Man of the House (1995 film)
Encyclopedia
Man of the House is a 1995
comedy film
starring Chevy Chase
, Farrah Fawcett
and Jonathan Taylor Thomas
. Marking Thomas' motion picture debut, this Disney
comedy is about a boy (Thomas) who must come to terms with his potential stepfather (Chase), a well-meaning lawyer who is unknowingly the subject of a manhunt by relatives of a man he helped land in prison. It was shot in Los Angeles
and Vancouver
.
In the Seattle Federal Court House, Jack successfully prosecutes criminal Frank Renda for drug trafficking. Before being sentenced to fifty years in federal prison at Sheridan, Frank makes a veiled threat of revenge towards Sturges. After court is adjourned, Frank’s son Joey rephrases the threat in a more intimidating manner, but Jack doesn’t back down and then dismisses him entirely.
Sandy and Jack discuss his moving in, of which eleven-year-old Ben (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) does not approve despite his mother’s reassurance that it’s only a trial period. Jack is confident he can win him over, telling Sandy he has read every book on step-parenting he could find. The transition does not go smoothly for Ben, as he resentfully feels he is the one suffering all of the adjustments and that his mother is making the same mistake she made with his father, so he resorts to ensuring Jack is as uncomfortable and unwelcome as possible. Jack tries taking the subterfuge in stride, not realizing it is deliberate, but his efforts to connect with the boy are met with irritation as he only succeeds in disrupting Ben’s customary lifestyle.
After meeting a boy named Norman Bronski at school, Ben feigns interest in joining the Indian Guides – a father-son “tribe” called the Minotauks – with Jack to secretly drive a wedge between them and get rid of him. Despite reluctance, Jack goes along with it at Sandy’s insistence. Neither of them like the club, but Ben manages to effectively humiliate Jack at the meetings. Once it starts interfering with his job, Jack tells Sandy he can no longer be part of it. Ben fakes distress by this and compares it to his father leaving to turn Sandy against her boyfriend. Jack goes to apologize, and instead overhears Ben bragging about everything over the phone to his best friend. Although he is disheartened by this revelation, Jack doesn’t tell Sandy about it and instead seeks advice from fellow stepfather Chet Bronski (George Wendt
). He then redoubles his efforts to bond with Ben by improving the Indian Guides.
Just as Jack starts to strengthen his relationship with Ben, Joey’s threat catches up with him: his brakes are cut, almost killing him and causing him to miss an important canoe trip he promised to attend. Ben, having finally opened up, is genuinely hurt by this perceived betrayal to the point of tears, as it brings up bad memories of his father’s broken promises. Jack conceals the truth and refuses his boss’s order to transfer to Portland, Oregon so he can redeem himself to Ben in an upcoming camping trip. His initial attempts are unsuccessful, and he feels the situation is hopeless. Joey and his two thugs are then discovered in the woods with rifles, and Jack confesses the truth behind his “car trouble.” He sends the rest of the Indian Guides to the ranger station while he and Ben improvise to distract the criminals. The pair is eventually cornered in front of an abandoned mine shaft entrance rigged with dynamite, until they’re rescued by the Minotauks and the crooks are disabled. Ben is impressed and finally gives his approval of Jack and consents to Jack proposing to Sandy. The two complete the beach collage, which symbolizes that the three of them are finally whole as a family. Jack and Sandy marry, with the Minotauks in attendance of the wedding, and despite nothing being perfect, all are happy.
" and Enigma's "Return to Innocence
". Despite this, "Hit the Road Jack
", a song by R&B artist Percy Mayfield, was cleared for release on the soundtrack that, ultimately, never made it to market. The soundtrack was advertised on promotional materials from mid-1994 to early-1995. "Return to Innocence (Short Version)" was used in Jack and Sandy's wedding during the film), "Return to Innocence (Single Version)" was to be used on the unreleased Man of the House soundtrack, and "Return to Innocence (380 Midnight Mix)" was used in the two Man of the House promo TV spots.
1995 in film
-Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation....
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
, Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
and Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas is an American actor, voice actor, former child star, and teen idol...
