#109 - "Mr. Mom" (1983) with Ben Carpenter

Attendees: Ben Carpenter, Timothy Williams

This transcript of the unedited full episode recording was computer generated and might contain errors.

Timothy Williams: American male workplaces especially the Auto industry had landed innumerable men on their living room couches a stark contrast to the 70s when a total of six men reported being stay-at-home dads in America. That's right. Just six this resulted in many of their wives having to head into the workplace themselves to help make ends meet but it also meant these men were forced to tackle domestic responsibilities previously formed to them, their kids for those of us who grew up in the 80s a movie this was a staple of cable TV. It's popularity coincided with the rise of HBO and Home Video rentals so was in constant rotation and a lot of households, it was also the launching point for startup for its lead actor Michael Keaton and original screenwriter John Hughes. So grab your will hide the chili from the baby in good get ready to make some Home Improvements 220 221 whatever. It takes as Ben Carpenter and I discuss Mr. Mom from 1983 on this episode of the 80s flick flashback podcast.

Timothy Williams: Welcome in everybody.

Ben Carpenter: I am doing fantastic and…

Timothy Williams: Glad to have you on the show this week for a great episode that just happens to fall on the weekend of Father's…

Ben Carpenter: Happy Father's Day weekend to you.

Timothy Williams: So first of all, they say Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there who got two dads on the podcast with you today myself and the wonderful Mr. Ben Carpenter who's back to talk about Mr. Mom.

Ben Carpenter: I'll answer it. Honestly. I don't remember.

Timothy Williams: How you doing, Ben?

Ben Carpenter: I feel like we probably went to see it in the theater.

Timothy Williams: Yes, yes. So this is a lot of fun.

Ben Carpenter: But I mostly remember watching it repeatedly at home either on HBO or…

Timothy Williams: This is when we were both looking forward to talking about staple of the 80s for sure.

Timothy Williams: So, when did you see Mr. Mom for the first time was this a theater or…

Ben Carpenter: or with VHS tape from Blockbuster, so…

Timothy Williams: rental? Or cable TV.

Ben Carpenter: yeah, I watched this one a lot in the 80s.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: Mm- same yeah, I have a vague memory of a thinking I saw this in the theater. I don't have a vivid memory of the experience but I feel like I saw this on the big screen and…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: really liked it and then when a kit cable, it was just one that anytime it was on I was gonna watch it and…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: like I said it played over and over and over again so much that watching it again, 40 years later. I can repeat a lot of the lines.

Ben Carpenter: Right, right.

Timothy Williams: I was ready. I knew pretty well and it's also funny because I thought about this too. Probably late 80 I had been middle early to mid 90s when DVD was just kind of becoming the big thing one of the fast food places.

Ben Carpenter: mmm

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: It might have been McDonald's had some kind of promotion where if you bought so many things they would or you could buy a DVD.

Ben Carpenter: right

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, he probably yeah,…

Timothy Williams: At the restaurant it might have been I don't remember…

Ben Carpenter: at least I don't remember getting a DVD of it at McDonald's.

Timothy Williams: but I remember you have a certain movies and so whichever whatever one of the options was Mr. Mom and…

Ben Carpenter: So I don't think I ever had this one on DVD either for many others,…

Timothy Williams: I like that's the movie that I want and I remember getting it I was kind of this pointed…

Ben Carpenter: non-fast food restaurant source,…

Timothy Williams: because it came in a little paper like a CD sleeve it was just a small square paper sleeve with the cover on it and…

Ben Carpenter: so I think Yeah, I may have seen it a couple times in the 90s.

00:05:00

Timothy Williams: the Deep the DVD on the inside and…

Ben Carpenter: But yeah,…

Timothy Williams: all my other DVDs or…

Ben Carpenter: it's been a long time.

Timothy Williams: the DVDs. I was buying we're all in the regular cases that you can make your collection or…

Ben Carpenter: I really didn't remember. That much from it when I started watching it. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: whatever. So I liked having the movie but I hated the packaging it's like but I remember putting it in after getting in and I was a first time I'd seen it, I'd say early 90s

Timothy Williams: Probably 10 years or…

Ben Carpenter: Right. Yes.

Timothy Williams: I mean six or…

Ben Carpenter: Yes Mom one of them just graduated college and…

Timothy Williams: seven years at least because I'm sure it ran on cable from 84 to 85 to 86 something like that.

Ben Carpenter: I've got two that are still enrolled. Yup.

Timothy Williams: So I know I'd seen it in many a million times…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, you know it.

Timothy Williams: but watching it again on, something then hi hi tech DVD, each, before HD but short crystal clear picture,…

Ben Carpenter: There were times.

Timothy Williams: but it wasn't a great transfer. I mean you could still see the grit of the film in the copy whatever…

Ben Carpenter: No, no, there were times watching this where I felt like it was a documentary of…

Timothy Williams: but it was still fun to go back and…

Ben Carpenter: what I experienced.

Timothy Williams: watch so…

Ben Carpenter: It was very like yeah,…

Timothy Williams: how long has it been since you rewatched it before we watching it for the podcast?

Ben Carpenter: so I'll try not to be too long-winded about this but

Timothy Williams: 30 years

Ben Carpenter: Quick thing Can you hear my dogs barking? Okay, I guess the microphones isolating it,…

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: No, so in 2000, you really can't hear that. Okay?

Ben Carpenter: Just one did you want to wait just one second? Okay, I'm sorry. This one's like

Timothy Williams: really? wow, that's one so this is kind of an of course. We don't normally ask my father should be fun. So is there ever been in your life? Your kids are pretty much grown now your kids are all in college or outside of college now, right?

Timothy Williams: Okay, let's still making those checks to the university, So was there ever a part in time in your life where the wife had to go back to work? And you had to stay on with the kids that you could relate to in this? may not relate perfectly but

Timothy Williams: Yes.

Timothy Williams: Mmm, no, I can't.

Ben Carpenter: very sorry about that.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: No, I hear them now I hear.

Ben Carpenter: yeah, but now I'm out of breath from running up the stairs and…

Timothy Williams: That's fine. Yeah So you're good.

Ben Carpenter: in their kennel, so this one second. my

Ben Carpenter: My sons are taking a nap. They've had a long weekend. fun, they've been out doing stuff, but They're tired. And Ashley is out in the yard. working I was cleaning stuff inside this morning.

Ben Carpenter: So there's nobody around to grab the dogs when they see somebody walking down the road, All right. So I'll start with what I was about to tell you.

Ben Carpenter: So yeah in 2003. I was fired from the last office job that I ever had where I actually worked in an office. it was that day or the day before we had found out that we were having our daughter. And I lost my job. we had our twin boys already. Who were.

Timothy Williams: No worries.

Ben Carpenter: One little over one year old.

Timothy Williams: better

Ben Carpenter: so I …

Timothy Williams: Okay. Sure.

Ben Carpenter: I lost my job and

Ben Carpenter: just kind of we made the decision for that I was going to work from home and That my wife was going to be the one to commute and go into her job. And so we had a very, Mr. Mom. kind of life like I had to figure out how to do a lot of these things on my own.

Timothy Williams: Gotcha.

Ben Carpenter: It's not like my wife was a housewife up to this point. We were both working.

Timothy Williams: got you guys.

Ben Carpenter: But it used to be sort of a situation where we Carried an equal load of both work and…

Timothy Williams: Mm-hmm

Ben Carpenter: home life. and in this new arrangement I had to take on a lot of the home life stuff and figure it out. and then when my wife got home she was very involved and read books to the kids every night before bed and…

00:10:00

Timothy Williams: wow, okay.

Ben Carpenter: everything like that, but I was handling a lot of stuff during the day and There were times that were. Just straight out of Mr. Mom. I remember trips to the grocery store that were almost exactly like the one depicted in the movie maybe even worse. So yeah, so I could definitely relate to it and in fact as I was watching this one, I think I really just got more into it than some of the other ones that I've watched for this podcast just

Timothy Williams: 

Ben Carpenter: because of that reason I can definitely relate to a lot of the struggles depicted here.

Timothy Williams: right

Ben Carpenter: tonight

Timothy Williams: God.

