Man of the House (1995) Online

Sandy Archer (Farrah Fawcett) is a single mom. She and her son, Ben (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) have been on their own for years, but now she's met an attorney, Jack Sturgess (Chevy Chase), and fallen in love. When Jack moves in to Archer's loft, he quickly learns that it's going to be rough going with Ben. To make matters more complicated, Jack routinely helps put away criminals with dangerous connections. Can Jack save his relationship with Sandy, save his job, save his life and become a welcomed stepfather to Ben all at the save time?

I feel a bit sorry for Chevy Chase. Regardless of what he's like personally, I think he's genuinely talented, and not just for comedy. But he's acquired such a reputation over the years for being in sub par stinkers (mostly unjustly deserved, in my opinion) that I think it's a major hurdle for audiences to give his films a fair chance. That's a shame, because this is a very good film, with a good performance from Chase and the rest of the cast.

It's important while watching to not expect Man of the House to be an over-the-top comedy. It's as much a drama as anything else, and has adventure/thriller aspects as well. All of the genres are entered into from more of a child's or adolescent's perspective, which is appropriate for the material and venue.

From that perspective, scenes about the Indian Guides (a plot point that may have swayed my view of the film even more, as it brought back memories of my time in the Indian Guides with my dad back in the early 1970s) are just as weighty (both seriously dramatic and funny) as chase scenes with an impending threat of death. Other seemingly minor elements are also given more weight than they would have from an adult standpoint, and logic, plot progression and even physics are coming from a kid's world, not an adult's. That's not an easy thing for a 40-something year old director to achieve with just the right tone, but James Orr makes it look effortless.

The scriptwriters weave the various threads of the film together very nicely, as Jack uses connections from his work to make the Indian Guides even more fun and educational, while at the same time, saving his relationship with an important client. In fact, the funniest material in the film comes from fish out of water themes. Various characters are regularly approaching activities they would normally avoid, with inappropriate attitudes, clothing, and so on. The subtext of the film, stemming from the fish out of water material, concerns furthering self through understanding and furthering others--opening up to new perspectives, trying different things, cooperating with others, and so on. Initial resistance makes things difficult, but the attempt to understand and further others brings happiness.

The entire principle cast is great, but Man of the House also benefits from a number of excellent character actors, including George Wendt, Art LaFleur and Richard Portnow. Like most films, you'll enjoy Man of the House more, and get much more out of it, if you leave your expectations/preconceptions parked at the door.

As usual, I'm in the minority.

I love this movie. Chevy is so funny as the step dad to Jonathan Taylor Thomas and would-be husband to Farrah Fawcet. I loved Chevy in this. He plays characters completely off the cuff, and I found his character endearing, but what I really liked about this movie was Farrah. She still shines after all those years, in a completely engaging performance.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas is perfectly precocious in his role as Fawcett's son, a boy who lost his father, and refuses to accept Chevy as an adequate substitute.

It's funny, heartwarming, and genuinely sweet.

It rates a 6.7/10 from...

the Fiend :.

Man of the House (1995): Dir: James Orr / Cast: Chevy Chase, Jonathon Taylor Thomas, Farrah Fawcett, George Wendt, David Shiner: Nauseating and pitiful comedy about growing up. It stars Jonathan Taylor Thomas who witnesses his father take off with his secretary. Or perhaps his father and secretary realized what a waste of film this is and decided to ditch production. He forms a protective bond with his mother until Chevy Chase enters as a lawyer who wishes to marry her and will attempt to bond with Thomas to do so. Thomas does everything to make him miserable including joining Indian Guides, but Chase has bigger problems when a group of thugs come looking for him after a case won against their boss. This doesn't stop him from fulfilling a promise to go camping with the Indian Guides. James Orr directs half-heartedly with locations that resemble Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. Stereotypical moron villains ruin credibility. Thomas is a total bore whose presence here resulted from his fame on the sitcom Home Improvement. Chase recites previous roles reminding viewers that he has done funnier films. Farrah Fawcett is totally wasted as the mother. George Wendt plays a fellow Indian guide father. David Shiner plays a character who calls himself Silent Thunder. It is a name that sounds like farting in a quiet place. Themes of trust and adult role models highlight this armature trash. Score: 2 / 10

This is the best movie to watch is you are feeling down. The Man of the House is just so funny, I could watch this movie over and over, and never get tired of watching it. Even now, just writing about it, makes me smile. You have to watch this movie if you haven't seen it yet! Just for fun, if you have seen, watch it again! I relate to J.T.T. in this movie, I have done some pretty mean things to my step-dad, but never anything like making him join an Indian Guide club. The actors in this movie, just crack me up. Also, the songs picked out for this movie just fit so perfectly. I love all the songs on this movie! The parts with music playing, just makes the movie even funnier some how! All I have left to say is, I love this movie! It is great!

