Let's be realistic.

Great Film overall

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

When l watched this movie in 1994 not entirely l didn't realize that Spielberg was the film's producer...but yesterday l decided to watch it again on DVD thinking in Jack Lemmon's character and hoping good things to come,suddenly l saw Spielberg as producer...oh my God once more this manipulative person was involved on movie...l saw the movie but a foot behind....and once again he does!! as said someone here at IMDb about the movie "Agressivelly Kinder" it's says for itself....is must make a movie...not kindly fantasy!!!...happy for Lemmon and Danson but sorry for the movie...apart from that the movie is watchable!!Resume:First watch: 1994 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7

Had potential but fell completely flat because of Ted Danson's inability to act in any emotional way. He had one believable scene where he displayed real anger, but other then that, he ruined this movie. I was disappointed because for all the top talent this movie had, it just fell flat. Plot line was disjointed and undeveloped. Yet somehow it still seemed like it was 2 and 1/2 hours long, it dragged. I think if Kevin Spacey and Ted Danson would switch roles, this movie might have worked. I didn't like Dukakus acting at all, what was with the New York accent in southern California? After living in southern Cal. for 30 years do you think it would be that strong?? The positives would be the great acting of Jack Lemmon and Ethan Hawke. They did great jobs and were enjoyable to watch.

Lemmon gets here an important and ferociously painful to watch feral role.No need to mention that Lemmon immediately gets the upper hand of the other actors.The rest of the cast is simply unimportant.I detest the people who asked Lemmon to act in this movie;it was unspeakable fiendish to ask an only 64 years old Lemmon to appear in such a role.The script narrates many facts,with many twists.An oldster,Jake,78 years,has his insipid routine:the garden,the greenhouse.He "knows his environment".His wife is tough,sarcastic,authoritarian,prosaic,dry;she cares about Jake,but in a wrong,crushing way.She has a heart attack.While she is hospitalized,Jake's son,a "boss",a successful businessman,comes to live with his father and takes charge of him.He finds Jake older than he expected;so,he treats his so old father well,gives him chicken in red wine,etc..Jake learns to drive,does some sport,seems to live again.And,suddenly,he is struck by a misfortune.He got an urinary problem.Then,shock,coma,and a recovery.In fact,he slipped out of his nightmarish world,it hurts him no more.He is a "succesfull schizophrenic",and entirely taken over by his "joy in living" ("sex at all hours",as his wife complains;masquerades;lots of eccentricities).It seems this is the real,the final "Jake T.".He is on the fringe of death.He resumes his life:"We just got off the track a little... a lot".(No need to say that this proletarian, "worker",oldish, senile, decomposed,lop-sided Lemmon character is not the Lemmon we knew from Days of Wine and Roses ,Save the Tiger ,Irma La Douce ,Missing.)"Dad" is an atrocious, dreary,sore, mournful movie.Mind-butchering, brain-slaughtering story. It is psychologically brutal and very cruel.It is a punch in the stomach.

I'll just say that I recently saw this movie for the first time, and loved it. it's a little dated, but still good and the story overall is timeless as it relates to the love between fathers and their sons. I highly recommend checking it out. But be warned though it's a bit of a tear jerker, and also feels a little drawn out in certain areas. I give it a nine out of ten.I particularly liked the ending where Ted Denson and his son make up and try and avoid the distance in relationship that Denson kind of had with his father played by Jack Lemmon. The cast all gives an amazing performance and I'm surprised this movie didn't make bigger waves when it initially came out its fantastic.