Ben Carpenter: right

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: And yeah, so I lost my job in. 2020 one Gosh, there's been a couple years. But yeah, I was actually working at work from home job. but Hannah my daughter was still in school. And so all team got laid off.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: And so I was looking for work. My wife was still working, but then it happened right in the summer. So it happened in June. So I was like, I'll be home, with the daughter during the summer. So it's not a big deal thinking I was gonna find work by the time school started back up and…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: that didn't happen. Nothing substantial. Anyway, I ended up working doing some retail, but my daughter was older. I mean she was

Timothy Williams: 12 11 or 12 so it wasn't quite the same as little Bitties…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: where dealing with diaper changes so to take her to school every day,…

Ben Carpenter: Right. No, I feel like around the time this movie came out that stereotype was changing…

Timothy Williams: and she was doing a half home school half at school kind of a program but yeah.

Ben Carpenter: where women were entering the workforce in greater numbers anyway.

Timothy Williams: still fine Good good,…

Timothy Williams: maybe you just but anytime it's funny…

Ben Carpenter: so that's kind of …

Ben Carpenter: I guess that's also depicted in the movie the difficulties encountered there, but

Timothy Williams: because you think about stay at home Mr. Mom is so, ingrained in pop culture now when they hear that and I know I was reading some articles are like,…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah. It's a I was caught you…

Timothy Williams: it's a derogatory term like

Ben Carpenter: I was called Mr. Mom.

Timothy Williams: I don't see how it's really that offensive to say I'm Mr. Mother.

Ben Carpenter: I probably called myself Mr. Mom when this happened in 2003.

Timothy Williams: There's no father in it. it's not like you're not taking away from being the father.

Timothy Williams: It's just kind of a fun little way of saying …

Ben Carpenter: But yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: no, I ended up just going with it.

Timothy Williams: You're the dad, taking care of some of the…

Ben Carpenter: I work at home to this day.

Timothy Williams: what would traditionally known as the mom responsibilities. But of course, I think most families now are to you…

Ben Carpenter: And even though I did I basically just went freelance and…

Timothy Williams: two income families both you like to sharing the load and…

Ben Carpenter: and Worked as I could during the day,…

Timothy Williams: I even think early 80s,…

Ben Carpenter: while they were napping and…

Timothy Williams: I don't think it was as common for there to be as many,…

Ben Carpenter: stuff like that and then after my wife got home, I might get in a couple hours work and…

Timothy Williams: stay at home moms.

Ben Carpenter: stuff like that.

Timothy Williams: I think a lot of Mom.

Ben Carpenter: …

Timothy Williams: I mean my parents both work as long as I could remember,…

Ben Carpenter: yeah, but I never found it to be a derogatory term.

Timothy Williams: so there weren't too many moms that I knew of my friends…

Ben Carpenter: I guess I get that it in.

Timothy Williams: where the mom stayed home it was pretty much everybody's parents were both working.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah not I guess anything could be you could take offense it just about anything,…

Timothy Williams: So you…

Ben Carpenter: but I never …

Timothy Williams: But yeah for different roles back…

Ben Carpenter: I never found it to be that way.

Timothy Williams: I guess then maybe so we have today.

Timothy Williams: mmm

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

00:15:00

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: These days yeah.

Timothy Williams: let's jump in the story origin and pre-production. So in that this is pretty interesting. There's a lot of this I vaguely remember that John Hughes was involved in it, but I didn't know to what extent so in the early 80s producer Lauren Schuler Donner came across a funny article that John had written for National Lampoon. Based on that article, she contacted him and they quickly became friends.

Timothy Williams: She tells a story of a conversation that started at all. This is a quote from an interview with her. She said one day he was telling me that his wife had gone down to Arizona and he was in charge of the two boys and he didn't know what he was doing. It was hilarious. I was on the floor laughing. He said you think this would make a good movie and I said, yeah, this is really funny. So he said I have about 80 pages in a drawer. Would you like to look at it? So I looked at and I said, this is great. Let's do it. She said we kind of developed it ourselves in the book movie mobile speak. She mentioned how Hughes quote unquote never had been to a grocery store.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: He had never operated a vacuum cleaner John was so ignorant and in that ignorance, he was hilarious and I think that's pretty much what you get in the movie. Lauren had two credits to her name by that point as an associate producer on Thank God It's Friday in 1978.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: And as a producer on a TV film written and directed by the lake Joel Schumacher called amateur night at the Dixie Bar and…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, I was about to say yeah, but I wonder if they added that part. No.

Timothy Williams: Grill also in 78.

Timothy Williams: Cues had only written oon's class reunion in 82 National Lampoon's Vacation hadn't been made yet and it would actually release two weeks after Mr. Mom hit theaters. both vacation and Mr. Mom both came out the same year. The players involved with pre-production and development told Donna and Hugh They thought it should be a TV movie Hughes already had a deal with Aaron Spelling who came aboard to Executive produce. Unfortunately, his original script didn't make it to the screen sc According to Lauren Aaron Spelling groomed patient with Hughes refusal to move to Los Angeles to work with him on the script something Lauren insisted was unnecessary. So when Lauren left town to work on another movie and pre-production Lady Hawk, there's a good connection there. I didn't realize there was

Timothy Williams: so she went to go work. probably one of the very early versions of lady hawks since lady Hawk came out in 85, but

Timothy Williams: While she was off-working pre-productions spelling actually fired Hughes behind her back and brought in two television writers for Miss series Dynasty to replace them. Why would you put two soap opera, writers on a comedy that was such an odd but I say that Todd now but with their obsession with soap operas in the movie kind of before Yeah exactly. She said she doesn't blame the writers for taking the job. She even sounds sympathetic because they had to follow Hughes and no writer in the right mind. We'll do that. She said she actually resents spelling for firing.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. I don't know I could see him going either way…

Timothy Williams: He used behind her back. When asked…

Ben Carpenter: because I as his career progressed.

Timothy Williams: how she felt at the time about the finished film.

Ben Carpenter: He kind of had roles that.

Timothy Williams: She had this to say look it wasn't John's script and…

Ben Carpenter: You could see him both as the Palm Hanks character or…

Timothy Williams: that broke my heart it absolutely broke my heart…

Ben Carpenter: the John Candy character.

Timothy Williams: but it had our bones even…

Ben Carpenter: And in that I couldn't quite see him in the Eugene Levy role,…

Timothy Williams: though the script was different. It still had enough of that Essence that …

Ben Carpenter: but I don't…

Timothy Williams: it is a good movie.

Ben Carpenter: but Yeah,…

Timothy Williams: It's fun. so

Timothy Williams: Not surprisingly Hughes turned down directing the Rewritten script.

Ben Carpenter: that's interesting. What you said about, …

Timothy Williams: Ron Howard was…

Ben Carpenter: the script being changed from Hughes version…

Timothy Williams: then offered the opportunity to direct the film after he was declined…

Ben Carpenter: because I did that's kind…

Timothy Williams: but turned it down to do Splash instead.

Ben Carpenter: how I felt about the movie was that there was a lot in it that I thought it was sort of like a

Timothy Williams: Ironically enough Michael Keaton turned down a Roland Splash to do this movie instead. Keaton told great land that he turned down one of the main roles in Splash to play Jack Butler. He said I remember at the time thinking I wanted to get away from…

Ben Carpenter: larval version of a John Hughes script, That was just not quite vacation or…

Timothy Williams: what I've done in night shift. He said I thought if I'd do it again, I might get myself stuck.

Ben Carpenter: Christmas vacation or you…

Timothy Williams: So then Mr. Mom came along.

Ben Carpenter: one of any of his other family comedies,…

Timothy Williams: So I said no to Splash I could set up this framework right away…

Ben Carpenter: but there were little glimpses of that.

Timothy Williams: where I could do different things and…

Ben Carpenter: And so I just kind of talked it up to it being you…

Timothy Williams: I'm wondering if it wasn't the lead in splash of maybe he was more than John Candy role…

00:20:00

Ben Carpenter: the first one that he had written before,…

Timothy Williams: which was a little bit more zany like his character was and…

Ben Carpenter: prior to those and that he evolved…

Timothy Williams: Did you ever see night shift with my yeah.

Ben Carpenter: but it's interesting to think that maybe it was just as fully formed as those And that you…

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: it got messed up in the production process a little bit.

Timothy Williams: right right

Ben Carpenter: Not that there's anything wrong with the movie really. I enjoyed it but there was stuff in it that you felt this.

Timothy Williams: No, no.

Ben Carpenter: This is what became so funny in Christmas vacation or something like that. It was stuff that was just sort of The Germ of an idea that he felt like he was later developed in later movies.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: right

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: right

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Timothy Williams: Mm- Right, right.

