RV

US, 2006, 99 minutes, Colour.
Robin Williams, Jeff Daniels, Cheryl Hines, Kristen Chenoweth, Joanna ‘JoJo’ Levesque, Josh Hutchison.
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.

Those of us who are not as young as we used to be may remember having an enjoyable time watching Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz going on a disaster-filled holiday in The Long, Long Trailer. But, that was fifty years ago and more.

What happens these days if a family (albeit quite unwillingly) goes off in a Recreational Vehicle? And what happens if Robin Williams is playing the father? Answers to be found in this amiable comedy, RV.

There is a very sweet opening with Robin Williams reading to his devoted little daughter who never wants to marry but stay always with Daddy. Dear oh dear. Then, suddenly she is 15 and can’t stand him! We are now ready to see how Dad needs to keep his job with a soft-drinks company while he wants to be on vacation with his patient wife (Cheryl Hines). Solution! Hire an RV and everyone can go to Colorado where he has to make his presentation.

There are the usual jokes and slapstick of knocking over fences, lurching all over the road, van contents falling and smashing. There is also a very long episode where they have difficulty with a clogged sewage system that becomes an event as campers pull up chairs to watch the process (with plenty of useless advice). It doesn’t hit the fan but showers poor old Robin.

But this is the occasion for introducing the Kosnicki family, the most optimistic post-Brady Bunch family on the freeways. Robin’s family can’t stand them but, of course, they are the nice ones who do help the family out of trouble and remind us that good old family values should not be ignored. Jeff Daniels (who is very versatile when one thinks of his vain father in The Squid and the Whale) is marvellously genial as Mr Kosnicki.

There are some shots at greedy corporations and inept managers. There are some shots at American love for sugar and fats. There are some homely asides about family. It is no masterpiece and a lot of it is fairly obvious - but it does produce more than a chuckle or two.

1. An entertaining comedy? The National Lampoon Vacation type of film – updated – and given a bit of respectability with Robin Williams?

2. RV as recreational vehicles, runaway vacations?

3. A family film, a film about contemporary families, love and alienation, husband and wife, business pressures, corporations? The need for rediscovery of roots? Freedom? The picture of corporations and big business? The interaction between family and business?

4. The reputation of the director? His comedies? Combining with Robin Williams? Jeff Daniels and his comic style?

5. The California locations, the desert, the caravan parks, the transition to Colorado, the mountains, the lakes and beauty? Musical score and songs? Especially performance?

6. The humour of the prologue, Bob and his telling stories to Cassie, Cassie as the devoted little girl, wanting to stay with her father all her life? Not get married? Bob and his gentle approach? Jamie and her love for her husband? The ideal family? The touch of sentiment?

7. The transition to Cassie aged fifteen, her moods, despising her father? Jamie and Bob and the tensions? Carl and his wanting to be bigger and stronger, doing all his weightlifting and exercise? Difficulties? The pressure on Bob for work and presentations? Frank and his domination? Larry and his toadying to Frank, after Bob’s job? Various plans and pressures?

8. The possibility of the Hawaii vacation? Jamie and her hopes? The pressure from Frank that Bob do the presentation? Bob and his inability to tell Jamie the truth – and her later reproaching him for this, wanting him to trust her?

9. Going to the social, Cassie picking up her friend, the sardonic remarks about Cassie’s friends, the background of production of sugared drinks, sodas? The friend and the discussion with the boss, accusing him of poisoning children, pouring the drink all over him?

10. The pressures on Bob, especially after Frank was insulted, the plan that he do the presentation for the amalgamation with the Colorado company? Bob and his idea of getting the RV, bringing it home, the negative reactions from each member of the family?

11. Going on holiday, awkwardness in driving the vehicle, crashing and breaking fences? The issues of the tyres? Going to the park? The sewage – and the trying to empty it, everybody helping, the excremental disaster, the effect on Bob? It becoming an event with people bringing their chairs to watch?

12. The arrival of the Kosnickis, the boys and their advice on what to do with the sewage? Dad and Mum arriving? The young girl? The Munros and their response? The cheerfulness of the family, their being invited to dinner? Bob and his promises to do all the cooking, the lack of facilities in the RV, the deciding to go to the Kosnickis? The children attracted to the other children? The awkwardness for Jamie and Bob? The singing and the performances? The decision to get out of the carpark as quickly as possible in the morning?

13. The escape, rushing away, the journey, the Kosnickis following them, especially to give the computer back? Their animated pretending not to hear? Arriving in Colorado?

14. The Kosnickis, their kindness, their background story, skill in work, living in the RV, a cheerful family? Giving the man with the computer a lift, the song, the boy discovering the computer, getting rid of the hitchhiker, their chasing the Munros?

15. Bob and the night in the toilet, his being seen by the young boy, his taking the computer, writing the presentation, trying to send it, the ambiguous phone calls? The computer being robbed? His being tired? The next night, typing the presentation on his mobile phone? More difficulty in trying to send it?

16. The camping, in the rain, trying to get some food, everybody laughing, sliding down the mud? Bonding with the family? Going to Colorado? The lake and its beauty? Bob’s memories from his childhood?

17. Bob getting the family to go on the hike, their enjoying it, appreciating the beauty? His taking the RV to the meeting after pretending he had stomach trouble? His being overdressed, the casual approach of the Colorado men, genial? Frank and Larry and their ultra performance? His trying to get back, over the mountain, crashing down the mountainside, the RV finally finishing up in the lake? The next meeting, telling the truth, riding the bike to get there, the disgust of the rest of the family? The Kosnickis arriving, the apologies all round, their going in the bus, Bob and his seeing the bus, chasing it, climbing over the bus – and the Kosnickis delivering him to the meeting?

18. The meeting, the crowd gathered, Frank and Larry and their performance, Bob and his speech, the homeliness, the Americana? Advising against the merger? The farcical aspects and his losing his job? Gaining the family?

19. The Kosnickis, nice, helping, their careers, joy, singing, helping?

20. Bob and his not having a job, going home in the recovered RV, the pursuit, his being offered the job by the local company – and the RV going back and smashing their cars? The more genial solution – family values rather than a workaholic world?