Uncle Buck

Original Movie Poster

Well here we are again with yet another look back at films from my childhood and of course we are right in the middle of looking at the films that were a little above the normal Disney animated canon and franchise based kid films that other kids my age were watching. I think because my parents had no restrictions or reservations when it came to movies as long as an adult was with me (mostly my dad or both parents) I could watch any movie they did (unless of course they just wanted to go out and see a movie together which I remember they did quite a couple of times). I don't really remember when I first saw Uncle Buck but I do believe that it was probably with my dad mostly because I believe this movie was more in his taste than my mother's because my father was a very funny man not unlike the late John Candy except my father looked more like Tom Selleck (but more on that some other time...)

Imagine Tom Selleck + this suit and face = my late father!

So...What's The Plot?
The Russell Family seem like average suburbanites moved from Indianapolis to Chicago, just one average neighborhood to another with two little kids, son Miles and daughter Maizy, and of course one sullen teenage daughter Tia. Moved away from her friends, Tia takes a lot of teenage angst out on her mother Cindy and it comes to a head when Cindy's father has a heart attack. With no one to look after the kids, Father Bob suggests that perhaps his brother Buck could help out during this time of family emergency but Cindy is none to thrilled with the idea. Buck is an unemployed gambler but he is a fun-loving goof who only seems to really suffer one flaw in having commitment issues with his girlfriend Chanice.

Buck arrives and of course hits it off with the younger children but now he gets to suffer the brunt of Tia's teenaged animosity. Unlike her mother, Buck dishes out just as much sarcasm and snark that leaves Tia to continually push his buttons in a battle of wills. Buck only seems to face one real problem with Tia: trying to keep her away from her punk boyfriend Bug who only wants to use her for sex. All hilarity comes to a stop when Tia leaves for a party and her Uncle Buck must finally face real responsibility for the first time to make sure she doesn't get hurt and her heartbroken. Will this be the thing to finally make Uncle Buck grow up and change all his ways?

Let's hope Buck keeps up the bowling...it's fun!

I know it doesn't seem like much and even what I described of the plot doesn't sound much like a comedy but if you have never seen Uncle Buck...to tell you anymore would surely spoil it for you. For those who have had the privilege to view this movie, you know just how hilarious Uncle Buck can get and what a great film this truly is. Now I don't really think there is an official soundtrack for Uncle Buck but the predominant amount of music that you here in the film is by that great nostalgic artist of the late 80s-early 90s Young MC who's biggest hit ever is "Bust A Move" which so dates how 80s this film is. Another musical tidbit that pops up a few times is Tone Loc's version of "Wild Thing" or more correctly an instrumental version that kind of serves as Uncle Buck's own personal theme which must be seen or heard to believe. A couple of other musical selections are some Perry Como in a bowling alley scene, the song "Laugh, Laugh" by The Beau Brummels which is one of my favorite little oldies that my mom would listen to on the radio in the car and a very cute scene which uses The Chordettes classic "Mr. Sandman" which today would probably creep kids out seeing as it's mostly used in horror films (for some reason I know not why...)

Coming to the acting portion we'll start with one big name and then end with another as we discuss what I think of the cast. First, Macaulay Culkin as Miles is just a big bag of hilarious cuteness! Watching this film which was his first major movie role at age nine, you could tell Macaulay was going to be star because not only was he cute and funny but he didn't really have to act like a kid considering he was a real child. The things I noticed with child actors is that they really either act too grown up or they seem really wooden in their delivery and Macaulay Culkin never seemed to do that. Since I was six when Uncle Buck came out, I must admit that I was kind of crushing on Macaulay Culkin which for me it is very rare since given my history I usually go for the older, foreign-accented type but he was adorable. I think the crush waned after I saw The Good Son and slightly returned when Richie Rich came out and has now all but vanished but my admiration of Macaulay Culkin's acting is still intact (ah the day I talk about the movie I truly love him in seems so far away...)

My next favorite character in the film is Tia so let's talk about her and the actress that plays her Jean Louisa Kelly. I think I love Tia because of course she gets as much focus as Uncle Buck and like the character of Miles ends up stealing a bit of the movie's focus because since Kelly was seventeen when the movie was made she can actually relate to being a teenager which doesn't make the acting a stretch. Today most people know Jean as Kim from the show Yes, Dear but did you know that she got her start as a theater actress and even starred on Broadway in a production of Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods? Jean Louisa Kelly has a beautiful singing voice and there is evidence of that if you ever get to see Mr. Holland's Opus on TV sometime which caused me to do a double take because I mostly remembered her from Uncle Buck!

