Man of the House

1995

Comedy / Family

12
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 33% · 15 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 33% · 50K ratings
IMDb Rating 5.3/10 10 11098 11.1K

Plot summary

Ben Archer is not happy. His mother, Sandy, has just met a man, and it looks like things are pretty serious. Driven by a fear of abandonment, Ben tries anything and everything to ruin the "love bubble" which surrounds his mom. However, after Ben and Jack's experiences in the Indian Guides, the two become much closer.

Director

James Orr Photo
James Orr

Top cast

Art LaFleur Photo
Art LaFleur as Red Sweeney
George Wendt Photo
George Wendt as Chet Bronski
Farrah Fawcett Photo
Farrah Fawcett as Sandy Archer
Ron Canada Photo
Ron Canada as Bob Younger
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
890.67 MB
1280*682
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   de   es   fr   it   pt  
23.976 fps
1 hr 36 min
Seeds 5
1.61 GB
1920*1024
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   de   es   fr   it   pt  
23.976 fps
1 hr 36 min
Seeds 11

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by RightOnDaddio 6 / 10

Comedies From the 1980's to The Aughts. Have You Seen It? I Have Not! Comedies Released Into Theaters From 1980 to 2004 That I Have Never Seen Before.

No way Disney would make this today.No way.Heck, I'm honestly surprised it's even being offered up on their streaming service for viewing.And then, while I'm at it, I'm even more surprised that since it's available for all of us to see with our very own eyeballs (of which I am grateful) that it isn't being shown with some sort of sensitivity warning (of which I am most grateful of all).Let us see it, and let us make up our own minds about its content Yes, this is 1995 (Although, I think this wrapped in 1994, but still a glorious year for living) and I'm surprised even a mid-90's Disney greenlit this thing.Is it funny?No.But not because it's not p.c.. it's just not funny.Chevy Chase isn't funny.The kid isn't funny.The script isn't funny.And poor Farrah.I just feel so bad for her here.She's forever a 1970's icon, and this is a mere twenty years later but it feels so much longer.But I'll always love her.This movie is just sad to me. The way the father leaves and it's just like, Ta-Ta with a flick of a backwards hand wave out the BMW's driver's side, and that's it?It's so dismissive.And who would leave that gorgeous home for an apartment (though the apartment looks pretty great)?And what's his name, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, spouting off script lines that obviously some thirty year old neurotic wrote?Typical 90's kid movie stuff.So wise beyond their years.But the movie still isn't funny.But it is great to see mid-90's Vancouver, and great actors not too far from their prime.It still makes for a decent enough hour and a half for these eyeballs.Especially Farrah.
Reviewed by Hey_Sweden 6 / 10

"I'm referring to the emotionally constipated American male over 40."

Chevy Chase gives an amiable performance as a prosecuting attorney who falls in love with artist Farrah Fawcett (who looks as great as ever). But she already has an 11 year old son (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) whose father ran out on the family. So the kid is wary of letting ANY man into his mothers' life, especially when the mom & child have gotten along perfectly well by themselves for years. Thomas schemes to eliminate Chase from his & Fawcetts' lives, and thinks that when he and Chase join the Indian Guides, Chase will get fed up and quit. But Chase digs in his heels and refuses to do so."Man of the House" is an admittedly lightweight, formula-bound family comedy that does at least have good messages in it about learning to have faith in other people. It benefits from some entertainingly quirky characters, like perfectionist Red Sweeney (Art La Fleur) and mute circus performer Lloyd Small (physical comedian David Shiner); both of them and their sons are part of the group.A major subplot has to do with a mafia goon (Richard Portnow) who wants revenge on Chase since the attorney was able to send his father away for half a century. But being that this IS a Disney family comedy, this material never gets too intense, and Portnows' associates (Peter Appel, Richard Foronjy) are portrayed as bumblers.In addition to those character actors mentioned, other notable performers such as Chief Leonard George, Ron Canada, John DiSanti, and the ever-endearing George Wendt all put in appearances. The cast is generally good, with young Thomas and his fellow child actors giving appealing performances. The plotting and the gags DO tend to be pretty predictable, but overall the movie works pretty well. Likability and good vibes do help to make up for the formulaic nature of the script, as well as the universal aspect of learning to accept step-parents and step-children in ones' lives.Six out of 10.
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