Timothy Williams: yeah, and there I see that I see a lot of similarities between this in vacation as far as the family and…

Ben Carpenter: 

Timothy Williams: the dad being not as smart as he thinks he is and the wife being smarter and the kids and kind of being more adult than you think leave us even in this with the kids. I love the one after he talks to the youngest about Leaving it's getting rid of the will be and the older son sit on the steps and put xanosaurs it had to be done. he's a father as well. Tell me, look understand that something. you're 10, what do you know, so those kind of things…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, it's summer so.

Timothy Williams: which I'm sure like, she said I think the essence of a John Hughes film was definitely there. They probably just, brought in some other Riders to punch up some areas or things that they wanted to change to make it more what they thought was gonna be successful, but

Timothy Williams: But yeah, so then let's see Stan dragati, which I was not a name that I recognized ended up directing. The film dragati had previously helmed the 1979 comedy Love At First Bite starring George Hamilton. So he was known as a comedy director. He did a few other comedies not as successful later on. This was actually the third feature film made by TV producer Aaron Spelling…

Ben Carpenter: Sorry.

Timothy Williams: who recounted in his Memoir. I couldn't find a film that was suitable to take my kids to so we made this one. Which makes sense.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: But yeah, it's still cracks me up. The dynasty writers came in to write on Mr. Mom. I would have thought because nothing coming off of we just recently did Money Pit and even somewhat of Inner Space that we talked about where we kind of done a lot of comedies really…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: which is good. Sometimes, somebody the good comedy to get through the day but

Timothy Williams: Watching this one again. I was like, in some of the reviews we've seen they kind of get a bad rap for feeling like TV Tropes or be having TV sitcom writers coming in and do a little more broad comedy and I was like,…

Ben Carpenter: yeah, I guess not there was definitely more separation between TV and…

Timothy Williams: that seems almost like a Dean today, but you think back to the 80s sitcoms were

Ben Carpenter: film as far as sort of The Prestige factor and I think that's probably where the critics saying that it felt, too much like a TV show maybe that's where that came from. I didn't really notice watching it that I didn't think this feels just like a 80s sitcom or anything. I wondered How much this movie? Sort of established some of those rules about Family characters in family sitcoms going forward. the I don't know…

Timothy Williams: Where was that? in 80s sitcoms ruled the world?

Ben Carpenter: where it dates back to…

Timothy Williams: I mean TV,…

Ben Carpenter: if it was this movie or…

Timothy Williams: sitcoms were way more popular,…

Ben Carpenter: a little bit prior to this,…

Timothy Williams: I guess than they are today.

Ben Carpenter: but sort of the bumbling dad character…

Timothy Williams: There's not as many of them today so that I think translating onto film kind of made sense you could do more in the movie sense,…

00:25:00

Ben Carpenter: which is, still sort of a Trope that you see a lot of on TV,…

Timothy Williams: but it still held on to some of those things.

Ben Carpenter: especially I guess or…

Timothy Williams: They knew the audiences were gonna…

Ben Carpenter: but

Timothy Williams: if a sitcoms doing well at home just taking it to a different audience in the theater, giving a little bit more time of a story and then adding maybe some more humor adult language. You couldn't put in TV show give a little bit more breath but watching it today or…

Ben Carpenter: mmm

Timothy Williams: watching it last night. I was like, there I can see parts of this where

Timothy Williams: Today this will only be a TV like you could see this is just being TV type humor, but back then it funny was funny. you didn't have that. I don't think there was as much of a differentiation between TV comedy and movie comedy at least not for a PG family type movie.

Ben Carpenter: right

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: right Okay.

Timothy Williams: for sure. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: yeah.

Timothy Williams: yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Ben Carpenter: and not

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah. I'm kind of think of like family sitcoms before this trying to think of, the reruns that I remember growing up on the sitcoms runs,…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, I can't see Michael Douglas like you said,…

Timothy Williams: I grew up on weren't really family.

Ben Carpenter: but the other ones yeah,…

Timothy Williams: You had the Jeffersons you had I mean good times.

Ben Carpenter: maybe would have been a slightly different movie, but you could see them doing it.

Timothy Williams: I guess it's kind of a family one day at a time. But you had a cheers is kind of around the same time Taxi.

Ben Carpenter: 

Ben Carpenter: No, I was just going to say about Michael Keaton. so yeah, his movies between this one and…

Timothy Williams: A Barney Miller my dad watched that a…

Timothy Williams: So yeah, I mean the family sitcom was really kind of right after this 84,…

Ben Carpenter: Batman I feel like I always Thought of Michael Keaton as usually being the best part of a bad movie.

Timothy Williams: Family Ties Growing Pains Cosby Show. That's kind of when it all kind of really hit.

Ben Carpenter: but yeah,…

Timothy Williams: Really hit the numbers later before that.

Ben Carpenter: yeah, but he was always you and…

Timothy Williams: Family shows are more like dramas. I mean, I guess you had Partridge Family and Brady Bunch,…

Ben Carpenter: always enjoyed seeing him in these bad movies g-ho Johnny dangerously those are not great movies,…

Timothy Williams: I guess with some big considered family a comedy but I wouldn't consider those sitcoms necessarily we would consider now,…

Ben Carpenter: but He was always the best part of it.

Timothy Williams: but you had Eight is Enough, which is more like a drama. kind of a show so Anyway, we're getting way off subject.

Ben Carpenter: Really? Okay.

Timothy Williams: But.

Ben Carpenter: Maybe that's another one. I haven't seen in 30 years.

Timothy Williams: We're thinking way too hard about this.

Ben Carpenter: So maybe I need to give that one another chance, too.

Timothy Williams: Let's talk about this funny movie Let's jump into casting. Of course. We talked about Michael Keaton on previous episode. Of course, we talked we covered him and during Batman but brief synopsis of his career keeping gained early recognition for his comedic roles and night shift and 82 and of course Beetlejuice in 88. He gained wider stardom portraying the title superhero in Batman 89 and Batman Returns, and I tell 92 his subsequent films include Pacific Heights in 1990 much to do about nothing in 93 the paper in 94 Jackie Brown and 97 The Other Guys in 2010. He also performed voice roles and the animated films cars in 2006 Toy Story 3 in 2010 and minions and 2015. He made his return to super hero films for training the vulture and Spider-Man Homecoming in 2017 as well as recently reprising his role as Batman and the Flash and 2023.

Timothy Williams: So Schuler was told by a friend agent Lori Perlman about this guy quote unquote who was really funny who she represented that being Michael Keaton after meeting Keaton and seeing his screen debut night shift Schuler sent the actor that Mr. Mom script. makes sense Of course, we have the other actors that are rumored quote unquote to have been considered for the role Chevy Chase, which makes sense Michael Douglas. Don't see that Steve Martin Robin Williams John Goodman and John Travolta. So it's not a super extensive list, but Yeah.

00:30:00

Ben Carpenter: Not compare them to Tom Hanks because I think like you said they were probably up for a lot of the same Parts Tom Hanks.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. and this would

Ben Carpenter: I think maybe made better choices or just had better luck sometimes you pick a great script and thanks get messed up along the way and Tom Hanks was I think they could have switched roles in a lot of movies, but Tom Hanks was usually in the better ones and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah, he had some terrible.

Ben Carpenter: Like I said, Michael Keaton was usually the best thing about the bad ones.

Timothy Williams: He had some terrible movies between these. Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: So yeah. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Mm- Yeah. yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: I love gung-ho is still one of my fail it's just that that's a fun favorite of mine that I've watched many times. So yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, I mean. And that's just one that I remember going to the feet the dollar theater to see that one and one that just repeatedly played on HBO. So I just saw it kind of this when you see it. So many times you just become so ingrained in your Nostalgia that even if is a bad movie you don't care because you just remember loving it so much as the kids so, I'm sure that's how I still feel about it. It has its law Trust me I mean, but he had some other ones like the big squeeze on if you ever saw that one with radon Chong where He finds out the lottery is rigged like a lot of these I saw on VHS that came out the squeeze there was one touch and go with heat with him and he was a hockey player.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, she's one of those.

Timothy Williams: I think in that one, which pretty terrible.

Timothy Williams: But yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: actresses that you…

Timothy Williams: Johnny dangerously is fun. I've seen that one.

Ben Carpenter: I guess I forget the movies that she's been in not that she's not memorable when you mention those specific movies.

