UNCLE BUCK
US, 1989, 100 minutes, Colour.
John Candy, Amy Madigan, Macauley Culkin.
Directed by John Hughes.
Uncle Buck was written and directed by John Hughes. Hughes is best known for his teenage films like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, as well as his screenplays for Mr Mom and the National Lampoon Vacation films.
John Candy worked with Hughes in Plains, Trains and Automobiles as well as The Great Outdoors and Home Alone. This is a mixture of Mr Mom and the National Lampoon films.
John Candy is at home as the affable large-size and rather gross Uncle Buck. Amy Madigan enjoys herself as his girlfriend. Macauley Culkin appears as the precocious young nephews (and had appeared with Burt Lancaster in Rockets Galore and was the star of Hughes/Chris Columbus's box-office success Home Alone).
The film is very much in the situation comedy vein (and in fact there was a short-lived television series).
1. Entertaining popular comedy? Loud American style? American families?
2. The atmosphere of the Chicago suburbs, the house (and its appliances)? School? Musical score, the songs and the mood?
3. Buck and Chanice - engaged for eight years, jobs, opting out, Chanice's anger, the phone call and Bob and Cindy wanting him to look after the children, the reaction to the children, Tia and her lies? Chanice and her concern, visit, Marcy and Buck dancing? Getting over her suspicions? Helping with the children? The happy ending?
4. John Candy as Uncle Buck: big screen presence, likeable, slob, omitted from the family wedding photo? Bob in desperation for him to come? His room, car, the arrival? Cheques? The mess of the breakfast and the kids' reaction? Tia's nasty reaction to him? Going to school? His concern about her? The boys and their comments, Bug? The rude kids and the interrogation? Giving up his racetrack outing for her? Going to the party? The discovery of Bug? Giving him his comeuppance? Tia and her change of heart? The reaction of the other two children? Mischievous? Play, the laundry etc? The reconciliation and everything sweet when their parents returned?
5. Tia and her adolescent problems, reaction against Buck, her relationship with Bug, sexual attraction, the outing, the deals, the phone call to her mother and accusations of Buck drinking, the lie to Chanice? The party, her defiance, Bug, his betrayal, wandering the streets, the reconciliation with Buck?
6. The characters of the younger children, mischief, enjoying themselves with Buck?
7. Bug, around school, sex, push? The warning, the party, the girl in bed, his fear of Buck, comeuppance?
8. Chanice at work, her job, love for Buck, suspicions, the phone call, the visit, helping out?
9. Marcy as the attractive neighbour, interested in Buck, helping out, caught out, Tia's lies?
10. Buck and his character, money, self-concerned, the kids making demands on him, the racetrack, change of heart?
11. The parents, their desperation, going away, anxious phone calls, the end - and the proverbial happy ending?
