THREE MEN AND A LITTLE LADY

US, 1990, 100 minutes, Colour.
Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, Ted Danson, Nancy Travis, Christopher Cazenove, Fiona Shaw, Sheila Hancock.
Directed by Emile Ardolino.

Three Men and a Little Lady is a cheerful, if cute, sequel to the very successful Three Men and a Baby. This, in turn, was an American remake of Colin Serreau's film Three Men and a Cradle.

It is five years later and Mary is beginning to grow up. However, the film does not focus on her, but rather on the three men. Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Gutenberg created their characters in the original and continue here with touches of comedy and wisdom, with Tom Selleck being the rather laid-back hero. Nancy Travis as Sylvia, Mary's mother, gets more prominence. She also acquires a mother played by veteran English comedienne Sheila Hancock. Fiona Shaw (My Left Foot, Mountains of the Moon) enjoys herself thoroughly as a Joyce Grenfell-like headmistress. Christopher Cazenove is the English cad. In the supporting cast is writer and director Jonathan Lynn (Yes, Minister, Nuns on the Run, My Cousin Vinnie, The Distinguished Gentleman) as the vicar.

The film was directed by Emil Ardolino, who had success with Dirty Dancing and Sister Act.

1. Pleasant comedy? Sequel? Relationship with the original, characters, themes?

2. The New York settings, the apartment, schools? In contrast with England, the home, the school, the village and the countryside? The musical score and range of songs?

3. The title and the focus on the three bachelors and their relationship with Mary? Mary's growing up?

4. Mary, her age, her relationship with Sylvia? At home with the trio? Her language, her questions about sex? Her going to school? Her behaviour at school and comments about her father? Her relationship with her mother and the three men? With Edward? The transition to England, the school, her being sent away? The build-up to the wedding, her participation - the ceremony and the happy ending with Sylvia and Peter?

5. Sylvia, actress, performance? Her relationship with each of the three, especially with Jack as the biological father, not wanting to marry him? Her relationship with Mary? Her cooking and their throwing out the food? Performance and her relationship with Edward? The proposal? The decision to go to England? Her interviews about Mary at school, explaining the situation (and getting approval from the counsellor and the board)? England, the promise not to send Mary to boarding school? The arrival of Peter and Michael? The build-up to the wedding, the ceremony, the unmasking - and her marrying Peter? The future?

6. Peter, architect, his work, memory of a marriage? His relationship with Michael and Jack? Work, socialising? Outings with Mary? Their lullaby rap? Missing Mary, going to England? The plan, Miss Lomax and looking through the filing cabinet, her throwing herself at him? The kidnapping of the vicar? The attempt to get back to the wedding, the car, Miss Lomax, the sheep and the water? Cross-country? The finale and the wedding?

7. Michael, more serious, comic strips? His girlfriend and meeting Mary? Going out with Peter, the party, decision to go to England? Collaborating in the plan?

8. Jack, the actor, dressed as Dracula? His casual attitude? Love for Mary? The participation in the rap? Always performing? Brazil, coming to England? Masquerading as the minister and his doddery ceremony? Unmasking and reuniting Sylvia and Peter?

9. Vera, her British style, coming to America, response to the men, to her daughter, to Mary? Back to England, the preparation for the marriage, the ceremony?

10. Miss Lomax, the horse-riding style? Helping Edward, meeting Peter at night in the office, her regretting that he was a gentleman? Driving the car and helping Peter for the ceremony?

11. Barrow and the English retainer, the comedy of English retainers - and his Mexican wave in the church? The vicar and his being kidnapped and arriving at the funeral?

12. Popular comedy? Verbal, visual? Sentimental?