Timothy Williams: But yeah until he had had a couple of not great movies until Beetlejuice and really it was only because of the success of Beetlejuice that he was able to get Batman…

Ben Carpenter: I'm like, yeah. She was really good in that but I forget she was in Close Encounters and…

Timothy Williams: which of course we talked about on that episode. But yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: …

Timothy Williams: but he's…

Ben Carpenter: let's see and…

Timothy Williams: but you're right anything he's in he's great in it.

Ben Carpenter: and stuff like that but until …

Timothy Williams: Whether the overall movie is good or…

Ben Carpenter: but I maybe have just forgotten a lot of those things…

Timothy Williams: It's still fun to watch me. He adds him.

Ben Carpenter: because as you said she hasn't worked in a long time,…

Timothy Williams: It's like him and Tom Hanks. They have their own style that

Ben Carpenter: but she was really in a lot of really good movies in the 80s.

Timothy Williams: That aids that Charisma that can carry something that's not as good. So

Timothy Williams: Mm-hmm

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: yeah. yeah.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: Right, but at least comedically she's supposed to be the straight man character.

Timothy Williams: I would agree with that. I would agree with that.

Ben Carpenter: to Michael Keaton's character and so she doesn't have a lot to do comedically I guess but I think the straight man character often doesn't get enough credit for making it work when the wacky character is doing his or her thing, so

Timothy Williams: I so let's move on to Teri Garr as his wife Carolyn Butler so gar gained prominence for her roles and France it for Francis Ford Coppola's Thriller the conversation in 74 Mel. Brooks's comedy Young Frankenstein in 74 and Steven Spielberg science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 77 here in the Academy Award nomination for best supporting actors for a role in the Sydney Pollock comedy Tootsie in 82 her quick wit and…

Ben Carpenter: All right. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Charming banter made her assault after guest on late night shows such as the night tonight show starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman in the 90.

Ben Carpenter: Okay, I could see any of those I guess.

Timothy Williams: She appeared in two films by Robert Altman the player in 92 and predator. Probably said the wrongs probably in French 1994 followed by supporting roles and…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: Michael in 96 and…

Ben Carpenter: mmm

Timothy Williams: goes toward on 2001.

Timothy Williams: She also appeared on the television show as Phoebe Abbott and three episodes of the sitcom Friends in 2002. She announced she would been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis the symptoms of which it affected her ability to perform beginning in the 90s. She retired from acting in 2011. So

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

00:35:00

Timothy Williams: I think I remember her most I hadn't seen Tootsie it by the time this came out, but my mom was a big fan of young Frankensteins. Every time they came on TV we would watch it. And so that's really the only thing that I kind of remembered her from so I only recognize her from Comedy. So to go back and see that she was in the conversation and close encounters. It's like, she can do drama and comedy which you kind of see that in she's not really playing the theme to see female character. I think shes to I would expect she's really a strong woman character in this which I thought was it.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Hey, Yeah straight man straight one. Yeah. right

Timothy Williams: mmm

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah.

Timothy Williams: Right, right. So she actually had an interview with the AV club and said that when the producers pitched the movie tour, they didn't tell her about the plot reversal.

Ben Carpenter: I didn't know I could stop.

Timothy Williams: She said they told me it was about a guy who does the work that a woman does because it's so easy and I went. yeah. It's so easy all the women. I know who stay at home and take care of the kids. They go. yeah. This is easy being too. So yeah, and then the rumor mill in this one the actresses considered for the role Karen Allen Jane Curtin Farrah Fawcett and…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: Hey, yeah.

Timothy Williams: Sally Field.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, Farrah Fawcett's probably one of and…

Ben Carpenter: mmm

Timothy Williams: maybe not so much but yeah, Jane Curtin and saw the field easily could have done that role I think. And then we'll talk about the kids Frederick Kohler as Alex Butler the oldest son. There's not much on him. But even though as an adult, he looks familiar. I've seen him another stuff American actor best known for his role as chip Lowell on the TV series Kate and Ally as well as Andrew schlitter Schillinger on the HBO drama Oz and he had some other really small movie credits. So yeah. I remember. Yeah, he was. I don't yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, I got to say probably my favorite is Gene parmesan on Arrested Development of it.

Timothy Williams: I don't think I remember watching Kate and Alley, but I think I remember as a kid recognizing from being on TV.

Ben Carpenter: Remember him popping up and…

Timothy Williams: So he probably had some guest starring roles as well.

Ben Carpenter: surprising Jessica Walter's character and…

Timothy Williams: And then the younger son Kenny was played by Allison Jaffe buchananas began his career as a child actor appearing in films such as Mr. Mom in 2010.

Ben Carpenter: she'd always screamed it excitedly when he would show up and he would say hi. I'm Jean parmesan.

Timothy Williams: The year we make contact on TV had guest appearances on such series as The Facts of Life and amazing stories.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: yeah. Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, this is almost the same part. So yeah, probably so Jack Nicholson, That would have taken it in a different direction. And yeah.

Timothy Williams: He was a regular on the short-lived ABC sitcom Hail to the Chief son of the first fictional or…

Ben Carpenter: mmm

Timothy Williams: the fictional first female president of the United States played by Patty Duke from 8789. He played Kenny Granger on she's the sheriff starring Suzanne Somers and eight in a 2018 interview. He discussed how he was offered the role of Brian Tanner on Alf but indicated that his parents turned it down. So after severals, he did not enjoy being a child actor after a bad audition his father told him he could either put in more effort for more roles or quit acting and having not previously realized that quitting was an option immediately chose to quit. he returned to a career in entertainment a few years later being a voice actor for dubbing anime and game shows beginning in the year 2000. So.

Timothy Williams: He was great as Kathleen. I think the two kids did really well for the parts. They had, Kenny and this will be one of my favorites so No other acting credits but wanted to give recognition to Courtney and Brittany White who were the twins that played the baby Megan Butler so they didn't do anything else besides this movie. All right. So then we got Martin Mull as Ron Richardson. I love that name Ron Richardson. As an actor he first became known for his role in Mary Hartman and it spin-off Fernwood tonight among. His other notable roles are Colonel Mustard in the 1990 1985 film clue Leon Carpenter Roseanne Willard Craft on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

00:40:00

Timothy Williams: Vlad Masters and Vlad plasmus on Danny Phantom and Jean parmesan on Arrested Development. He had a recurring role in Two and a Half Men as Russell the drug using humorous pharmacist. So Martin moles just kind of one of those guys that you just seen him in a million things.

Ben Carpenter: I remember the title. I don't remember the premise and I do feel like maybe I watched it but

Timothy Williams: So the rumor mill on this one was Dabney Coleman, Jeffrey Jones Burt Reynolds and Jack Nicholson. there's a big difference between those.

Ben Carpenter: Okay,

Timothy Williams: But Dabney Coleman would have ruled this role as well. I kind of swarmy but at the end he kind of played that already in nine to five. So I'm sure that's probably why he didn't kind of jump with the chance of this one, but

Timothy Williams: Yeah, there's no way there.

Timothy Williams: Is no way he was gonna do that. But interesting to put his name there for Sorry, I hit a button and it went to the bottom of my.

Timothy Williams: There we go. All…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: and then Seymour as Eve Carolyn's co-worker in 1980. She moved from England to the United States and made numerous appearances on TV shows including part to Heart. Family Ties Cagney and Lacey Remington Steele Magnum PI The Twilight Zone Murder She Wrote Matlock Quantum Leap Star Trek the Next Generation La law Star Trek Voyager and so I just remember her being the British lady in this movie The

Timothy Williams: yeah. in any of those

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, I do remember that. Yes.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: And it's funny because I was kind of working on some of the research when I talked about how long…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: how long has it been since we watched it before we watched over the podcast. I just watched this in the last year because it was streaming on Max for a good little while.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: And so while I was on Max, I think either early this year I think was earlier this year.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, same here.

Timothy Williams: I was like, I haven't seen a line you were gonna do it eventually.

Ben Carpenter: I had forgotten she was in it as well.

Timothy Williams: It was like I really want to watch it. So I put it in and for some reason I thought that she had a bigger role in this than she really does. So when I was doing the research before we watching it yesterday I had her on here and then when I got finished she really barely in it she has one scene when Carolyn first starts and you called him Ron who told you call them wrong. He did but she had a pretty

Ben Carpenter: Yeah. Yeah, that's that.