Mature-acting 11-year-old Jonathan Taylor Thomas (as Ben Archer) is irked when beautiful blonde mom Farrah Fawcett (as Sandra "Sandy" Archer) hooks up with accident-prone attorney Chevy Chase (as Jack Sturges). After getting over his biological dad's desertion, young Thomas has become "Man of the House". He doesn't want to relinquish the position. "It's not just about sex," Ms. Fawcett tells Thomas, "I think it'd be a good idea for you to have an adult man around the house as a role model." Thomas doesn't agree. He intends to drive Mr. Chase out of the picture. Chase should have taken the ride...

To bond as father and son, Chase and Thomas assume Native American Indian names and join a support group. They engage in some unfunny antics. Chase's out-of-control car ride is a relative highlight. Few appear to be having fun with this inefficient production, on either side of the screen.

** Man of the House (1995-03-03) James Orr ~ Chevy Chase, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Farrah Fawcett, George Wendt

Some events are just so ironic that they just seem too weird to be true. One of the best examples, at least in my opinion, is what happened to Chevy Chase. You see, in the '80s he was one of the top stars, with movies like "Vacation" and "Fletch". Now, he was not friends with the president during that period, nor with the next president, but he was friends with Bill Clinton. That's where it gets bizarre: a few months after Slick Willie took the oath of office, Chase got his own TV show...and it failed miserably, turning Chase into a laughingstock. In short, Chevy Chase went from a star under his enemies to a joke under his friend.

To compound this, the show's failure was followed by embarrassing movies like "Cops and Robbersons" and "Man of the House". I will say that the latter isn't god-awful, but it's not really worth much. Mostly just another story about a son and stepfather trying to bond. If nothing else, I guess that it just seems sad that Chase went from "SNL" to this (maybe it's also the flick's status as a Disney movie). But really, Chase has done better than this, as have Farrah Fawcett and George Wendt. Don't make it your first choice.

Mind-bogglingly bad Disney comedy pits middle-aged sweethearts Chevy Chase and Farrah Fawcett against Fawcett's prankish pre-teen son Jonathan Taylor Thomas (that smug Keebler elf from the TV sitcom "Home Improvement"). After single mom Farrah brings new love-interest Chevy home to meet her kid, Taylor resorts to juvenile tomfoolery to scare the suitor away...sound familiar? Taking its cue from "The Parent Trap", but blessedly giving us only one child at the helm, this lame-duck script has nowhere to go after the initial set-up. Nice to see Chase and Fawcett together (the original choices for "Foul Play"), but the comic chaos which erupts here is only for undiscriminating viewers. * from ****

This is a great movie for families to watch together. This is a story about a boy who is trying to stop h is mom form being with her new boyfriend. Of course nothing is ever easy and things never go as planned. To add to everything the new boyfriend has a dark secret. One that he doesn't want the boy or his mother to know. When the secret does get out everything blows up and the story gets very interesting. Jonathan Taylor Thomas does a great job playing a kid who whats to keep things with just himself and his mother. I was really impressed with this movie and was really entertained by it. It is definitely worth watching.

Chevy Chase in very good performance, serious, responsible prospect for step father but fun, most of all fun winning the people. Mr. Wendt my very favorite funny guy excellent again!. Scenes full of good taste and detail, very well informed on Indian costumes.

So if you have the time with the children this is an excellent option for the weekend.

By the way I am very surprised by the very good way Mrs. Farrah Fawcett still looks. Beautiful on her 48th birthday celebrated while making the movie. Would you believe she hardly looks 35?, good for her.

There used to be a time when Chevy Chase was regarded to as a funny man. He used to be on an intelligent and extremely hilarious skit show started in 1975 called "Saturday Night Live," but soon left to chase after a film career.

