After a strong start for the arid, spider filled, wasteland that is Australia who has the balls to step up and big up their home? Today it’s the turn of Movie Reviewing Machine Rob™. It turns out Rob grew up on the mean streets of Detroit, Michigan. He hustled and took part in dope rap battles until he found his love for movie blogging with his site MovieRob. Over to you MRMR™!

Screenkicker Olympics: Detroit, USA

Mr. Mom (1983)

I grew up in a suburb of Detroit Michigan called Southfield (which is approx. 10 miles North of the city itself.  When Mikey posted about this blogathon, I wracked my brain trying to think of a movie to review that represents the homelife that I grew up with (somewhat).

Here is a pic of the bottom part of the thumb in the Michigan “mitten”.  You can see the proximity of Southfield to Detroit

When most people think of movies based in Detroit, violence is the first thing that comes to mind; Robocop (1987), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Action Jackson (1987), 8 Mile (2002) (that actually happened not so far away from where I grew up near a road called 10 mile. yes the main roads were all named based on their distance from the city center, hence the simplicity of it all), True Romance (1993), Grosse Pointe Blank (1998) and The Rosary Murders (1973).

Next, people will think of music and Motown, movies like Dreamgirls (2006), Detroit Rock City (1999) and once again 8 Mile (2002).

Most people probably don’t know this, but the tv shows Home Improvement and 8 Rules both were suppose to take place in the suburbs of Detroit, not too far from where I lived.  (I actually wanted to find the Home Improvement house because it was just a few miles from where I lived. 🙂

Then I remembered that the movie Mr. Mom (1983) took place in the suburbs of Detroit and since I hadn’t seen it in a while, I decided that I had found my movie to review.

So here’s my review….

“Are you crazy? You don’t feed a baby chili! ” – Doris (TV Repairwoman)

Number of Times Seen – no clue (Theater in ’83, cable, video, 9 Sep 2001 and 1 Apr 2014)

Brief Synopsis – An engineer is fired from his job at a Detroit Auto plant and must take care of the house and kids while his wife goes to work.

My Take on it – As you can see from above, I hadn’t seen this movie in 12 and a half years, so my perspective this time is much different than it always was before, now it’s as a parent instead of when I was a child, teen or a single adult.

Many of the things he needs to do just completely will go over the head of a child eventhough I recall being amused by those scenes back as a kid.

I will always remember the scene in the supermarket where we hear on the loudspeaker the quote “Irv, cleanup in aisle 5” and then hear Keaton scream “I was never in aisle 5 Irv, I swear”, but the thing in the supermarket that got me laughing now is the tampon joke.  As a husband, I will never forget the first time I needed to buy feminine products for my wife and the embarrassment that went with it.  Over the years, I have coped with this embarrassment and now can do it without feeling embarrassed, but they definitely got that scene right.

This was one of Keaton’s first movies and he really did it well.  He is the devoted father and husband who wants to do everything right, but keeps getting the feeling from others that as well as he does things, it will never be the same as when his wife does them.  Most men in a long tern relationship will be able to realte to that feeling.  No matter what I do for my kids, they like the way their mother does it much better than the way I do it.

It’s a fact of life that I guess maybe, one day I’ll get used to (maybe not)

Besides Keaton, Teri Garr and Martin Mull are great. She as his devoted (not fully employed) wife and he as her new boss who wants more from her than she is willing to give.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is the obstacle course at the Boss’s party.  Watching grown men on tricycles or running with flippers is hilarious!!!

This was one of John Hughes first scripts about suburban life and eventhough it doesn’t take place in his native (and more comfortable Chicago) he does it extremely well.

Bottom Line – Fun movie that I can appreciate even more as a parent. Keaton is great here as are Teri Garr and Martin Mull. Hughes did this one very well.

Rating – Globe Worthy

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Thanks again Rob, a brilliant review. If you would like to take part just send me an email to michaelboyd185@gmail.com. Don’t let your home go unrepresented!