In 1974, Disney studios tried for a hip generation gap comedy with the film "Superdad." Unfortunately, the film is anything but "hip," even for the early 1970's. In fact, it is, was, and always will be hopelessly dated, even for the era.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
This rock-bottom dud stars Bob Crane as Charlie, happily married father of Wendy (Kathleen Cody). Wendy is a lovely teenager who is involved with a laid-back surfer named Bart (Kurt Russell) and hangs out with an aimless lot of beach bunnies right out of a '60's beach party movie. His wife Sue (Barbara Rush) is an amiable sort who likes her daughter's friends, but Charlie wants Wendy to dump them all and go to college, not to get an education but to find a rich husband, preferably a doctor or lawyer.
One day while watching a relationship-oriented talk show (definitely NOT in the Jerry Springer mode) he takes a psychologist's advice and decides to join his daughter's gang at the beach, which leads to typical Disney slapstick of the era. In short, the day is a disaster and he's even more determined to separate Wendy from her friends. This leads to an ill-conceived plan to ship her off to a private college on a bogus "scholarship." When Wendy learns of the plan, and that Bart figured it out and said nothing, she disowns them both. Charlie and Bart spend the rest of the film trying to win her back.
All this may sound well-and-good in print, but on film it's absolutely dreadful. The film plays like a relic from the '60's, especially when Wendy becomes involved with a ridiculous, stereotyped hippie loser named "Clutch." To have this beautiful, level-headed and intelligent young woman become involved with such a loathsome, idiotic loser throws credibility to the wind. Also, Wendy's gang is way too nice and squeaky clean, and Bart is polite, clean-cut and respectful, so Charlie's distaste for them makes Charlie look like an idiot, which isn't the point.
The film is also episodic, badly paced, and wastes a good performance by the great Joe Flynn, who is hilarious (once again) as Charlie's boss. Flynn, who died less than a year after this film was released, deserved better. And Russell, who has matured into one of our finest and most reliable actors, scores with a forceful and professional performance. But don't get me started about the incredible waste of the lovely Rush, who is given absolutely nothing to do but be incredibly supportive of her idiot husband. As for the gang, only Bruno Kirby and Ed Begley, Jr. went on to careers of any note. The rest, well, are better left forgotten.
In short, bad writing, choppy direction and incredibly dated situations leads to a film that should have been called "Superdud."
* (out of *****)
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
This rock-bottom dud stars Bob Crane as Charlie, happily married father of Wendy (Kathleen Cody). Wendy is a lovely teenager who is involved with a laid-back surfer named Bart (Kurt Russell) and hangs out with an aimless lot of beach bunnies right out of a '60's beach party movie. His wife Sue (Barbara Rush) is an amiable sort who likes her daughter's friends, but Charlie wants Wendy to dump them all and go to college, not to get an education but to find a rich husband, preferably a doctor or lawyer.
One day while watching a relationship-oriented talk show (definitely NOT in the Jerry Springer mode) he takes a psychologist's advice and decides to join his daughter's gang at the beach, which leads to typical Disney slapstick of the era. In short, the day is a disaster and he's even more determined to separate Wendy from her friends. This leads to an ill-conceived plan to ship her off to a private college on a bogus "scholarship." When Wendy learns of the plan, and that Bart figured it out and said nothing, she disowns them both. Charlie and Bart spend the rest of the film trying to win her back.
All this may sound well-and-good in print, but on film it's absolutely dreadful. The film plays like a relic from the '60's, especially when Wendy becomes involved with a ridiculous, stereotyped hippie loser named "Clutch." To have this beautiful, level-headed and intelligent young woman become involved with such a loathsome, idiotic loser throws credibility to the wind. Also, Wendy's gang is way too nice and squeaky clean, and Bart is polite, clean-cut and respectful, so Charlie's distaste for them makes Charlie look like an idiot, which isn't the point.
The film is also episodic, badly paced, and wastes a good performance by the great Joe Flynn, who is hilarious (once again) as Charlie's boss. Flynn, who died less than a year after this film was released, deserved better. And Russell, who has matured into one of our finest and most reliable actors, scores with a forceful and professional performance. But don't get me started about the incredible waste of the lovely Rush, who is given absolutely nothing to do but be incredibly supportive of her idiot husband. As for the gang, only Bruno Kirby and Ed Begley, Jr. went on to careers of any note. The rest, well, are better left forgotten.
In short, bad writing, choppy direction and incredibly dated situations leads to a film that should have been called "Superdud."
* (out of *****)