Jay Underwood as Bug with Jean Louisa Kelly as Tia

 I thought I would talk about Maizy and Chanice next because the actors who played them in Uncle Buck, Gaby Hoffmann and Amy Madigan respectively, both starred in the film Field Of Dreams a few months before this film was made. In that movie they were daughter and mother but here they get very little screen time together (spoiler) and the characters aren't related but they are both my next favorite characters in the film. Gaby was seven when she starred in this movie so like Macaulay as Miles she had a cute factor and six year old me thought we could be best friends so as she grew up into more mature roles being the same age as me I begin to appreciate her acting. I absolutely love Amy Madigan as Chanice because she can stand up to Buck for all the bull and bunk he gives her but even Chanice can fall to Buck's fun and witty charm and of course Madigan herself is a great actress who can do drama and comedy on an even playing field.

Amy Madigan as Chanice with young Macaulay and Gaby

The actors who play the Russell parents, Bob and Cindy, don't really get a lot of screen time so I don't really think they are important enough to talk about so the only other actors in the film to discuss are two semi-important characters. There of course is Tia's boyfriend Bug played by Jay Underwood who was memorable in the 80s in films such as Not Quite Human and the nostalgic classic The Boy Who Could Fly. He's an okay actor and quite cute in that jerk kind of way and he's probably as close to an antagonist character as we get. Another notable actor playing a kind of important character is Laurie Metcalf who almost everyone knows as Aunt Jackie from Roseanne. In Uncle Buck she plays a neighbor of the Russell family named Marcy Dahlgren-Frost who kind of develops a crush on Buck and since she is a divorced, upper class housewife she's more into country clubs than bake sales. Metcalf has been nominated for Tony Awards and has won three Emmys for her work on Roseanne so its clear she is a good actress and I have to admit I wish she had more scenes because when she plays off John Candy's Uncle Buck it's hilarious!

To make up for not enough video spoilers here's John Candy harassing a clown...

So of course we leave the best and biggest role for last as we talk about John Candy as Uncle Buck. I just love Uncle Buck and thought it was one of the late Mr. Candy's greatest comedic roles if not the greatest but there are so many films he is in that I love we could be here all day talking about him. Speaking of Candy himself as an actor he was one of the greatest that had to be taken too soon even though its been noted that obesity plagued him most of his life and might have been one of the reasons for his heart attack that claimed his life. Besides his movie roles John Candy was apart of my childhood thanks in part to his animated series Camp Candy which I use to watch a lot as a child that in part made me appreciate his film acting and opened my world to this talented and funny man. We really miss you, John Candy, and all the laughter you brought to us and I think most of us would have been honored to have a father or an uncle like you or Uncle Buck in our lives.

John Candy... Rest In Peace, Sir

I hope I didn't get too sentimental on you and I don't want to leave this post on such a somber note when the movie is anything but. There is drama but ultimately Uncle Buck is a comedy classic of the 1980s and if you have yet to view this wonderful John Hughes directed film that is not a teen flick then I recommend it for your next Family Fun Night. For those of you who have seen Uncle Buck but have not watched it in a while... what are you waiting for? Go get your DVD or old VHS copy and prepare to relive the side-splitting laughs again and again!

NEXT TIME: You know how I was talking about horror movie sequels before? Well even my childhood wasn't immune to them! Did you know that one existed to one of the most memorable movies of all time? Yep...it's Grease 2 next blog...

Kiki's Delivery Service

Hey loyal followers I know it's been months since my last post but I was in the processes of moving to a different state and a new home so I had a lot on my plate. Now I'm settled in and back to blogging so I'll continue with the film I promised would be next...

Welcome to what is a first for me: blogging about an animated film. Being a fan of all things film, I especially enjoy movies of the animated genre because I have discovered that no matter a person's age these types of movies bring people together. The movie I will be taking about is a type of animation I have developed quite a love for though not really a type but the country from which originates is the most beautiful I have ever seen: Japan. I have learned to enjoy plenty of Japanese anime since I have gotten older but the animation that has come out of this country that I enjoy the most has been brought to us by Studio Ghibli. In the past I have stated that I have only three favorite directors but I am now correcting myself: I have four favorites and Hayao Miyazaki is my number four. When it comes to animation directing, Miyazaki really is a genius and I enjoy his films immensely including today's film: Kiki's Delivery Service.

