Uncle Buck
Published 2009-08-07
Film info
- Title Uncle Buck
- Director John Hughes
- Year 1989
- Run time 1hr 39m
- Genres Drama, Comedy, Family
- Tagline He's crude. He's crass. He's family
- Cast John Candy, Macaulay Culkin
John Candy stars in this John Hughes comedy as an idle, good-natured bachelor who's left in charge of his nephew and nieces during a family crisis. Unaccustomed to suburban life, fun-loving Uncle Buck soon charms his younger relatives Miles and Maizy with his hefty cooking and his new way of doing the laundry. But his carefree style doesn't impress everyone, including Tia, his rebellious teenage niece, and Chanice, his impatient girlfriend. Uncle Buck is the last person you'd think of to watch the kids. But with a little luck and a lot of love, he manages to surprise everyone in this heartwarming family comedy.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 1:22 | Young Macaulay Culkin is very cute. I can see why he was in every child film going. |
| 2:46 | Blimey, this isn't just teenage angst. She actually is evil. |
| 3:49 | How do you eat a spring roll with chopsticks? |
| 7:59 | Interestingly, the kids are better actors than the parents. |
| 12:17 | My cupboard is packed full like that. Lesson learned from this film: don't store bowling ball on the top shelf. |
| 13:24 | I'm glad I'm not the only person who talks to themselves in the car. |
| 20:06 | She pulls a similar face to me when I try and drink coffee. Yeugh. |
| 23:08 | Woah. Attack of the 80s fashion. Not just 80s - teenage 80s! |
| 25:04 | "I am stunned I am related to you" might be my new favourite film line. |
| 32:57 | I never understood how you pick up several phones at once and listen in to other people's conversations. When we used to do it at home, on purpose or by accident, the phones would always squeal hideously. |
| 35:55 | I love the Sandman song. It should be in every film. |
| 40:23 | Ugh, rented bowling shoes. I don't blame her for not wanting to go. |
| 42:24 | Continuity alert! She is in the back of that shot of them bowling and there's no creep pestering her then. |
| 46:53 | Nooo, a clown. No one told me this was a horror movie. |
| 52:36 | The suspension on that car is insane. Like riding a bucking bronco. |
| 56:26 | A scene where he is fixated on the lady's mole - is this where Austin Powers got his inspiration from? |
| 1:08:58 | Do dogs even like alcohol? |
| 1:12:41 | Am slightly confused why the children can't be left alone, when they clearly were between the time she left and he got home. |
| 1:17:24 | Macaulay seems to have spent a lot of his formative years defending his home. |
| 1:23:22 | You've got to love an uncle that brings tools to a party. |
| 1:33:18 | The perfect way to end - a laugh out loud funny moment to break up the mush. |
Thoughts
I had another film in mind for viewing, but Mr C suggested I watch a John Hughes one in tribute to the man himself. I have seen this before but a long time ago - in the days when I used to have to "borrow" films from my brother's DVD collection when he wasn't looking.
This film is pretty much perfect. It has aged a little bit, but the idea of smart little kids and grumpy teenagers will never get old. It's a great mix of comedy and angst, and totally family friendly. The clown is the one bad thing, but not enough to dock it a point.
Rating: 5 / 5