Timothy Williams: she had a good little stuff she had been in And…

Ben Carpenter: I guess that still exists that mentality like,…

Timothy Williams: then anjillian as Joan.

Ben Carpenter: there can only be one blonde to this picture.

Timothy Williams: Probably one of my favorite characters. She's just so funny Gillian appeared in more than 25 films. Mostly for television though. She had nearly two decades worth of film and television credits already. She first came to National prominence in the 80s series. It's a living a sitcom that elevated Jillian to sex symbol status in the 80s. She was the last to be signed onto the series and received last place billing the sitcom aired for two seasons on ABC before being canceled due to low ratings and was sold into syndication for the burgeoning cable television market the show became a surprise success in syndication. Toward the end of her time on the series for the ABC run. She portrayed Mae West in 1982 made for television movie. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. do you remember it's a living was that show that you watched that you remember?

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, it was mainly a group of women that were waitresses at this big wig restaurant that was at the top of a hotel or something like that. And so I remember I think I only watched the syndicated ones as I was probably a little bit older or probably about maybe a little after the time this movie came out and so

00:45:00

Ben Carpenter: right

Ben Carpenter: mmm

Timothy Williams: So I remember that and I found it on I think you could find the ABC one seasons on to be and…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: Right. Yeah,…

Timothy Williams: When I saw it,…

Ben Carpenter: I could definitely relate to that part.

Timothy Williams: I watched a couple episodes I don't remember it seemed very different.

Ben Carpenter: That was one of the scenes that many times I felt like I Don't know everybody else knows…

Timothy Williams: So I'm sure the syndicated version was a little different than the first two seasons, but yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: how this is done, but I don't yeah.

Timothy Williams: but a lot of people I recognize some other actresses on the show that saw on other stuff later that's interesting thing, but it really wasn't that funny at least the way I could see why I didn't last long on ABC but she's definitely the standout she was

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, no surprises.

Timothy Williams: the better of many of the other actresses ladies on the show, but she had good comic timing…

Ben Carpenter: .

Timothy Williams: but I think my mom was a big fan of hers as well. And when you look at her filmography, she'd been all the way back to Leave It To Beaver episodes is like a child so she'd been a lot of stuff but I remember there was a movie that came on in.

Timothy Williams: It was a miniser. no, it's another thing of I didn't put in my notes, but she got diagnosed with breast cancer and she made a movie about her battle with breast cancer and played herself. And I remember my mom watching that. Yeah, But that was in the 90s or late 80s early 90s when she did that but yeah, she did a lot of stuff. She was big on Bob Hope had her on a lot of his tv specials.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, and so funny on Larry Sanders and…

Timothy Williams: She was very athletic very fit.

Ben Carpenter: Arrested Development both just yeah,…

Timothy Williams: So she was in battle of the Network stars and circus of the Stars specials.

Ben Carpenter: he's great.

Timothy Williams: And then yeah, so there was a lot more stuff, but I'm not gonna read all that. He had a…

Ben Carpenter: Mm-hmm

Timothy Williams: When I rewatched it early this year. I forgot that she was in it like I remembered the character of Joan but it didn't hit me that it was Angelina until I saw him says. that's Angela because I think about the same time.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah. Yeah,…

Timothy Williams: I'd gone back and sort of watching.

Ben Carpenter: I mean obviously it was before he was Doc Brown,…

Timothy Williams: It's a living as well. So I put those together.

Ben Carpenter: but it was after taxi and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah, this is one of the only movies…

Ben Carpenter: I don't know. he done One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Timothy Williams: where she appeared as a brunette most likely…

Ben Carpenter: I'm trying to think…

Timothy Williams: because the director and…

Ben Carpenter: what else he had…

Timothy Williams: Terry guard didn't want her to steal Terry garth's Thunder as the lead blonde on the set won't quote.

Ben Carpenter: but To me, it's always surprising to see him playing sort of a normal person.

Timothy Williams: But it was our first film role after 20 year hiatus.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, so he's dressed in a suit sitting in the back of the taxi.

Timothy Williams: So kind of brought her back into the spotlight, I guess. but

Ben Carpenter: It's Christopher Lloyd and he's not weird in this movie. So yeah.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: I think you can. It's funny because we're watching it now. I feel like the brunette was a wig she looked like she wore a wig the whole movie he didn't like a real here and maybe because I'm used to seeing the street. I think normally she has straight blonde hair. So because it was all curly in this but I guess too because for her to be kind of like the woman that's trying to get Jack's attention.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: You don't want to look at so much like the wife,…

Ben Carpenter: yeah.

Timothy Williams: you want to be somewhat different, physically, I guess what the hair color and different but yeah. it's still laugh when she sees him at the grocery store and…

Ben Carpenter: Yes.

Timothy Williams: then she's walking out with her friend and she says by it. She goes, he's married. She's so where we want a singing along with her intentions right away what her role is gonna be so

Timothy Williams: But who I didn't realize she looks so familiar, but the other friend a net is played by Miriam Flynn why I didn't know This is cousin Catherine from National Lampoon's Vacation. it is wife and I was like, I should have known that through that was because once I realized that I was like, how did I not see that before but totally different character, but yeah same person.

Timothy Williams: Yep, so that was her so I think she must have filmed both around the same time because they both came out the same time. Of course, she has a much bigger role in Christmas Vacation than she did and the original vacation because they really just make it kind of a cameo they're at the beginning but still she was good. I liked her scene when he's dropping off the kids for the first time when it's raining and she's like, hi Jack, South South for drop off North for pickup or whatever it is, so

Timothy Williams: yeah.

Timothy Williams: Right, but I think that that scene is probably good that I saw that at such a young age because then when I was dropping my daughter off was like I want to know the rules before I get there.

00:50:00

Ben Carpenter: my kids I think each of them probably had something like that that they were,…

Timothy Williams: I don't want to be in the wrong way. to be the information up front So…

Ben Carpenter: we realized that they were too attached to that and …

Timothy Williams: then we got Jeffrey Tambor as Jinx Latham.

Ben Carpenter: I think…

Timothy Williams: He's known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brooks in the uptight neighbor.

Ben Carpenter: if I'm remembering correctly, I think my daughter had a blanket that …

Timothy Williams: I'm sorry the uptight neighbor of Stanley and…

Ben Carpenter: I don't know if I can say this publicly.

Timothy Williams: Helen Roper and…

Ben Carpenter: She's 20 now,…

Timothy Williams: the TV sitcom The Ropers from 1979 to 1980.

Ben Carpenter: but she might get angry.

Timothy Williams: He was also Hank on the Larry Sanders show George Luth senior and…

Ben Carpenter: But I think we started cutting parts of the blanket. until there wasn't much left.

Timothy Williams: Oscar Bluth on as we mentioned before it's a development.

Timothy Williams: This film roles include Jay Porter in Injustice for all in 79 Sully and…

Ben Carpenter: Are but yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: not you may have to cut that part out or…

Timothy Williams: There's Something About Mary 98 mayor Augustus,…

Ben Carpenter: she'll never forgive me.

Timothy Williams: May who and however Grinch Stole Christmas in 2000. He was also in the Hellboy and Hellboy 2 movie as well as the hangover Trilogy the accountant and…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, no actually leave that in…

Timothy Williams: the death of Stalin.

Ben Carpenter: because that'll be a good way for me to know whether my daughter actually listens to this.

Timothy Williams: I mean, Jeffrey Tambor had been in so many things.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, if she's mad at me in a couple weeks, I'll know.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, small role but very memorable and then another one that I forgot since this movie Christopher Lloyd is one of the co-workers. As Larry of course, he's best known for Doc Brown and as a character on Taxi, so I won't go into much on his but …

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, …

Timothy Williams: he got in the carpool. I was like there's Doc Brown in the back and…

Ben Carpenter: what like this. I jotted down notes for all of the other episodes.

Timothy Williams: a suit.

Ben Carpenter: I've done so far. But this one I just enjoyed it.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. yeah. Taxi, yeah.

Ben Carpenter: There wasn't that much like that. I thought I've got to write that down like it was just like it's a sweet little nice funny family comedy.

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Ben Carpenter: I don't know that it's I guess it is a scene,…

Timothy Williams: Normal person.

Ben Carpenter: the scene where Martin comes in and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah. Right, right.

Ben Carpenter: not Jack wants to pretend like he's got more going on than He does and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah. Especially this time coming off of taxi and…

Ben Carpenter: so he's got the chainsaw and…

Timothy Williams: playing gym,…

Ben Carpenter: stuff like that. And I did watch this as you pointed out.