In Japan this film was released in 1989 and the English dubbed version was released in 1998 with an all-star voice cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo, Debbie Reynolds, Matthew Lawrence and the late Phil Hartman. I have never tackled how to rate voice acting when I usually talk about a film's cast but we will get to that later first of course as always...

What's The Plot?
Kiki is not any average 13 year old growing up in Japan (face it are any Japanese teens normal in anime?) she just happens to be a witch. She fits the stereotype of flying on a broom and having a black cat but even her cat isn't ordinary as he can talk and Jiji always has something sarcastic to say. Since she has now reached the age when witches can live on their own for a year, Kiki leaves her small village and heads of to the bigger cities of Japan.

Reaching the seaport town of Koriko, it seems our little witch is not any different than other 13 year old girls her age as she must deal with her own insecurities and other adolescent worries such as popularity and acceptance among her peers and dealing with boys or one boy in particular named Tombo who is obsessed with flying and gets on Kiki's last nerve from time to time. To support herself, Kiki starts working at a local bakery run by the very pregnant but pleasant Osono and her silent husband and uses her ability to fly to start delivering baked goods throughout the city (but you probably already knew that from the title right?) Being on her own and far from home, can Kiki keep up her studies to be the best witch she can be or will the pressure of wanting to just be a normal teenage girl end up affecting her magic?

It's a relatively simple plot found in most anime geared towards girls but Kiki's Delivery Service is also enjoyable for a male audience thanks to characters like Tombo and of course in the English dub, Jiji voiced by Phil Hartman. Qualities that bring in the audience not based on gender are of course the beautiful animation of not just the people but the backgrounds of the town of Koriko. Miyazaki and his animation team visited Stockholm, Sweden to give the town more of an eastern European look which the book (yes this was based on a book and adapted by Hayao Miyazaki himself) is set outside of Japan in a non-described or named European town. You can see the influence Stockholm the animators as the town does have that old world look to it but also combines the beauty of Japan and even 1950s or 1960s America.

Now I have watched Kiki's Delivery Service with the Japanese language track and enjoyed it but when it comes to discussing the characters I will be using the English actors since that is the version more people will probably watch or have seen that come across this blog post. Kirsten Dunst voices Kiki and I think she does a pretty good job because she does have a very young and energetic voice and I have always loved Kirsten Dunst because she handles drama and comedy quite well. Being about 15-16 when she voiced Kiki, Kirsten Dunst was still a teenager and I think that helps being closer to the character's age to bring out the real emotions that girls in their teen years can relate to. Janeane Garofalo voices the character Ursula, a young painter that Kiki meets and well I enjoy her very much because unless you know who it is you are pleasantly surprised by how mature and calm you can find her voice when you don't picture the Queen of Snark behind it.

Matthew Lawrence as Tombo is cute and somewhat annoying which means as an actor Matthew is doing his job and like Kirsten he has a young and energetic voice which fits the character. Matthew was about 17-18 voicing Tombo so also still a teenager and not too much of a stretch to relate to the character just through the actor's voice. Debbie Reynolds voices another character, one of Kiki's customers, and voice acting superstar Tress MacNeille provides the voice for Osono. Saving him for last, I absolutely love Phil Hartman as Jiji with his normal quick-wit, sarcastic style that was smarmy when needed to be but still smooth and charming in a loveable kind of way. His voice over on Kiki's Delivery Service was his last movie role before his untimely and tragic death and I won't spoil it for you but when you don't get to hear his voice anymore it is truly a very sad moment if you were truly a fan of his acting.

We still miss you, Mr. Hartman

I could talk more in depth about Kiki's Delivery Service but I feel I would spoil it for you and when it comes to animated films, you need to see them and hear the voice acting to truly enjoy it. I hope you give Kiki's Delivery Service a chance and if not still try to check out as much Studio Ghibli or Hayao Miyazaki films you chance upon. It should be worth noting that I may be bringing up more of these films anyway so why not try and beat me to the punch maybe?