Well, it's about twenty years later, and where is Chevy? Well, after a few hilarious "National Lampoon's Vacation" films, he's basically nowhere. He was funny in the seemingly endless line of movies (in general) for a while, but soon people tired of his smart-@$$ attitude that made him so famous, and they, his humble audience, turned on him, beginning to despise the poor fellow. Well, I can't really find it hard to feel sorry for him, because he probably still has more money than you or I will ever make in our lifetime.

The plot of "Man of the House" is less than a simple and contrived one. It is about 12-year-old Ben Archer (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and his efforts to rid his house of the man who wants to marry his mom and become his stepfather. The man? Jack Sturgess (Chevy Chase). The mom? Sandra (Farah Fawcett--whose leakier than a faucet here). Jack is a tie-wearing, U.S. Justice Department lawyer who's got one angry Mafia boss on his tail because of a racketeering case he prosecuted. As the film turns out (big gasp), Ben and Jack work together at the end to save the day, and Ben thinks of Jack as a cool nerd. But what about the in-between process, you ask?

Ben makes an assortment of traps to try and get Jack to leave. He rigs the blender. He makes fun of him. He verbally insults him and makes digs at him. I ask myself what Disney is trying to prove here: That kids are smarter than stupid adults, or that kids have wittier one-liners than adults?

But Jack stays around (much to the disappointment of Ben), who keeps on working at Jack to make him leave. He eventually makes Jack sign into a boy-scout-type program, where he nicknames Jack "Squatting Dog." This is the best laugh in the movie. If you don't find that funny, like me, then you had better run from this movie, because that is one of many unfunny gags that try to be funny and end up in the gutter.

The film is anchored in every way towards children, but I ask myself if children really should be seeing a film like this. In "The Parent Trap," two twins formed together to bring their parents back together. In "Man of the House," a twelve-year-old single-handedly tries to rid a man from his and his mother's life. Choose your pick on which film is morally-harmless and which is morally-harmful. Times are changing, and that means films that were once provocative are not anymore. Divorce in films--especially children's films--used to be a big topic. But nowadays it seems because of the countless divorces out there, kids are immune to such things. But Disney is making it worse. They rub it in and open children's minds to things they need not worry about. If you take your child to see this, the next time you argue with your wife or husband your child could misinterpret this as divorce, because through films like these divorce is shown as arguing between parents who then break up. "Man of the House" isn't about divorce per se, but it is about something worse: The times proceeding a divorce. About parents dating again. Sorry, but I don't find this kind of thing suitable for innocent children. Kids don't need to be thinking about their parents dating people, but yet films manage to squeeze such material into countless films, whether they are funny ("Sleepless in Seattle") or not ("Man of the House"). I don't have a problem with "Sleepless..." because it isn't really a children's film, but when you take a children's film and center it ENTIRELY on split couples dating again, children start to think about things they need not worry about. Six-year-olds shouldn't be thinking about dating yet, much less their parents dating.

The laughs, if you can count them as such, come mostly from George Wendt (``Cheers' '' beloved Norm) and former Cirque du Soleil clown David Shiner.

Wendt as an Indian Guides chief is the comic treat of the film -- he's a real live wire who packs a lot of heart into a surprisingly agile comic style. If you have read this far and STILL believe this film is for you, then George Wendt's performance can be added to your "why-to-see-the-film" list, because he is, truthfully, the only compelling reason to see this film.

In the end, "Man of the House" is a politically-correct comic vehicle that forgot about the script and the laughs. To Disney, kids during times like these should be thinking of parents' divorces and parents' dating, because it's happening around the world as we speak, and children need films such as "Man of the House" so that they realize this is normal (for parents to divorce and date again).

To me, films like "Man of the House" are reasons that divorce and single parents dating is becoming more normal and unshameful in today's culture. It's a paradox, really. Films like these are made because of times like these, when, in fact, times like these are here in the first place because of the films and media that are made to suit to the times we live in.

1/5 stars -

John Ulmer

I love this movie. It's been a favorite of mine since I was a little kid, and I love it to this day. Jonathan Taylor Thomas is hysterical as Ben, Chevy Chase truly embodies Jack, and Farrah Fawcett is great as Sandy. I love the Indian Guides characters; the kids and their fathers have great chemistry. For anyone who doesn't like this movie, I have to wonder if you were watching the same one I was.

If you're ever looking for a funny, heartfelt family comedy, then this movie is definitely for you. I highly recommend it to everyone.

P.S. I actually learned the rain dance. What does that tell you (apart from me being slightly obsessed)?

