DUTCH

US, 1991, 17 minutes, Colour.
Ed O’ Neill, Ethan Randall, Jo Beth Williams, Christopher Mc Donald, E.G.Dailey, Kathleen Freeman.
Directed by Peter Faiman.


Dutch is the name of the main character, played with rough charmed by Ed O’ Neill (Married with Children, Dragnet, Modern Family). It was written by the prolific John Hughes, with echoes of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, uncle buck Uncle Buck. Hughes had become famous for his teenage dramas, The Breakfast Club, 16 Candles, Pretty in Pink.

The film was directed by Australian Peter Faiman, most famous for having directed Crocodile Dundee.

Dutch has to bring a snobbish boy home from a parrot preschool for thanksgiving. Dutch is in love with his mother, played by Jo Beth Williams, who is divorced from her arrogant husband, played by Christopher McDonald? (the same year that he played the of noxious husband in Thelma and Louise).

Nothing new, and we know how it will end up, despite the unlikeliness in the initial portrait of Doyle, played by Ethan Randall (later known as Ethan Embry) who gives extraordinarily forceful performance – and US had a prolific career not the star status that might have been expected of him.

It is enjoyable, often funny, sometimes quite sharp rather than sentimental.


1. An entertaining and popular film about family, especially young boys and their need for a true father figure?

2. The work of the writer, John Hughes and his films about teenagers, his films about family? Family values? Attentiveness of parents to children?

3. The situation, Natalie, the divorce, custody of Doyle? The tense relationship with her ex-husband? The relationship with Dutch, the possibility for marriage? Doyle at private school, his snobbish attitudes, his disdain for his mother and blaming her for the marriage breakup? Idealising his father? His dislike of the Dutch, the interactions?

4. The film as an American road movie, from the south back to Chicago, the range of states travelled through, landscapes, people, diners, motels, the open road, truck drivers, call girls, angry waitresses, kind people giving lifts?

5. The opening, Natalie at the party, the snobbish women, Natalie explaining her situation of becoming pregnant, abandoned, with the boy? Dutch outside, the dog at his leg, his gauche behaviour, people’s reactions, flicking the caviar off the cracker? Meeting Reed, Reed, the dislike? Reed’s disdain? His speaking to Natalie, the trip to London, wanting her to ring Doyle? Natalie actually doing it?

6. Dutch, his love for Natalie, his offer to go to pick up Doyle?

7. Doyle, at school, his sense of superiority and his expressions, the phone call from his mother, his rudeness to her and hanging up? The boys and their challenging him, his unpleasant retorts? His martial arts practice? His being left at the school by himself? The janitor cleaning and Doyle knocking over the rubbish? Symbolic of him and his behaviour? At age 12, pride in his father, blaming his mother?

8. Dutch and his arrival, Doyle mistaking him for his father? The beginning of the clashes? Verbal, physical? Dutch on the receiving end? Packing up Doyle and putting him in the car?

9. The war between them on the journey? Doyle as passive aggressive, then as aggressive, verbally, physically? His looking down on Dutch, words about his mother? The variety of episodes, the physical fights, Doyle’s superiority over Dutch? The fireworks and his curiosity? His complaining, Dutch putting Doyle out in the snow? Going to the motel, waiting fir him to turn up, eventually his coming, the revenge with the car, Dutch thinking Doyle was in the car, the truck driver and his concern, the empty car, Dutch coming up the siding, Doyle standing there with superiority, Dutch reprimanding him about the effect on the driver and getting home to his family? The story of the accident for the police? Their having to hitchhike? The girls, the talk, their being hookers, Doyle and his sexual curiosity, talking in the back of the car, the sexual effect on him? The girls stealing the wallet? Dutch giving Doyle a lesson? The continued hitchhiking, on the bus, Doyle getting the men to turn the music down but their taking his sneakers? Eventually going to the shelter, being seen as father and son, Doyle and his prissiness in preparing the cutlery for his meal, everybody looking on, in the dormitory, Dutch’s bed collapsing, Doyle talking with the woman whose husband had lost his job, the little girl at the table, giving her the role, his admitting some affection for Dutch? Going to the restaurant, their being reprimanded because they were so dirty? Doyle and the fight with the two guards, his victory, his wounds, the waitress at the restaurant ousting them? The offer of the lift from the kind couple?

10. The effect of the journey on each of the two? Doyle, surly, aggressive, wanting to defeat Dutch, comparing him with his father? The physical exchanges, the psychological exchanges? Dutch, not perfect, not winning every round? Doyle and the care that Dutch showed him despite everything, his being listened to, finding some bonding, the contrast with his father?

11. Arriving home, Natalie preparing the Thanksgiving dinner, the cook? Reed suddenly turning up, the phone call from Doyle and Reed’s not being in London? Dutch and Doyle arriving, Reed and his commanding manner, getting Doyle to make the choice, his decision to stay with his mother?

12. Dutch, the confrontation with Reed, hitting him, getting Reed to agree that his mother should have the boy for six months?

13. The happiness of the dinner, the affirmation of family values, of love, of lonely and fearful boys being wrongfully assertive, learning their lessons?

14. The humour of the gun, shooting, Doyle going to get the gift, and his being shot!