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Actors: John Candy, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gabby Hoffmann, Amy Madigan, Macaulay Calkin, Elaine Bromka and Garrett M. Brown
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Uncle Buck |
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The Russell family has recently moved from Indianapolis to suburban Chicago. Tia Russell (played by Jean Louisa Kelly), their fifteen year old daughter, is angry with her parents about being uprooted from her school and friends in Indianapolis and her behavior is that of a stereotypical teenage brat.
The movie starts off with a late night phone call from Indianapolis informing the Russells that Cindy Russell's father has just had a heart attack and urging her and Bob to come quickly. Unfortunately, the only person they can find to watch the children in their absence is Bob's younger brother, Buck (played by John Candy).
Cindy Russell (played by Elaine Bromka) dislikes Buck, for good reason, because he is an immature thirty something that lives in a slovenly apartment, parties a lot and makes his living doing odd jobs and gambling. Buck is the exact opposite of his hard working, upper middle class, suburban brother and sister-in-law.
Good natured Buck, who is well liked in his own circle of losers, is oblivious to his sister-in-law's dislike of him and readily agrees to watch the children.
The situation turns out to be a needed growing experience for both Buck and his niece, Tia. Buck's casual approach to life and his street smarts provide a nice antidote to the family's uptight suburban lifestyle while the responsibility and stability of suburban life provide Buck with the environment that gives him the incentive to finally grow up.
Buck's bungling attempts to cook, clean, do the wash, drive the children to school and generally be a good suburban parent are hilarious. But his heart is in the right place and he does rise to the occasion. Probably having been a difficult teenager himself, he quickly sees through Tia's shell and sees that she is getting in over her head with the fast crowd at school and especially the boy she has been dating. His deft handling of Tia brings down the wall between her and her family as well as between her and Buck. The whole experience also forces Buck to reevaluate his relationship with Chanice Kobolowski (played by Amy Madigan) whom he has been dating for eight years and all the while avoiding any long term commitment.
--Chuck Nugent, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Uncle Buck |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Comedy, primarily
Yes
Time/era of movie:
- 1980's-1999
Kind of comedy
- taking care of zany kids
How much humor v. drama
- Mostly humor, but some serious drama
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- unemployed
Age:
- 20's-30's
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) fat
Events of movie makes character more...
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
How much in movie?
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- a teen
Profession/status:
- student
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
City?
Yes
City:
- Chicago
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- full of laughter
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Chuck Nugent
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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