Runtime: 96 minutes
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Starring: Kirstie Alley (RIP), John Travolta, George Segal, Olympia Dukakis, the voice of Bruce Willis
From: Tri-Star
RIP Kirstie Alley. Sure, I haven’t seen her in too many things (I’ve already reviewed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan & Runaway) and her political views I didn’t agree with-nor her religion-but passing away of cancer at the age of 71 is still unfortunate so I felt like revisiting another movie from my childhood. It was not watched often yet it was more than once, to clarify. Plus, the last time I saw a Bruce Willis movie there were only rumors of his health; now that aphasia was announced as the disease he’s afflicted with, I can note that this is also sad.
The film is rather dated in ways (jokes involving "the R word" and humor involving an unseen character having bulimia) yet it was still amusing enough where I can say this is fine. CPA Alley has a workplace affair w/ George Segal but he already has a family and is a yuppie jerk so she eventually tries to find a better dad… eventually, she realizes that the taxicab driver who took her to the hospital is someone who actually has a rapport w/ her son, despite his working-class background and minor scams to get a free meal or free long-distance calls. Oh, and the audience gets to hear Willis as Mikey the child from even before conception, when he’s a sperm swimming to fertilizing the egg.
Even with the cliché moments and my usually not watching movies defined as “cute”, the lead are likable enough where it’s easy for them to get together. From my you I recalled the oldies on the soundtrack; the New Wave and Pete Townshend I had no memories of. There were laughs from everyone in the main cast (including Olympia Dukakis and Abe Vigoda) so aside from a few bits that are more questionable now than back over 30 years ago, it is not a film I regret watching after at least a quarter century. The surprise box office success also help give a boost to Travolta’s career when it was in dire straits, starring in bomb after obscurity for years.
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