 Kiki's Delivery Service Trailer

NEXT BLOG: We leave behind animation but we still maintain a world of fantasy and talk about a film from my childhood that I wish to share with you all: The Polar Bear King

Teen Witch

Hello followers back again with another blog post pertaining to my childhood favorites! Now some of the movies released when I was a child I didn't discover until I was a teenager but that doesn't mean I don't love them any less now that I'm an adult. Today's film I discovered when I was a freshman in high school when it use to show on The Disney Channel (remember when the Disney Channel was less teeny-bopper than it is now?) but I discovered it on an obscure time slot on my local cable channels. Of course it was edited but now I can say that I own the un-edited version of Teen Witch. Most people I can hear you groaning about how can I possibly love this piece of 80s cheese but this film has a little bit of sentimental value to me. You see a dear friend of mine that I lost nine years ago in a car accident...we both loved this film dearly and it always reminds me of my friend Sara when I watch it. Sentimental reasons aside, I love the dated soundtrack because it does remind me of my actual childhood and I find it somewhat relateable because...well let's just look at the plot for those of you not familiar with this film.

So What's What?

Louise Miller is almost completely invisible in high school despite being cute, smart and kind. Her mother still treats her like a little girl, her brother Richie terrorizes her, the popular girls in her school ignore her and Mr. Weaver, the teacher in her Advanced English class which she takes alongside senior classmates, takes every opportunity to embarrass her. Louise's only saving graces are her equally un-cool friend Polly, drama teacher Mrs. Malloy and her understanding dad but the only thing Louise wants is the love of her crush, senior Brad Power. One night after a disastrous and embarrassing encounter with Brad and his girlfriend Randa, Louise happens upon the palm reading house of Madame Serena, who takes pity on the girl with a free reading and discovers that on Louise's sixteenth birthday the girl is going to become a powerful witch just like herself.

Robyn Lively as Louise Miller pre-Witchy Woman

Of course, Louise ignores this at first but soon after her sweet sixteen does arrive, it seems that Brad is starting to notice her a little more, she finds an antique amulet that seems to be drawn to her and also she makes a grabby nerd disappear and turns her brother into a dog (but only for a few minutes). Louise goes back to Madame Serena and the older woman starts to teach Louise how to use her magic to help her get what she wants and of course in high school all a teen girl wants is revenge on her tormentors and the love of that secret crush. In teen film fashion, Louise achieves everything she's ever dreamed of when she becomes the most popular girl in school but it doesn't seem to make her happy. Will Louise be able to have everything she truly wants without using her magic to get it or will she learn to be happy with her own kind of magic?

Yes I know not a lot of plot and still a little schmaltzy at that but you know I always want you to discover the films I talk about for yourselves. Besides, you may have already seen Teen Witch and even if you haven't, this is the 21st Century and you can probably find spoilers on the Internet somewhere for this film since it has been around for quite a long time.

Things We Can Discuss

Now I said that I can relate to Teen Witch and yes mostly it is because I am a girl but also because in high school I was Louise Miller in a sense. I mean I wasn't popular but I was nice and smart yet tormented by others and embarrassed on occasion. I had crushes on older boys that were unrequited, I was stood up a couple of times as jokes and dances were horrible torture for wallflowers like me. So you can see how a film like Teen Witch makes an impression on me and since I discovered it when I was in high school, I have always clung to this movie as something I wish I had seen when it first came out to prepare me for just how horrible life would be after the rose tint of childhood washed away.

Moving on from the maudlin aspect of why I love Teen Witch, let's talk about the characters/cast. I truly love Robyn Lively (older half-sister of Blake Lively for those who didn't know) who plays Louise. She has such a cute and bubbly charm to her, can be sarcastic and snarky but is generally kind and honest and also the fact that she is a teen in this film (she was 17 when it was made) which makes it easier for us to relate to actual teenage problems. Besides this film, Robyn has been in plenty of movies before and after Teen Witch not to mention many television roles that are a blend of comedy and drama (she was nominated for many Young Artist Awards and even a Daytime Emmy when she was 19 for a performance in an ABC Afterschool Special).

Magic is actually 80s Aqua Net

Another reason I love Teen Witch is all due to Zelda Rubinstein as Madame Serena...I loved her so much!! If you have ever seen Poltergeist, then you know Zelda famously as psychic Tangina Barrons with the squeaky unmistakeable voice and her short but undaunted stature. My friend Sara that I mentioned who loved this film right along with me? She always reminded me of Zelda and vice-versa because they both had the same body type and voice and even the same quirky sense of humor. Another reason I have always loved her is because she just looked like such a nice lady that would bake you cookies and give you hugs when you had a bad day like a grandma but would probably beat up the kids who tormented you with her purse if given the chance. Anyway, Zelda as Madame Serena provides comedy relief but also a role as a mentor for Louise in not just magic but in human life that helps her discover just how special she is. Sadly, Zelda Rubinstein died in 2010 at the age of 76 but she has a legacy of film and television roles left behind as well as a career of activism for little people and HIV/AIDS research.

