kaiaantoniou Halfway between 'Benny and Joon' and 'Uncle Buck'

mrb1980 This tale of the early 1980s recession has Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) losing his engineering position with a Detroit automaker, which requires his wife Caroline (Teri Garr) to go to work in the advertising business. Caroline naturally is quite successful while her predictably inept husband has all kinds of trouble managing a household full of young children. Caroline's boss Ron Richardson (Martin Mull) has eyes for her, while Jack's lecherous neighbor Joan (Ann Jillian) has eyes for him. The story is wrapped up in a predictable manner, and everyone seems okay at the end.The plot--as usual in these kinds of films--requires that the male character (Keaton) be a complete and utterly inept loser while the female character (Garr) is very professional and can do no wrong. It's a common theme in movies nowadays, and was beginning to become common in 1983. A visitor from outer space who watches this movie would conclude that men are so stupid that they couldn't possibly exist without the wise guidance of women. It's really pretty offensive at times.Jillian and Mull are great as the second leads (maybe better than Keaton and Garr) and the story moves along quite quickly. If you can get past the "stupid man" part of the plot you'll likely enjoy "Mr. Mom", but remember that it doesn't reflect reality at all.

jfgibson73 I enjoy this movie in a way that a person only can when they have grown up with a film. This was one of the movies my family watched together the most often growing up in the 80's, and it perfectly encapsulates what it was like to be a middle class family in the mid-east at that time. At least for me.When I watch this movie, I remember what it felt like to be home during the day with my mom and sisters, watching daytime t.v. and cleaning house. But it's not just nostalgia that makes this my favorite. It actually holds up to repeated viewings, with almost every single moment being enjoyable. This is one I can watch over and over, endlessly. The quotes are instantly familiar to my family and I, like a secret language. I only have to say "This is SERIOUS poker!" and everyone knows what I'm talking about. It has that level of familiarity, right up there with Wizard of Oz. I can't think of anything I don't like about it, so I'm going to give it a 10. A great family film.

lost-in-limbo Simple-minded fun is ensured from this charmingly light-hearted suburban family comedy penned by John Hughes, produced by Aaron Spelling and starring the likes of Michael Keaton (after his break through performance in "Night Shift" the year before), Terri Garr and the comic actor Martin Mull. There's just something about "Mr. Mom", while it didn't have me in stitches it seemed to be a pleasant farce which remains quite likable with its repetitive, if accidental gags caught in real life situations (some being over dramatised e.g. the sitcom daydream sequences to enliven the humour) and the daily chores that fill a housewife's cycle. Keaton is a good sport finding him in plenty of red-faced and grinding situations that soon begin to affect his mental state of mind. Keaton balances the right moods in an amusingly bright turn and goes on to prove how well of a versatile actor he was. When the tables are turned for Garr's character… that's when she comes out with a wholesomely good performance and a fine show-in by Mull as her smarmy boss. Also in small parts are Jeffrey Tambor and Christopher Lloyd. Stan Dragoti's breezy direction lets it unfold and Hughes gimmicky material is quite snappy with its banter, but satirical with its vision (despite the silly slapstick) without losing any of its warm-hearted appeal.