Am I Missing Something?

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

My father insisted I should watch this film with him and I regret that I wasted my time watching--I want that approximate hour and a half back! The "funny" little film concerns the elderly Don Ameche staying with his son, Tom Selleck. It turns out that Ameche isn't just "forgetful" like he's been told, but has dementia (it seems a lot like Alzheimers). And, because Dad is so frequently "out to lunch" he gets into so much trouble again and again--almost like the adorable tyke from BABY'S DAY OUT. The problem, though, is that you know BABY'S DAY OUT is all fantasy and the baby is going to be fine. Plus, you aren't laughing at the baby for having a deformity or illness. But, in this case, you are being encouraged to laugh at a man who is slowly losing his mind--and where's the humor in that?! If this film had been more successful, would the producers have then made films making fun or people with Cerebral Palsy or a Flesh-eating Virus?!?! There are a lot of people who should have felt ashamed at having made this film.

At first I thought, poor guy, what else can possibly go wrong in your life, then it got worse. And they did it in a style that made me laugh. But, the more times I watched it, the more I saw the true meaning of a loving relationship, and the child's responsibility to take care of the parents. This movie is timeless and should be a classic, mostly for the children that find themselves faced with a parent that loses touch, but can still play and laugh and be loved. When your the child in this position, anything to make you look at the situation in a smiling light is very important. It needs to be shown again and again and again. I always need a good laugh.

Poor Tom Selleck's character provides the viewer with an endless string of laughs (and groans). His relationship with his parents is one that almost everyone can identify with in a loving, but humorous way. Throughout the movie there are funny events that I can see coming but am helpless to warn Selleck about. Also, there are several twists and turns that delight the viewer. All in all, a great comedy.

This was one of Don Ameche's last films and he gives a great performance. This man was truly one of Hollywood's "greats" and I am so happy that he was finally recognized with that Oscar for Cocoon after such a long spell of being forgotten. I had a lot of guilty laughs watching this film. Some people might say that it is in poor taste because his character suffers from Alzhiemers (in the film they call it senile dementia). Just leave your brain at the beginning of the film and have a good time. Tom Selleck obviously went through a lot of pain making this film (ha ha). You should have a few guilty laughs at this as well. Wendy Crewson is wonderful as his understanding wife. This film may be the intellectual equivalent of a MacDonald's cheeseburger, but just watch it and have a good laugh!