Jack the Bear (1993)

It's not hard to see what attracted director Marshall Herskovitz (TV's thirtysomething) and writer Steve Zaillian (Schindler's List) to this tragicomic story of a widower trying to keep life together for his two young sons. And Danny DeVito gives them a surprisingly sympathetic and low-key performance that capably blends pathos and humor. But the story--about Jack's attempts to get his drinking under control, even while holding down a job as a late-night TV horror-movie host--descends into bathos. Then it gets downright weird and scary when the family's strange neo-Nazi neighbor (a popeyed Gary Sinise) takes an unhealthy interest in one of the children. Jack the Bear sat on the shelf for a couple of years while Herskovitz reworked it, but it was like changing the tires on a car with a broken drive-train. --Marshall Fine Amazon.com

Jack the Bear

This is a great family movie. I watched it as a kid and it is even better then I remembered it. I definitely recommend it to anyone. May 23, 2008

Heart warming family drama

Danny DeVito and Gary Sinease are good but it is the kids in this movie that steal the show. January 24, 2008

Delightful, touching, fun, halloweeny movie

This movie is in my top 5 all-time movies. I'm sure it wasn't a block buster. It has no stunning special fx. It has a great cast and is wonderfully acted and it hits me in my heart every time I see it. I don't watch many movies more than once, but I watch this movie regularly. It's about loss, love and sticking together when the going gets tough, along with many other things. October 20, 2007

Every bit as great as Stand By Me and Mrs. Doubtfire

I've seen a lot of good dramas, but this one's my favorite. Everyone in the movie does an amazing and believable job at their roll and this could easily be Danny DeVito as his best, too. It has some very sad and moving scenes though, so I wouldn't recommend watching if you're already depressed or don't have any tissues handy. I actually cried at four or five different parts, which is really rare for me when I'm watching any kind of movie! It's a shame Robert J. Steinmiller Jr. wasn't in any more films than just the few, because he was as talented as Macaulay Culkin. But anyway, Jack The Bear doesn't have many special effects but what it does have is real acting. Definitely worth buying.
August 12, 2007

A forgotten classic

My wife (girlfriend at the time) and I saw this at the theater when it was first released, but we saw it on a whim. We arrived too late for the film we intended to go see and decided to see Jack the Bear instead.

That was one of the best accidents that ever happened to us. Danny DeVito, usually known for comedic roles, gives a stellar dramatic performance, perhaps one of the best in his career before and since. The child actors were phenomenal as well. Where are they now? Reese Witherspoon has gone on to a fantastic career but the two young male stars seem to have disappeared. Also look for a great peformance from Gary Sinese back when he was still relatively unknown.

The movie deals with the ties that bind a family together during a tragic time of loss. My respect for single parent families was reevaluated for the better after viewing this underappreciated film. It will make you laugh, it will warm your heart, it will make you afraid, it will make you angry, and yes, it will make you cry.

Actually, that's an understatement. Many parts of the film will make you cry, but the ending will absolutely tear your heartstrings out; but it's a good kind of cry. It's the kind of cry that cleanses the soul and makes you realize that no matter how bad things get, the bond of family can hold you together.

Why was such an extraordinary film overlooked and underheralded? It's a real shame because this is the type of film that families should watch together. Certain parts may be a bit rough for the younger ones, but it deals with family issues and the importance of togetherness.

July 6, 2007

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