Timothy Williams: which is such a wild character is like him being just normally who is this person? So yeah. And then I'll mention Graham Jarvis as Humphreys the president of Schooner tuna.

Ben Carpenter: I usually drag some family member in to watch this I watch this with one of my sons and He laughed a lot of couple times,…

Timothy Williams: He was also on Mary Hartman so mention that he didn't tell he looked familiar.

Ben Carpenter: but I think the biggest laugh was. Can I get your beer? It's seven in the morning. scotch

Timothy Williams: He's been a ton of TV shows Murder She Wrote and All in the Family Mash Morgan Mindy star Skin Hutch the list goes on and…

Ben Carpenter: 

Timothy Williams: just throw his name in there and then my favorite Cameo ball. Edie McClurg has a checkout lady in the grocery store.

Ben Carpenter: Mm-hmm

Timothy Williams: And of course we know Edie McClurg from Kerry and…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: 76 Ferris Bueller's Day Off 86 all viral Mistress of the dark and 88 bit Parts in Cheech and Chong's next movie back to school Planes Trains and Automobiles.

Timothy Williams: To name a few but Edie McClurg is fantastic. And so one of my favorite scenes so

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Mm- probably very small bit Parts, but just always playing that kind of funny role. So High let's jump into or any other people on the cast I might have missed I think I tried to cover the majority ones that had someone to do with the movie but it's pretty much jacking the kids and

Timothy Williams: and Ron Richardson Yeah, yeah.

Ben Carpenter: exactly

Ben Carpenter: Yeah. Right exactly.

Timothy Williams: All let's talk iconic favorite scenes. So if someone mentioned Mr. Mom to you, what's the first thing that pops in your mind?

Ben Carpenter: He sizing them up and yeah.

Timothy Williams: Jaws yeah, your mom calls the vacuum cleaner jobs.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah flippers and

Timothy Williams: 

Timothy Williams: Parts of it off. wow.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: I love the scene…

Ben Carpenter: Right. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: where he Staples it back together when he's like,…

Ben Carpenter: And Martin Mullis,…

Timothy Williams: but my will be ripped and…

00:55:00

Ben Carpenter: so determined to Win It.

Timothy Williams: he starts you the stapler.

Timothy Williams: There you go. Good as new.

Ben Carpenter: And yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: apparently has always won it they always let him win…

Timothy Williams: This is the podcast.

Ben Carpenter: which is Mm-hmm.

Timothy Williams: right Yeah. Dad yeah Yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: I mean I said the grocery store scene I could really relate to I remember trips to the grocery store with my kids when they were about that age that it's …

Timothy Williams: the vacuum scene is good the will be seen as good. for me iconic scene

Timothy Williams: We're trying to think I tell myself every time watching we want to write I'm gonna write this stuff down like no I'll remember. Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: you get in these situations where you're just so frustrated and so angry and you're in your…

Timothy Williams: several you just want to watch it. Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: but you're in an environment where you can't express it so I could definitely relate to that and

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: mmm

Timothy Williams: yeah, what do you

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: scotch

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: right

Ben Carpenter: that's not scene. think that feels very John Hughes that whole thing. I think that must have been something that made it through intact from his original script.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, I love that. Yeah, I was gonna say I think that probably is the most iconic as him walking in with the chainsaw the overalls the head, Detroit Lions baseball cap on backwards in the goggles. So this was so cool. I usually kind of see you in…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: but we're talking about I'll bring it up. so the comment about 220 is action reference to electric service not to a building code, which it didn't know that until now but

Timothy Williams: He didn't talked about that scene and how that was improved or…

Ben Carpenter: Right and then he leaves and…

Timothy Williams: that wasn't in the script. They said we're doing the scene that day and…

Ben Carpenter: they're like he didn't see Rocky.

Timothy Williams: it was okay. I remember saying that the prop guy go find me a chainsaw when he comes back with it. He says you want to wear these and he holds up some goggles and I go yeah, they made me look crazy. And then when Martin shows up, I know I should look under control. I'm not sweating it. I'm a dude.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: So we're standing there Martin pulls me aside and says, what you ought to say when I say about the wire I'm gonna just deadpan 220 to 21.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: I said, it was perfect. I may have added the whatever it takes but it was all his and then Martin mol said there was a little ad lib, we threw it in but every Carpenter or construction person I've ever worked with they're always quoting that line from Mr. Mom. So I'm like, I mean probably most quoted part of the movie is 220 221, whatever it takes,

Timothy Williams: and I just love this eye roll after he says it, Martin roles. I roll like all he does no idea what I'm talking about. So it's like yeah, my competition is in the stiff as I thought I was gonna be. Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: mmm, right

Timothy Williams: yeah, the other scene that I think about it is the

Ben Carpenter: Yeah after he's totally cracked.

Timothy Williams: an obstacle course scene at the company picnic and it's like they're all talking about they're all stretching and getting ready in the first thing they're running out with

Timothy Williams: a Scuba Dives the red webbed feet thing.

Ben Carpenter: mmm

Timothy Williams: Yes, yeah and everything they're doing is totally ludicrous little games that Martin Mull feels like he's got it.

Ben Carpenter: Right, right.

Timothy Williams: He's got a win and Court jets that looks like he's gonna beat him and He looks at Carolyn knows if I gotta let him win or she's gonna lose her job which pretty terrible but the Chariots of Fire music playing in the background was just that that scene always made me laugh as a kid was still funny watching it today because you're expecting some serious obstacle course, they're about to play and it's all just …

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, I think I remember that scene striking me it seemed like they just turned the hoses on and…

Timothy Williams: was a riding the tricycle around cones with it.

Ben Carpenter: said Michael go stop them and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah.

Ben Carpenter: All of the comedy came naturally. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Right, right. Of course, He's the boss. Any other favorite scenes you want to mention?

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, I think so.

Timothy Williams: that we talked about a few I've already yeah.

01:00:00

Timothy Williams: 

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: One thing I didn't know until I saw the notes and the funny thing is when I was doing the notes. I was actually watching the movie and it was on at the same time. There are no men in that grocery store except for Every person in the grocery store and I was like, that's not right and I watch I was like, yes, every person in the background is a woman. So it's even more funny that they had it all women in the store. he's the only man in the store which I thought was funny,…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: but I love when he's checking out. It was like wait You're not was it.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, I feel like that was a common.

Timothy Williams: You're not Kenny and…

Timothy Williams: so that he's running through the store.

Ben Carpenter: The premise of this movie kind of became a common premise for episodes of sitcoms.

Timothy Williams: And I gave us a kid here have some spaghetti and they could just throws us spaghetti down and he's like hey trade you my kid for yours. Okay. Wait, I don't have any kids.

Ben Carpenter: Do just sort of like …

Timothy Williams: It's so great and…

Ben Carpenter: we switch things up. the dad's got to take care of things that he's not used to taking care of and…

Timothy Williams: then, clean up enough or if I was never in aisle four,

Ben Carpenter: then knows obviously always,…

Timothy Williams: That whole sequence is really good…

Ben Carpenter: things never went as planned.

Timothy Williams: then having to go and was the maxi pads or whatever trying to be all cool and Suave. It's like dude just grab them if there's no cool points there just do what you got to do but nobody's paying attention to you anyway,…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: who cares you doing so all that stuff

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah.

Timothy Williams: The other scene that I was laughing at which is early on before he inspired where he's talking to the worker down on the line and they're all upset we know he's like,…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: it's always the movies of the week. We've been so Rocky which Rocky was it one two, or three? I don't know. What's the guy fighting we had a mohawk and it doesn't matter. It was like forget the movie freely what I'm saying is, we're on the ropes. We're not out of it, you…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: but it's like You're good.

Timothy Williams: I don't know who wrote that seed with that that always makes me laugh just always on this movie Rocky which Rocky was it one two or three? It's like I was like, man, I'm caught already And it's funny because seeing him in that and…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: then of course in gung, he's kind of that same character where he's always trying to kind of bees with BS his way out of a situation, uses his mouth to get himself out of things. So, Yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: Right. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: that makes me laugh.

Ben Carpenter: Yes at same thing.

Timothy Williams: That's a scene that I remember watching yesterday was I gotta bring up the rocky scene…

Ben Carpenter: I also made that Home Improvement connection that it felt a lot like that.

Timothy Williams: because that makes me laugh.