The late Zelda Rubinstein as Madame Serena

Of course another character who plays prominently in the story is Louise's crush, Brad Power, played by actor Dan Gauthier. Oh my, Dan Gauthier was so hot in this movie! I can say that I had a crush on Dan as Brad and not just because of his looks (it's true!) Okay let's start with Brad the character, yes he is what many call a shallow love interest but there are things about him that really aren't shallow. He is genuinely nice to Louise even before her witchy powers set in, he asks her for help in English because he really needs it, he is apologetic and a gentleman and he is one of the popular people who is actually a little jaded by being the big man on campus. During the middle of film you can tell that it's not just not because of Louise's magic that Brad starts to fall for her because remember all those good things I said about Louise being cute, kind and smart? yeah they are actually true. Going back to Dan Gauthier himself, being in a 80s teen film he doesn't do that bad of a job acting and just to let you know I had no idea he was 26 when he made this movie! Yes before Dawson's Creek, films and TV casting twenty-somethings as high schoolers was not uncommon I assume.

I think Brad Power is appropriately named...Stud Power!!

 So knowing what I know now, I still like the chemistry between Robyn Lively and Dan Gauthier despite the age difference. The awkwardness between them at first comes almost kind of naturally and then the charm of Lively and her character Louise seems to win out and bring forth a genuine performance from Gauthier and makes the Brad character less shallow than he was probably meant to be. One of the reasons I love Teen Witch is that chemistry which I can also relate to: the crushing on a boy older than me and as always I like the romance (Romantic fun fact: Dan Gauthier met his wife Lisa Fuller who plays Louise's cheerleader antagonist Randa and Brad's girlfriend in Teen Witch making this film and they are still together...aww!!)

Dan Gauthier and Robyn Lively make magic together

There are also other actors in this film that I enjoy their characters. Marcia Wallace plays drama teacher Miss Malloy and I love how eccentric and fun loving she is (reminds me of my own drama teacher from high school in a way) and I can see why Louise admires her in the film. Actor Dick Sargent who played the other Darrin on Bewitched plays Louise's adoring father Frank and he is so good at being comedic and loving in the role which I guess comes naturally doesn't it? The only other standout character/actor in the film to me is Ritchie, Louise's brother played by Joshua John Miller. Oh goodness if I had a little brother like Ritchie who was that annoying and disgusting in real life, I would pray to be an only child. So why do I like Ritchie then? He is actually kind of funny in his sarcastic way and as long as he wasn't my brother I'd would find him hilarious. As an actor, Joshua John Miller is talented for being 15 when Teen Witch was made, he had already been in some films that required dramatic acting (like Near Dark which I have already blogged about) and if you never saw the long form music video/short film that went with Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 album you have no idea just how good an actor he is. These days, Miller is a director as well so you can see why I wanted to mention him if I am talking Teen Witch.

Being me, I also like the soundtrack of the film. Again I'm not sure if an official soundtrack album was ever released for Teen Witch but I do know that a musical version of the film was made in 2007. Anyways, most of the soundtrack I will admit is cheesy but a couple of songs are actually very good. The film opening song "Never Gonna Be" is my absolute favorite because not only do I like that sexy 80s pop beat but it is in this part of the film where you can see the chemistry between Robyn Lively and Dan Gauthier as Louise and Brad. Another favorite of mine is "Finest Hour" which plays at the end of the film and is sung by Cindy Valentine and Larry Weir, who produced the music for this film. Most of the soundtrack has songs performed by members of the Weir family including the infamous "I Like Boys" but oddly not on the other most famous (infamous?) song from Teen Witch..."Top That". If the 80s weren't something you like to remember musically, then I would just stick with the movie because besides pop the rest of the film score is composed of sexy 80s jazz by saxophonist Richard Elliot.

Teen Witch Trailer 1989 (slightly spoileriffic)

So despite a few hints of normal stereotypical 80s gag factor, I think Teen Witch is a pretty good film and not as bad as most people say it is. Our main character is likeable, some of the comedy is hilarious, there is chemistry with the love interest and despite a few bits of mature content (not that mature since it is rated PG-13) it is a good movie sit down and watch with kids as a family. For people my age who are parents of young girls, this is a movie they could let their daughters watch. If you are looking for a good dose of 80's magic then Teen Witch is right for you.

NEXT TIME:  I think I may just bring some of my male followers back with this one...Howard The Duck