Jack the Bear (1993)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Marshall Herskovitz

Writers (WGA):

Dan McCall (novel)
Steven Zaillian (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 April 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Danny De Vito is a professional clown, whose wife's death in a car accident has left him to care for his two young boys...

Plot Keywords:

Kidnapping | Neo Nazi | Flashlight | Oakland Athletics | Piano

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Danny DeVito	...	John Leary
Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.	...	Jack Leary
Miko Hughes	...	Dylan Leary
Gary Sinise	...	Norman Strick
Art LaFleur	...	Mr. Festinger
Stefan Gierasch	...	Father-in-Law
Erica Yohn	...	Mother-in-Law
Andrea Marcovicci	...	Elizabeth Leary
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Peggy Etinger
Reese Witherspoon	...	Karen Morris
Bert Remsen	...	Mitchell
Carl Gabriel Yorke	...	Gordon Layton
Lee Garlington	...	Mrs. Festinger
Lorinne Vozoff	...	Mrs. Mitchell
Justin Mosley Spink	...	Dexter Mitchell

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for elements of theme, and for some terror.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #31368) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

American Filmworks

Goofs:

Continuity: The stuffed dog on the living room floor of Karen's house.

Quotes:

Norman Strick: Home Run Jack.

Movie Connections:

Features The Fly (1958)

Soundtrack:

Gimme Some Lovin'

Another revealing look at growing up

'Jack the Bear' is drama set in the Seventies revolving around Leary family and their first summer since the loss of their wife and mother. John hosts a late-night horror show and, while he has an understanding of television, he struggles to be a proper father to his sons, thirteen-year-old Jack and four-year-old Dylan. Instead Jack is left to be a substitute parent to his young brother while not only going through adolescence but is also struggling with the recent loss of his mother.

This film is a much darker version of the subjects brought up in 'My Girl' with the lead here being a boy instead of a girl. It was quite interesting to see a boy (instead of a girl who is usually cast in such movies) cope with the loss and guilt over his mother's death, shouldering the responsibility of caring for his little brother and alcoholic father and learning the lessons of his first love.

One of the main themes of the film is coming-of-age, both for Jack and his father. John is relearning how to be a parent without his partner by his side and redefining his relationship with his boys. As for Jack, as a boy of thirteen, he is starting to see life through an adult's eyes as he lets go of childhood innocence. One of the harshest lessons of the adultworld he learns, is that not all monsters are ugly things who live in the closet and humans can be evil too when his younger brother kidnapped by a Nazi neighbour who harbours a grudge against his father and a young lad in his neighbourhood develops some Nazi traits when he turns to the wrong person for a role model.

This films is really enjoyable, both with cute moments (Jack's little brother is adorable) and darker, angstier times. Definitely worth a look.