Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that though this comedy is rated PG, features kids, and has little to no cursing, it's fairly racy. A divorcee targets a married man and flashes her cleavage, a boss hits on his married employee, and Jack and his housewife friends see a male stripper show. There's plenty of smoking and drinking, though in a social context appropriate for the time period.
Families can talk about gender roles. How was it hard for the homemaker to become the breadwinner and vice-versa? The idea of a househusband was a novelty in the '80s -- has that changed? Caroline's boss blatantly hits on her. Could an employer behave this way today? What more recent movies have you seen that show men in domestic roles?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: S. Jhoanna Robledo
Decades after it was first released in theaters, MR. MOM remains as relevant as ever. Stay-at-home dads may not be that rare anymore, but what keeps this comedy fresh is its humor. Simply put, it's hilarious.
Credit the two leads, Michael Keaton and Teri Garr, who take on the roles of Jack and Caroline, a married Michigan couple with three young kids who swap roles when Jack is laid off from his job as an automotive engineer. Caroline, a former ad exec, dusts off her shoulder-padded suits to prove herself worthy in the boardroom. In the hands of lesser thespians, Jack and Caroline would have merely become caricatures. But in Keaton and Garr, they are layered and conflicted and always funny.
The results of the switch aren't all that surprising. Husband realizes his wife does more than he can ever imagine while he is away, and wife realizes she can hold her own in the corporate world. But it's the journey to these epiphanies that makes Mr. Mom worthwhile: Jack and his mommy friends play poker with coupons; Caroline applies domestic know-how to land a tuna campaign; Jack conquers a wayward vacuum cleaner; and Caroline fends off her randy boss.
In the end, the movie takes a position: Men and women are equal, at home and at work. It's not a new life lesson, but how fun it is to be reminded.
Fans may also enjoy Keaton's other oeuvres, including Multiplicity and Jack Frost. Garr enthusiasts can check out Tootsie and After Hours.
Rate It!
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| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentNo sex or nudity, but plenty of flirtation and risqué overtures. A divorcee wears low-cut blouses and hits on Jack, and later appears in lingerie during a dream sequence. Caroline's boss aggressively hits on her wearing a robe. A brief scene of Chippendales dancing at a strip club in leather underwear; a woman rushes the stage. |
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ViolenceMen lunge at their boss when they are laid off. Jack throws the phone in a fit of anger. |
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LanguageSome mild swearing, including "crap" and "jerk." |
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Message |
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Social BehaviorThere are a few tricky situations when spouses flirt with others. But for the most part, the main characters' marriage is solid and they want to do right by their kids. |
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CommercialismPlenty of product placement, especially cleaning products such as Tide, Clorox, and Borax. Jack is partial to Miller Lite beer. Caroline works on an ad campaign for a fake tuna fish company, Schooner Tuna. Frequent viewings of The Young and the Restless. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoNo drugs, but plenty of smoking in the boardroom. As he gets more bored with the situation, Jack begins to drink beer during the day, often while watching soap operas. |
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