. Marking Thomas' motion picture debut, this Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
comedy is about a boy (Thomas) who must come to terms with his potential stepfather (Chase), a well-meaning lawyer who is unknowingly the subject of a manhunt by relatives of a man he helped land in prison. It was shot in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
Plot
Six-year-old Ben Archer watches silently as his father starts up his car and drives away with his secretary, and they both offer only a wave out the window in parting. His mother, Sandy (Farrah Fawcett), can only watch heartbroken from the window of their house as her ex-husband leaves them. Ben’s father promised to visit him, yet never comes back. They’re both upset, but they decide to have a fresh start, so they move into a downtown loft apartment to begin a new life with just the two of them. Sandy makes creative efforts to turn it into a home for them. They gradually overcome his father leaving and foster a very close bond with important rituals and routines, including making a collage with beach debris. Sandy develops an interest in dating, but her suitors never fit well and don’t last long, which allows Ben’s ideal relationship with his mother to resume. Five years later, however, Sandy decides she’s ready for marriage again, and begins seriously dating U.S. Attorney Jack Sturges (Chevy Chase).In the Seattle Federal Court House, Jack successfully prosecutes criminal Frank Renda for drug trafficking. Before being sentenced to fifty years in federal prison at Sheridan, Frank makes a veiled threat of revenge towards Sturges. After court is adjourned, Frank’s son Joey rephrases the threat in a more intimidating manner, but Jack doesn’t back down and then dismisses him entirely.
Sandy and Jack discuss his moving in, of which eleven-year-old Ben (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) does not approve despite his mother’s reassurance that it’s only a trial period. Jack is confident he can win him over, telling Sandy he has read every book on step-parenting he could find. The transition does not go smoothly for Ben, as he resentfully feels he is the one suffering all of the adjustments and that his mother is making the same mistake she made with his father, so he resorts to ensuring Jack is as uncomfortable and unwelcome as possible. Jack tries taking the subterfuge in stride, not realizing it is deliberate, but his efforts to connect with the boy are met with irritation as he only succeeds in disrupting Ben’s customary lifestyle.
After meeting a boy named Norman Bronski at school, Ben feigns interest in joining the Indian Guides – a father-son “tribe” called the Minotauks – with Jack to secretly drive a wedge between them and get rid of him. Despite reluctance, Jack goes along with it at Sandy’s insistence. Neither of them like the club, but Ben manages to effectively humiliate Jack at the meetings. Once it starts interfering with his job, Jack tells Sandy he can no longer be part of it. Ben fakes distress by this and compares it to his father leaving to turn Sandy against her boyfriend. Jack goes to apologize, and instead overhears Ben bragging about everything over the phone to his best friend. Although he is disheartened by this revelation, Jack doesn’t tell Sandy about it and instead seeks advice from fellow stepfather Chet Bronski (George Wendt
George Wendt
George Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:...
). He then redoubles his efforts to bond with Ben by improving the Indian Guides.
Just as Jack starts to strengthen his relationship with Ben, Joey’s threat catches up with him: his brakes are cut, almost killing him and causing him to miss an important canoe trip he promised to attend. Ben, having finally opened up, is genuinely hurt by this perceived betrayal to the point of tears, as it brings up bad memories of his father’s broken promises. Jack conceals the truth and refuses his boss’s order to transfer to Portland, Oregon so he can redeem himself to Ben in an upcoming camping trip. His initial attempts are unsuccessful, and he feels the situation is hopeless. Joey and his two thugs are then discovered in the woods with rifles, and Jack confesses the truth behind his “car trouble.” He sends the rest of the Indian Guides to the ranger station while he and Ben improvise to distract the criminals. The pair is eventually cornered in front of an abandoned mine shaft entrance rigged with dynamite, until they’re rescued by the Minotauks and the crooks are disabled. Ben is impressed and finally gives his approval of Jack and consents to Jack proposing to Sandy. The two complete the beach collage, which symbolizes that the three of them are finally whole as a family. Jack and Sandy marry, with the Minotauks in attendance of the wedding, and despite nothing being perfect, all are happy.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack by Walt Disney Records was scheduled to coincide with the film's release, but never came to fruition due to the fact Disney could not procure the rights to several of the songs for a soundtrack release, most notably C+C Music Factory's a "Gonna Make You SweatGonna Make You Sweat
Gonna Make You Sweat is the first studio album by production group C+C Music Factory. The album was released in the U.S. on December 13, 1990 ....
" and Enigma's "Return to Innocence
Return to Innocence
"Return to Innocence" is a 1994 song created by the musical group Enigma. The single was the first from their chart-topping second album, The Cross of Changes....
". Despite this, "Hit the Road Jack
Hit the Road Jack
"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by rhythm and bluesman Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a capella demo sent to Art Rupe, available on the Memory Pain CD vol. 2, Specialty Records SPCD-7027-2. It became famous after it was recorded by singer-pianist Ray Charles. It hit number...
", a song by R&B artist Percy Mayfield, was cleared for release on the soundtrack that, ultimately, never made it to market. The soundtrack was advertised on promotional materials from mid-1994 to early-1995. "Return to Innocence (Short Version)" was used in Jack and Sandy's wedding during the film), "Return to Innocence (Single Version)" was to be used on the unreleased Man of the House soundtrack, and "Return to Innocence (380 Midnight Mix)" was used in the two Man of the House promo TV spots.