Chevy Chase is terrific in 70' & 80' but loose quickly your hand in comedy like that,a little unfunny jokes here a gag there...anyway isn't the same. This a kind moralistic comedy co-starring the beauty Farrah Fawcett that lost your touch too,so this kind of Disney movie don't add nothing to the careers of those great actors.....unfortunately!!

Man of the House is marketed as a comedy film produced during the recess summer period when Home Improvement was between seasons. Jonathan Taylor-Thomas was a principle member of Home Improvement and this is one of the films he made when he wasn't with Tim Allen. As well as Thomas, the film also features Chevy Chase, Gegroe Wendt and the late Farrah Fawcett.

The film is basically boy loses father and (later) meets stepfather, boy hates stepfather, boy tries to drive stepfather away, boy bonds with stepfather and stepfather marries boy's mother with blessing of boy. Okay so it's been done many times before in many different ways in different flavours of sheeps clothing, in this particular case the bonding is done over the Indian Guides.

Throw in some ill-conceived plot involving "bad guys" who want to kill the step-dad, a near obligatory dance-off and the presence of a mute who acts as a throwback to the old days of variety, and there's a semi-decent set of characters and story here.

Thomas behaves throughout the film in practically the same way as he did as Randy Taylor in Home Improvement, the smart-arse know-it-all kid. As a result the film can easily be looked at as either a Home Improvement location transplant or a Randy Taylor spin-off.

Normally these sort of films tend to suffer from any of the following: poor or stereotypical characterisations, irritating kids, a half-baked script in need of a rewrite or any or all of the above. None of the above apply here, except maybe for the kid with the mute and wacky dad, so it's probably excusable in that case :)

The soundtrack is fantastic for this film, as opposed to using regular random pieces of library music, this features Richard Berry, CC Music Factory and the simply fantastic Enigma's Return to Innocence which I absolutely love, cherish and adore.

Not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but as another reviewer says, leave your expectations at the door and you won't be disappointed.

This is basically a story of trust and building family relationships.

When mom, the late Farrah Fawcett brings Chevy Chase in the house to live, obvious problems shall result when her 11 year old son rebels at the prospect of having to share his mother with this man. The situation is not helped by the fact that at the age of 5, the boy saw his father walk out on his mother and wave goodbye.

Chase hopes to build this trust by introducing the child to a club of fathers emulating Indian chiefs with their sons. This becomes rather corny at best.

Fawcett was given very little to do here and I wonder why she accepted this part.

Chase, a prosecuting attorney, incurs the wrath of a mobster's son by putting the father away for 50 years. The son vows vengeance which interferes with Chase trying to establish a relationship with the boy.

The last part of the film is inane since the son and his crew plot to do Chase in while the latter is on a camping trip with the boy and others. The attempt at turning this into a home alone type does not work and George Wendt, who portrays a shop teacher and member of the tribe, looks more like Friar Tuck. How the group turns the table on the mobster's son and his group is brief and ridiculous. More could have been made of this in a missed opportunity.

I'm just now watching this on TV, and find it an enjoyable but fairly standard Disney type plot, with the usual misunderstandings based on lack of communication. Eventually justice will triumph, I'm sure, with all the usual civilian-vs-bad-guy showdown and broken-relationships-cemented stereotypes, still enjoyable to watch in each new screenplay. I mainly wanted to comment on a cute cameo that I didn't find mentioned anywhere. At the very beginning of the film, establishing the relationship of Farah Fawcett and her son, he mentions how she dated a few guys but they were all losers. They show a few seconds of one of these dates, with the fellow clowning around at the beach. If you watch closely you will see it is Ryan O'Neal!

A mildly amusing, simple film that is good to fill in time. It's just another Disney family movie, with no outstanding features; the script is plain, the acting average and the plot predictable but variable enough to keep your interest.

"Man of the House" centers around a young boy, Ben, who is unhappy about his single mother bringing home boyfriends. When she plans to marry one, he plots to get rid of the boyfriend so it can be just him and his mother again. This leads to a Boy Scout meets Native Americans type group of fathers and sons where Ben hopes he will be able to drive Jack away.

Slight violence and language but no blood and guts. Rent if for the whole family.

I think this is funny and sweet i think JTT acts wonderfully and Chevy Chase. If you love silly family movies (like me) and you love JTT then definitly watch this movie.

