It’s been awhile since we did a Dad Movie post so I wanted to come back around to it.
Mr. Mom is a 1983 comedy starring a young Michael Keaton. Here’s the full Logline:
After he's suddenly laid off, a husband switches roles with his wife. She returns to the workforce, and he becomes a stay-at-home dad. He has to take care of three young children, a job he has no clue how to do
Few things hit deeper than a story which mirrors your own life and in real time. Some of the references or moments will hit you like a bolt of lightning on a clear, blue day. So at a time when I too, am playing “Mr. Mom” I stumbled upon it as a MAX movie recommendation and it did not disappoint. My wife actually checked on me from the other room because I laughed so hard.
A few thoughts:
I parent much closer to an 1980s parent than I’d have guessed
Despite all the talk of modern helicopter parenting and overly structuring or coddling kids today, these 1980s parents style of only casually intervening to help kids is pretty similar to how we operate in our house.
I may not be ironing grill cheeses for them (though I’ve heard it makes a good grill cheese), but if they want a snack, they come tell me. I make’em a snack then we all go back to our business. No set time or diet. Just something reasonable and quick.
Industry downsizing sucks and has real effect on people
The movie does a strong job of reflecting its time. The 1982 recession would have just started to turn around when this movie came out. Detroit car making was hit hard.
Flint, Michigan, had the highest unemployment rate of all metro areas, with 23.4% in 1982 & Dearborn, Michigan was right behind it. It’s no surprise a mid level car engineer would be laid off and left to rot.
Today, the Charlotte Metro is being hit similarly as banks continue to slow roll re-hiring until interest rates fall to ease their MTM portfolio losses and payroll funding costs become more reasonable.
Is a stay home Dad really attractive?
The running gag is all the housewives think Michael Keaton is so amazing for doing the housework and taking care of the kids. They flirt, laugh at his jokes and the titular Mr. Mom innocently enjoys the attention until a divorcee goes too far and he comes to his senses
Really? This is what does it for them? The broke, unemployed guy is what gets their motor going?
Let me set the record straight: — Nobody is going after the broke, unemployed house dad wearing a 4 day old Flannel shirt. Believe me. I know. Rest easy working wives.
In the end, everything works out OK
At the end of the movie (unsurprisingly), Keaton gets his old job back + a raise after things start falling apart at the factory without him.
A wonderful fairy tale ending to be sure for a movie but unlikely in the real world. Still, it’s encouraging to see a story where in the end, the situation has a positive resolution and the family is OK.
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Thoughts? Questions? Comments?
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