FATHERS' DAY

US, 1996, 98 minutes, Colour.
Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Julia Louis- Dreyfuss, Nastassia Kinski, Bruce Greenwood.
Directed by Ivan Reitman.

Father's Day has strong stars, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal. The film is a remake of Les Comperes. The Americans have a penchant for remaking French films but they lose their more subtle humour and their humanity in the trans-Atlantic crossing. This one certainly does. If you like the stars, they do get to do their thing: Williams has a number of virtuoso manic scenes and Crystal does his shrugging put-upon turn. One reviewer remarked that the stars are narcissist actors. They do their turns for themselves and the audience and often don't connect. The plot of their searching for a runaway teenager who may be their son, stretches credibility. Some moments, but strained.

1.Entertaining comedy? The stars? Working in combination? The original French film? The adaptation to the American scene?

2.The title? Overtones? Plausibility of the plot?

3.The basic situation: Collette, her past, her marriage to Bob, Scott? Her love for her son? The credibility of her seeking the help of Jack and Dale? The visit to Jack, his solemn response, scepticism? The contrast with Dale and his enthusiasm? Jack and his going to San Francisco, meeting up with Dale? Their search for Scott? The background of Collette, her relationship with Bob? Bob and his clash with Scott and the boy leaving?

4.Robin Williams as Dale? The variety of his comic turns - the focus on him as an entertainer rather than as a character in the film? For example, the various posers in his planning how to meet his son? The mimicry? The turns - especially when preparing for suicide, driving on the bridge? His imitating Jack and bumping people on the head? His character: the memories of Collette, the walks, the sexual encounter, study, the nude photographs? His not seeing her for 17 years? His response? His delight in the idea of having a son? Going to the girl's father, his bullying him? The discovery of the truth with Jack? Their going to see the girl's mother, his turning on the tears (while laughing)? The visit to the rock concert? His going on stage, being thrown to the crowds? Rescuing Scott, the room in the hotel, the double-entendre of the shower sequence? His having breakfast with Scott, the pouring of the coffee and the sense of betrayal? His odd walk and going to visit Jack? The pursuit of Scott, going to Reno? Jack wanting to give up? Dale pursuing Scott? Reno, the stealing of the car, the rock concert, the mayhem? Their being in jail? Giving Scott back to his mother? The comedy of Dale driving, thinking dead bodies were on the street - and Jack actually hitting Scott? The finale and Scott telling Dale that he was truly the father and Dale's reaction? Jack lending him his car? Picking up Victoria on the road - a future or not? Dale as a manic character, manic depressive? Robin Williams embodying this same kind of mania?

5.The contrast with Billy Crystal as Jack? Billy Crystal playing the straight man with the ironic remarks and one liners? His legal practice? His relationship with his wife - his third wife? The meeting with Collette, his scepticism, wanting evidence, the photo? Going to San Francisco, the failure of the deposition appointment? Staying the night in the hotel? The decision to follow up on Scott? Going to Nicole's father, the violent confrontation and his cowering the father? The meeting with Dale? Their going to the mother, his encouraging Dale to weep? The realisation that they had both been tricked by Collette? His organising ability? His finding out about the concert, splitting up with Dale to find Scott? Eventually finding him, his being sick over him? Organising the hotel, the dry-cleaning, his wife ringing and the ambiguity of the phone call as well as of the tip to the man assisting in the hotel? Cleaning Scott up, going to business the next morning, the deposition? Dale turning up bedraggled? The decision to go to Reno, the car, finding Scott, his taking the car, the confrontation at the rock concert, his making Nicole tell Scott the truth? The head-butting fight, the police and the charges? His paying the money? The meeting with his wife, telling her the truth, her wanting him to try to find Scott? Taking Scott home, Scott telling him that he was the father - and his seeing through the lie instantly but getting a good feeling? Discussing things with his wife, planning the family? Billy Crystal's style as the straight man? As playing off the mania of Robin Williams?

6.Collette, her memories of the past, her concern about her son? Bob and his love for his son yet fighting with him? Scott leaving home? Collette and setting the two men to find her son? Her deceiving them? Bob and his decision to go to find Scott, driving, the breakdown, the mishaps in the portable toilet, being hosed down, getting the lift home, getting the advice from the truck driver? Welcoming Scott home?

7.Scott, his age, experience? Experiencing his father as strict, the clash? His explanation to Jack and Dale? And their fatherly reactions to him, being angry, calming themselves down, trying to listen to him? Getting involved with Nicole, going off with the group? Drinking and being sick? The $5000, buying the necklace for Nicole and giving it to her? Being chased by the drug dealers, being hit by the car? His eventually going home, the support of the two men, the reconciliation of his father?

8.The band, the hard-rock, the performances? Dale and Jack being involved? Dale and his impersonation of the German producer and Robin Williams' comic turn and playing with languages? Nicole and her relationship with her father and mother, going with the group, bored with Scott, ultimately telling him the truth? The drug dealers and the connections, their pursuit of Scott?

9.Jack's wife, her concern, the phone calls, the ambiguities, her going to San Francisco, urging Jack on? The prospect of a family?

10.The humour with Bob and his breakdowns, the truck driver, the people at the repair shop?

11.The atmosphere of Dale's world and his plays, poems, concerts? His mania? The contrast with the legal world of Jack? With Bob and Collette's world? With the world of the rock bands?

12.The film and its exploration of family values, disturbed teenagers, reconciliations? The two fathers as godfathers and the influence they had on Scott? A film supporting traditional family values?