This was a slightly funny sometimes entertaining family comedy, but you can tell how Disney is going into the live action, and will have some unsuccessful movies to now, Meet The Deedles, Mr. Magoo, and others.

I give Man of the House a 3.5 out of 10. Rated PG for mild violence and language.

I understand the problems many people have with this movie. There are a few ridiculous subplots and hokey slapstick violence in a little over 90 minutes that seems redundant and ridiculous. But when I heard how underrated this movie actually really is I must say I was shocked. OK so there are some stupid subplots in the movie but so what? A lot of pre-teenagers (as well as early teenagers) can really learn a lot from this movie especially if they have experienced a family event like a divorce and having to deal with a step-parent. I am one who has had to deal with a divorce and a step-parent and they both are no day at the beach whatsoever. But the Jonathan Taylor Thomas character in this movie really reminded me of being younger and how I thought it was fun to do silly tricks and manipulations to get my step-parent to go away. And with all the hype of Farrah Fawcett recently passing away I think a lot of people who are interested in her career should look back at this movie as this was one of her very few Hollywood theatrical films. She had much more success on the smaller screen as we all know. I think a lot of people also had trouble with this movie because it tried to make Chevy Chase into more of a heartwarming character unlike his "Caddyshack" and "National Lampoon's Vacation" series characters. Why people had a bad reaction to that is a mystery to me. Comedians like Chase should not be playing silly oafs their whole career. Sometimes it is OK to change characters if you are going in the right direction and for the most part I think Chase was doing so here. And George Wendt's supporting performance as the Indian Guide leader I thought was very good and made him into a more endearing and heartwarming character unlike his Norm Peterson fame on "Cheers". As aforementioned a few things in this film do not work. For instance on the camping trip that Chase and Thomas attend in the woods with the Indian Guides and Chase tells a campfire story it is supposed to be funny but it really isn't.At least that monologue could have been written better for Chase. The supporting charactersmake that scene more interesting. I also don't like the subplot of the man who wants to kill Chase because he sent his father to prison as a prosecutor for committing a crime. We get some hokey dialog once again there and then it turns into a semi "Home Alone" rip off trying to scare away the bad guys with "Home Alone" like booby traps. But aside from those flaws I think "Man of the House" on the whole is a good film that parents and kids alike can enjoy and learn a lesson from. And with all the parents complaining about content in films today and how "family films don't exist" I think this one blows that theory. There is only one mild discussion about sex (it is a pre-teenager film what else do you expect?) profanity is very mild, and the violence is done on such a slapstick level that you cannot take it seriously at all. By the end of the film Thomas likes having Chase for a stepfather and now life will be great with his mom and Chase. I only wish the ending of this movie could have happened with the situation in my parents divorce and my later teenage years. All I am saying is ignore this movies flaws and go along for the ride. If you have experienced something like this in real life this will be a movie you will be glad you didn't miss.

This one is a typical "doesn´t hurt" comedy, like the other movies actor J.T.Thomas has done up to 1998. ("Speedway Junkie" in 1999 was the first change of direction for JTT) This movie is a must for JTT-Maniacs (like me), but not for normal people.There are many ways of wasting your time more enjoyable!

Why this film is so harshly rated. I viewed it in English class, and can truly refer to the phrase "I laughed, I cried." I was deeply touched by the stepfather's urge to become closer to his stepson, and the Indian Guides were full of humor. I like two particular songs in this movie; "Gonna make you sweat (Everybody dance now)" and "Enya" from Pure Moods.

I can't believe I went a whole decade without seeing this. I really don't think it's a waste, and I don't think that it "stunk". Sure, some things were a little cheesy, but there are hardly any movies today without a few cheesy things.

It seemed very funny to me, and should at least be ranked a 7.5, I think.

What can I say? This movie was one of my favorites when I was younger. This film sparked my J.T.T. obsession and after seeing it, JTT became my bedroom wallpaper :D I've been on a hunt for the past almost 10 years to try and find the songs featured in the movie. I've done research upon research and still cannot find out anything more than I already have found out. If anyone out there knows where to find the songs, "Confusion" performed by Medicine Wheel or "Choke" performed by The Children, PLEASE let me know. I've checked every record store, online record store, online searches and zilch. If anyone could help me, I'd love ya forever! :) Thanks you for reading this.

The pictures in this movie are clear, the characters are well stated, so the things that must be wrong is the script. But I guess it's ok to watch if you've nothing else to do at all...