast was. None of them looked sad to be there, even though the very fact they're doing a reunion movie is tantamount to waving the white flag and admitting their careers are in the toilet. Alan Thicke is especially fun. I was kind of shocked how much I enjoyed Kirk Cameron again. After the show ended he became a pretty humorless individual (at least in the public eye), so it was nice to see him playing Mike again in that same carefree way. Okay, yeah, he's got this ridiculously perfect family with a beautiful blonde wife who dresses all in pink...but still, I'll take what Mike I can get. I also loved seeing Tracey Gold with her Carol mannerisms. Made me feel like a kid again.

The tricky thing about doing reunions for sitcoms is that they almost always take the characters out of the familiar sitcom environment. On the one hand, they kinda have to. You can't have a laugh track in a TV movie. Not to mention the old sets are probably all gone now. But still, it makes the whole thing weird. Like seeing a friend from childhood all grown up for the first time. It's a pleasant experience but not quite the same as you remember it, you know?

If you give a bad review of this reunion, the whole TV reunion wasn't meant for you in the first place. It's for previous fans of Growing Pains, who loved the show and had fond memories of it. It's just pure fun to watch them back together again, 8 years later. I did like the whole story line too. The only gripe is the Ben Seaver plothole which I guess they edited out a drinking problem, which makes everything in the movie make a heck of a lot more sense. But nonetheless, it's also fun just to tune it to see how they've all changed. And what about Chrissy!? They show this movie every now and again, so catch it if you're a Growing Pains fan.

The Seavers are back. Everyone, take cover. Mike and Kate have adopted needy children, Carol holds takeovers in her spare time, Benjamin runs a "business" and slacks off, and Chrissy was magically aged to seventeen. Maggie runs for Congress against the boss who fired her, and Alan rallies the family for the campaign. Most people are wondering what happened to Luke, that homeless kid the family took in. Well, he won't settle for television, made too much money for his own good in 1997 with a certain boat movie, and is the type who won't admit to doing a sitcom in his early days of stardom. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I suggest you find a rerun of the original series. Better yet, only a true fan of the original would completely love this one.

Although Alan Thicke is an even bigger ham than I remember - he seems to have forgotten his role, acts like a talkshow host playing in local theatre - the BIG surprise, in this otherwise VERY predictable "FeelGood" is Tracey Gold.

Her off-screen problems seem to have given her a depth as an actress that shines through even in a hackneyed plot show as this.

Because this event will hopefully be a springboard for Gold into real roles, I give it an 8. Everyone else in the cast did a good but not exceptional, job.

The "Growing Pains" show was always full of fun. But made into a movie was more like a drama then a comedy. I must say the acting was ten times better, and once you watch the whole thing, you begin to like the seaver family. Although, you do miss the old house, and it seems a little too big for the Seaver family. It grows on you. I must say that Kirk Cameron has become a perfect actor, and seems that he now really knows how to act and isn't that "corny little kid" anymore. In fact, Kirk was the highlight of the movie. The plot was a little weak and could have been better...but all and all it was pretty good. If anything, maybe they should take another shot at it with another plot, because there was something I liked about it. Good...nice...funny...movie. It was pretty good! I would not be surprised if Hollywood grabed Kirk Cameron back for a few new movies...he has what it takes.