Candy and Richard Pryor were both great comedians in the 70s and 80s who only rarely were in films as funny as they were. Candy only starred in two good films, Planes Trains and Automobiles, and his greatest one, Only the Lonely, where he showed himself to be a good actor as well as comedian.
This is easily Candy's worst film. His whole appeal is his immense likeability. But here he's a mean SOB half the time, hostile and threatening. He bullies a woman for her appearance and at one point kidnaps and assaults a teenage boy, repeatedly threatening to murder him. Gee, how "lovable" is Uncle Buck, huh?
And Candy is trapped with a co star who plays the worst silver spoon fed stuck up brat you ever saw. No one feels any sympathy for this snob when she and her classmates look down at Candy for having (the horror!) an old car.
It's a John Hughes film, so you know what you're getting: Well off sheltered suburban whites who regard anyone who is not wealthy, suburban, or white as alien or threatening or to be mocked. These suburbanites have so much money they live in McMansions the size of some apartment buildings, with several acre lawns.
This film is strictly white people only, unlike 16 Candles or Weird Science where Asians and Blacks are there just to be laughed at. The twist is that Buck is the outsider for not having money.
You might feel more sympathy for Buck if he didn't become a bully halfway through. There are absolutely ZERO laughs for the last half of the film. Instead it's the pettiest kind of revenge, played for laughs. The niece's boyfriend cheats on her, and she and Buck bond over throwing him in the trunk, threatening to murder him repeatedly by using a drill or running him over, and hitting golf balls at him.
Yes, this is supposed to be "wholesome family fun." Kidnapping, threatening murder repeatedly, and assaulting a minor, all by an adult three times his size and age. About as wholesome as a Dirty Harry film.
Definitely an ugly thing to teach kids. "Violence against your ex boyfriend is A-OK. Get your uncle to do it for you! It will be fun!"
This is easily Candy's worst film. His whole appeal is his immense likeability. But here he's a mean SOB half the time, hostile and threatening. He bullies a woman for her appearance and at one point kidnaps and assaults a teenage boy, repeatedly threatening to murder him. Gee, how "lovable" is Uncle Buck, huh?
And Candy is trapped with a co star who plays the worst silver spoon fed stuck up brat you ever saw. No one feels any sympathy for this snob when she and her classmates look down at Candy for having (the horror!) an old car.
It's a John Hughes film, so you know what you're getting: Well off sheltered suburban whites who regard anyone who is not wealthy, suburban, or white as alien or threatening or to be mocked. These suburbanites have so much money they live in McMansions the size of some apartment buildings, with several acre lawns.
This film is strictly white people only, unlike 16 Candles or Weird Science where Asians and Blacks are there just to be laughed at. The twist is that Buck is the outsider for not having money.
You might feel more sympathy for Buck if he didn't become a bully halfway through. There are absolutely ZERO laughs for the last half of the film. Instead it's the pettiest kind of revenge, played for laughs. The niece's boyfriend cheats on her, and she and Buck bond over throwing him in the trunk, threatening to murder him repeatedly by using a drill or running him over, and hitting golf balls at him.
Yes, this is supposed to be "wholesome family fun." Kidnapping, threatening murder repeatedly, and assaulting a minor, all by an adult three times his size and age. About as wholesome as a Dirty Harry film.
Definitely an ugly thing to teach kids. "Violence against your ex boyfriend is A-OK. Get your uncle to do it for you! It will be fun!"