Ben Carpenter: hadn't thought of Mrs. Doubtfire though,…

Timothy Williams: But yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: but now that you say that they are kind of movies that share a lot of the same DNA I think.

Timothy Williams: the fighting with the vacuum cleaner with pulling the will be out. One of my favorite lines was it at the end when Joan shows up and he's redic redecorating the downstairs and any don't paint your sister because

Timothy Williams: No. Yeah. Yeah and then another thing like this what the physical comedy one of my other favorite scenes is when …

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: my favorite sequence is that first day is home and all the repair people come at the same time, which another thing I took note as a kid never have everybody come one time the TV America comes in the Exterminator all that kind of stuff whether you…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: you fed your baby chili, that

Timothy Williams: But then he's downstairs with the washing machine and then he's fighting the hoses like that scene was so well done of him trying to catch him and not hold one again,…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: the physical comedy. that's one to be a master class of just watching that scene of him fighting those hoses like that. That's just so funny.

Ben Carpenter: mmm

Timothy Williams: If're how do you choreograph that? Yeah. Yeah. He was so good in that. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: I think I got all of my system now. I got all my favorite things got

Timothy Williams: no not another one.

01:05:00

Timothy Williams: trivia And we'll start to wrap this one up. So it fun fact an 83 more women stayed at home than worked.

Ben Carpenter: Really?

Timothy Williams: So was the novelty for a man to be a stay-at-home dad today an estimated 1.4 million men are stay at home dads and…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: seven million men are their children's primary caregiver. The producer told Newsweek Mr. Mom became part of the vernacular Mr. Mom represented a segment of men who aren't home dealing with the kids who up until then really hadn't been heard from That's what really told me about the power of the film…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: because it spoke for a lot of men it also helped women because I think that sometimes if you're a housewife, you're not really appreciated for what you do this sort of made women feel better about what they did because they knew that men were understanding it which I think is true. I think, kind of exposing the working men to…

Ben Carpenter: It was like his will be.

Timothy Williams: what their wives have to deal with on a daily basis and could they really handle it? So

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Mm-hmm

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, you kind of think about a show who's the boss is not quite the same but a male housekeeper, kind of the gender roles kind of switch. that's what made that show such a big hit and I think even when growing pains wasn't the dad worked from home because He moved his office at home while the wife went to work outside. So he was kind of more home dealing with the kids. But I even think this kind of made way for movies like Mrs. Doubtfire, for kind of a different take in a different spin on it,…

Ben Carpenter: so they made it and…

Timothy Williams: but the dad wanted to take care of the kids and…

Ben Carpenter: they basically remade the movie as TV movie and…

Timothy Williams: having to be in Disguise realizing What it Took and…

Ben Carpenter: it was supposed to be the beginning of a series or

Timothy Williams: there was another one I was thinking of because I think I thought about Mrs Doubtfire when trying when he's in the kitchen making the food. I don't know what noodles he puts on that pan that all of a sudden blow up all the sudden he flips it over when I saw that it made me think about Mrs. Doubtfire, but

Timothy Williams: There was something else I was like this. and…

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: Home Improvement like there. I felt like that a little bit too of the kind of the bumbling father and the smart mom that knows kind of more about…

Ben Carpenter: Or did it anyway, Okay.

Timothy Williams: know how things really are at home and even though he's Mr. Fixing everything. He's the perfect family He's doesn't really have it all together and he's, learning all his advice from the neighbor who you never see the bottom of his face, but

Ben Carpenter: right right

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Mm- Yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: so we have this movie to thank for those for sure I think.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, no.

Timothy Williams: All right, so we talked about gung ho but it's funny in the scene where Jeffrey tambor's character fires the engineers. He reassures them. He says you guys are terrific Engineers. you're too good not to catch on somewhere and Michael Keaton's character replies. Where are we going to catch on Nagasaki and then gung-ho? Which came out three years later.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, yeah, I do remember in the 80s or…

Timothy Williams: He's an automatic automotive Factory form and traveling to Japan to convince the Japanese automaker to reopen the factory.

Ben Carpenter: that was something they did, hit movie.

Timothy Williams: So I thought that was interesting little connection there.

Ben Carpenter: Let's just take it and try to put it on TV with TV actors nobody's gonna be Michael Keaton with the other Michael Keaton and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah, and my favorite scene. I love the dream sequence…

Ben Carpenter: it's just not work like it seems obvious…

Timothy Williams: where he thinks he's in the soap opera like John you got here so fast and…

Ben Carpenter: but they always try to do things like that I guess you…

Timothy Williams: you hear the music playing the background.

Ben Carpenter: there are a couple of examples of

Timothy Williams: The kids are all of a sudden the kids are playing in the background. It's raining like the kids are still outside in the rain like stuff that doesn't make sense Makes the Dream sequence, but that whole sequence. I remember because my mom was a huge Young and the Restless fans, so that themes totally emblazoned it's burned in my memory. So anytime I hear that music playing like it takes me back. So now I remember liking that scene as a kid because

Timothy Williams: Being a kid having to sit through back then because there weren't, one TV at the house. Whatever mom's watching. You see your coloring book go outside and play or you're gonna watch Young and Restless. So for them to kind of poke fun at the soap opera parts, and I like when he has the phone call, he's like can't be Victor. He had a vasectomy. It didn't take

01:10:00

Ben Carpenter: but yeah, yeah just like every movie in the 80s had a terrible TV show version that lasted three or four episodes and then Yeah,…

Timothy Williams: The upper tropes…

Ben Carpenter: right. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: but in that scene after he gets shot in the struggle for the gun Keaton lib the sip from the foaming beer bottle.

Ben Carpenter: Right exactly.

Ben Carpenter: That's a whole podcast.

Timothy Williams: He knocked over as he fell to the floor. You can actually see angelian struggling to hide her left or even with her back to the camera and I did rewatch that scene and you can see she puts her hand over mouth no,…

Ben Carpenter: Wow.

Timothy Williams: but you can see her body kind of shaking like she's trying to hold the laughter in…

Ben Carpenter: I don't remember that.

Timothy Williams: which I thought would really thought was really cute.

Ben Carpenter: 

Timothy Williams: But I always love that scene because you can tell he actually knocks it over and the beer starts to like but him grabbing it I think he kind of grinded by Instinct. It's like, what I do now, let me take a sip, and then if I love this shirt, the flower the flannel shirt after the final shirt…

Ben Carpenter: I don't remember anything else about it. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: because my dad Had a flannel shirt that he would not let go of and my mom actually brought it to our attention years later.

Timothy Williams: That you get your driver's license what every four years every five years. He had taken the same driver's license shirt in the same flannel shirt for three drivers license, but my dad with yeah, but my dad was a military so he's like every time I go to the DMV, I'm not in my military uniform. I'm just putting on I don't get to wear casual clothes that often. So that was the final shirt. I was always in November when his birthday was so it was like he was a cold outside. It's got a flannel shirt. But yeah, I remember my mom got rid of that shirt and I was like, that was his will be yeah. so

Timothy Williams: All right, so I know this will be the last little piece of trivial will have other stuff in the show notes.

Ben Carpenter: yeah, and…

Timothy Williams: So we didn't get to cover she can check that there.

Timothy Williams: So as I mentioned the beginning The Producers want to Mr. Mom to be a TV movie not a feature film…

Ben Carpenter: That was one of the things that I thought about was,…

Ben Carpenter: those are the movies that I think John Hughes is more famous for the teen comedies…

Timothy Williams: but a year after the film came out in theaters ABC actually produced a TV movie called Mr. Mom with the same characters and…

Ben Carpenter: but a lot of his best work is the movies like this the family ones the Planes Trains and…

Timothy Williams: premise Barry Van Dyke played Jack and Rebecca York played Carolyn People magazine review of the movie stated. They in their three kids are immediate immediately likable,…

Ben Carpenter: Automobiles and The two good vacation movies are the ones he did.

Timothy Williams: but it goes downhill from there as a script lobotomizes all its characters.

Ben Carpenter: so yeah, he's

Timothy Williams: Here's a textbook case and how TV takes a cute idea and a script that does have some good lines and…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, I don't know.

Timothy Williams: leeches the wit out of it.

Ben Carpenter: I'm done.

Timothy Williams: And obviously didn't last very long. But yeah,

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, so I kind of abbreviated someone the notes but when Aaron Spelling got it what came up when John Hughes brought the script to Aaron Spelling.

