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A Delightful Family Film

Golden Lion | North Ogden, Ut United States | 05/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mr Mom is a delightful family movie reversing parental roles where the man works and makes money and the woman stays at home and raises children. It all starts when Jack loses his job at a Michigan car plant caused by a shrewd accounting, who wants to improve financials by downsize personnel. The movie protrays the accountant as dishonest, cheap negotiator; who shifts blame by using a job enticement to get Jack too appear before a corporate board too take blame for losses. The accountant tries to manipulate Jack into taking responsibility for a sudden drop in profits and increases in costs, in Jack's old division. The Accountant wants Jack and his friends too confess and get their jobs back, 1/2 price. Jack confronts senior management and reminds them, he doesn't work for the company, anymore. The mood shifts and the accountant trys to pursued Jack too confess of siphoning funds for his own purposes; Jack wants his job back, however, he knows the truth is more important, so he stands up to the accountant and tells management, when he was there, costs were down and profits up. The movie pokes fun at the company's senior management attempts too creating short term profit gains by layoff staff and ignoring the effectiveness of middle manager, in particular Jack to keep costs down and production up. Its difficult to know, how Jack really helped the company. The Rocky analogy was a perfect setup for "Gung Ho". Revelation of Jack's skill will be discovered in "Gung Ho".
Jack's wife Caroline uses her connections too get a job working for an advertising firm tasked with creating an advertising campaign for Schooner tuna. Caroline brings Schooner back to selling "Americanism", "we at schooner tuna care", and "during this period of economic crisis, Schooner will drop the price of each can of tuna, 50 cents". Caroline is smart, if you want to move inventory, drop price; profit margins are less but product starts to sell, the cost of good don't increase stablizing against further losses, sales increase, and inventory decreases. I would say Caroline was pretty smart, maybe much smarter than Jack.
Caroline experiences the corporate climb, sexual harshment, hardline politics, long work days, and starts missing experiences with her children. Jack tells her not to forget what is most important. Jack experience mid-life crisis, throws a race against Carolines boss, drinks too much, gambles with his new female friends, gets confused while multitasking (clothes, TV maintanence, changing diapers, school dropoffs, and Soap operas). Jack becomes Rocky, cleans up his home, task command of his life, and makes a come back.
The movie is very delightful. The cast bringing humor, empathy, and friendship to the big screen."