Ben Carpenter: Mm-hmm

Timothy Williams: He got a hold of it. His idea was to make it a TV movie as a back door pilot. if the TV movie does well, then we have a series on our hands and that's kind of where he wanted to go. So when they eventually became theatrical movie and became successful, they're like, let's try it again and let's do yeah. we'll do it TV movie version and if that successful, then we'll turn a TV but the TV movie obviously didn't do very well because

Ben Carpenter: right

Timothy Williams: I've seen that done here recently where you try to make a TV show off of a movie. But instead of kind of making its own they make the pilot episode. a rehash of the original movie, which is Never As Good so it's like Why wouldn't one just pick…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah. Yeah, I didn't mean family in the sense the family can gather around…

Timothy Williams: where it left off which is, different people in the characters or…

Ben Carpenter: but more comedies about families rather than about teenage characters that he's more famous for

Timothy Williams: whatever trying to do something different, so I'm assuming that's kind of what they did. and then I think who do you voodoo which is now Fandango at home. They try to do a sequel TV quote unquote SQL TV show a couple of years ago where it's my daughter. She's grown up then her husband gets laid off and he has to take care of the kids and kind of a continuation but it didn't last very long either which I can see why it didn't want very well.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Right, right. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah.

Timothy Williams: I think Mash might be the only one that because I remember in because we've done nine to five nine to five tried to be a TV show and that didn't work. Uncle Buck tried to be a TV show twice and didn't work they even tried to make it to you version of gung. Ho we talked about that one, which I didn't realize. Yeah that didn't last that was Scott Bakula played the lead role of gung-ho before his Quantum Leap Fame. And there were some other ones like we've done that.

01:15:00

Ben Carpenter: I feel like if it was made today there would be an epilogue scene.

Timothy Williams: Adventures in Babysitting they did a TV pilot,…

Ben Carpenter: Where they show what life is like now that they've all you…

Timothy Williams: but it didn't make it and they ran it on a random summer night as a,…

Ben Carpenter: grown as characters and that they've right Yeah.

Timothy Williams: just kind of It is a special during the summer. But yeah, so I yeah,…

Timothy Williams: I can't think of any of the ones That were successful coming off of a movie. So

Ben Carpenter: yeah, but

Timothy Williams: yeah. Yeah. I remember that. It was terrible.

Ben Carpenter: yeah.

Timothy Williams: If I didn't have a TV show, I had a cartoon because the cartoons were successful though,…

Ben Carpenter: yeah, Her working from home a couple days.

Timothy Williams: or these lasted a little bit longer, even Rambo had a cartoon. But anyway,…

Ben Carpenter: I don't remember that even really being a thing in the early 80s.

Timothy Williams: that's its own. may have to do think I thought about before I have to do I just a bonus episode to talk about the cartoons of 80s movies and…

Ben Carpenter: How would you work in advertising job from home free internet?

Ben Carpenter: I guess yeah.

Timothy Williams: how crazy was Police Academy had a cartoon.

Ben Carpenter: that's kind of strange, but yeah,…

Timothy Williams: I mean, Yeah,…

Ben Carpenter: I

Timothy Williams: our rated movies that became toys and cartoons. So All right, let's talk about box office and critical reception. So Universal was unsure how movie audiences were respond to Mr. Mom choosing to so they chose to prioritize the Michael Douglas film The Star Chamber over it.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah, I guess But yeah, I enjoyed the movie. I think it's a good movie.

Timothy Williams: Does anybody remember the Star Chamber?

Ben Carpenter: I think, probably some things that could have been better.

Timothy Williams: I don't

Ben Carpenter: But I…

Timothy Williams: I haven't. Yeah, so the studio decided to roll Mr. Mom out regionally rather than give it any kind of splashy release assuming it was Dead on Arrival,…

Ben Carpenter: I stopped taking notes. I just kind of watched it and enjoyed it because I haven't seen it in a long time and it's a funny movie.

Timothy Williams: but after two weeks in theaters, the Star Chamber crashed and burned and Mr. Mom exploded. It opened a limited release on July 22nd 1983 with 947,000 earning the number 13 spot that weekend upon its wide release on August 19th.

Ben Carpenter: Mm-hmm

Timothy Williams: 83 a month later. It opened it number three with four million dollars behind easy money's opening weekend and…

Ben Carpenter: All right.

Timothy Williams: risky businesses third Mr. Mom ended up earning 64 million in the US. It's success that Universal Design a three-picture deal with Hughes for 30 million dollars the three films he would make after that 16 Candles The Breakfast Club and…

Ben Carpenter: Yeah. right

Timothy Williams: Weird Science

Timothy Williams: in for sure. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, we're wrapping up. Yeah, I think the producer Lauren she mentioned about Why Mr. Mom kind of got forgotten about after so many years and she said, you have to think about it the good and bad of it because John Hughes became so popular teen movies then became what was popular. So when Breakfast Club and 16 Candles came out and that's what Studios want to make. They weren't making the family comedies as much like Mr. Mom.

Ben Carpenter: Yeah. …

Timothy Williams: So after a couple of years it fell to the Wayside of all the Teen comedies…

Ben Carpenter: yeah, it's like Mmm, but it has Matt. yeah.

Timothy Williams: which think about the mid up to the late 80s.

Ben Carpenter: I dealt with some.

Timothy Williams: It was all like teen comedies were primarily…

Ben Carpenter: Some diapers where I felt like I needed asthma suit for sure.

Timothy Williams: what they were doing, either that or straight adult comedy. So there were too many but PG, family friendly type of movies like Mr. Mom.

Timothy Williams: I wouldn't say vacation but even the two vacations sequels or 13 so they try to tame it down more for the kids I guess.

Timothy Williams: yeah. Yeah about family. Yeah, I Gotcha. So Rotten Tomatoes has it a 76 on the Tomato Meter with a 57 audience score, which is surprising to me. I IMDb is 6.6 out of 10 with viewers and a 50 on Metacritic Which is higher than I expected. So how does this fall for you in a scale of 1 to 10 would you put it in? where would you drink it?

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: yes, it's

01:20:00

Timothy Williams: yeah, it does have a very bow tie ending where there were some people that criticize at the end it goes back to the way it was where he gets his job back and she goes back to being at home. So Did it really kind of change anything? but they did I think she gets to be what two days in the office and three days at home or something like that. at least she's not gone all the time. So I was shoot, about find that kind of job nowadays still get full pay and I guess now there's probably I know my sister's kind of like the way she worked some in the office and some at all since the pandemic so maybe that's coming back into fashion, but Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah him being more involved with the kids and her being happy balancing work because that was kind of the extreme where she took a job, but she took a job where she was gone from home all the time. it's nine to five job. I'm still home at night. I'm home for dinners. It's like no when she got in the advertising world. it was 12 hour days and no time when she got home, so They worked at extreme for the movie for sure.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, exactly.

Timothy Williams: I guess on the phone a lot Maybe. Yeah. but yeah, they probably sell the one night. She was on the couch half asleep. She'd bought files homes. They're probably bringing paperwork home and working it at home. So just couldn't send it, stuff to do with the week or whatever. So

Timothy Williams: yeah. m- Yeah, I was gonna say eight is probably where I put it to it's not the greatest comedy. It's not my favorite Michael Keaton movie. There's a lot that I like of his but the Nostalgia factor for me. It's rewatchable. I mean, like I said, I watched it again. I watched it twice in the last year and I'd watch it again in the next year if just one of those good hour and 35 hour 40 minutes not super long movie to have on a weekend afternoon. maybe not having a watch it so intently but pick up laugh at a few scenes go back to doing some chores or whatever. and it's a comfort film for sure. It's like that, just something to enjoy so

Timothy Williams: All right, Ben with thank you so much for being a part of the podcast today. All Got it. Alright folks that's a wrap one of these episode of the 80s flick flashback podcast. If you had as much fun as we did drop us an awesome review with a shiny five star rating on Apple podcasts. Don't forget to hit that follow a subscribe button and spread the words all your fellow 80s flick loving family and friends got questions are just want to chat about your favorite scenes connect with us on Facebook Instagram and tiktok feeling extra cool support the show would buy me a coffee calm every little bit helps and even five dollars a month make some big difference. You can also check out our online store flick flashback.com and tea public Comm for some killer 80s flick flashback gear and original designs. Thanks again for tuning in. I'm Tim Williams for the 80s flick flashback podcast. Where does mommy keep the extra diapers? cowards