Such a frustrating disappointment

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

When Scott (Charlie Hofheimer) goes missing, his mother (Nastassja Kinski) informs two of her former lovers that he could be their son. Jack (Billy Crystal) is a lawyer and is skeptical but when his business takes him to San Francisco, he looks for Scott, only to run into the extremely neurotic Dale (Robin Williams) who believes Scott is also his son.Robin's neurotic character allows him to go through his various character routine which made him a star in the 80's. Together with Crystal they make for a pretty good film comedy duo. The plot was fairly stale and only the strength of Williams and Crystal pulled this thing through. 3 1/2 stars.PARENTAL GUIDE: No f-bomb, sex, or nudity. Some minor sex talk. A soft PG-13 rating.

This is one of the films that Robin Williams did during the Nineties and did not survive the test of time. The actor had a long career, with dozens of films, but several of these little comedies are now forgotten. The movie is not bad, but at the time it was a box office failure and the TV's and video stores ended up not betting too much on it, which contributed to make it a forgotten work today.The script is simple: when a young teenager runs away from home because of a girl, her mother decides to call two former boyfriends by telling them, and warning that any of them may be the child's father. And so creates a hilarious confusion, in which the two potential daddies are rushing to help the rebellious teenager who, in fact, is in trouble but does not want the help of anyone.The movie is not as bad as many people say. There is decidedly quality material here, with good moments of humor and situational jokes, in which Williams shows what it's worth. Next to him is Billy Crystal, another comic actor with talent, although less known. The way they both relate, initially tense and later collaborative, is the core of the whole film and gives rise to lots of comic situations. Nastassja Kinski and Julia Louis-Dreyfus also enter this film, but their characters are of lesser relevance and this film will not be particularly notable for any of them. Charlie Hofheimer gave life to the young fugitive, and is as good as he could be, without particularly shining.Observing well, I understand why everyone criticized this film so hard. It is not brilliant, nor does it make you laugh with laughter. Its a funny comedy, sentimental and focused on the passing of some positive moral ideas about the family. Seeing the film under this prism improves it, but will never be a film for more than one or two views.

1997's "Fathers' Day", directed by Ivan Reitman. Starring Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Bruce Greenwood, Natassja Kinski, Julia Louis Dreyfuss, and Charlie Hofheimer. In "FD", Billy Crystal plays a twice divorced lawyer (now married to Dreyfuss), approached by an old flame (Kinski) who tells him that her teenage son is missing after a fight with her partner (Greenwood). The catch? Crystal's the father. Crystal then hits the road to find the son he's never met before, prepared only with a photograph. We then meet the Robin Williams character, playing a manic depressive writer who's attempt to commit suicide is interrupted by Kinski's reaching out to him. She also tells Williams that he is the father, and Williams strikes out on the road as well. It doesn't take long for Crystal and Williams to connect along the way, and figure out their predicament. The manic depressive Williams is inspired by the life affirming news (even if it's not true), and Crystal comes along, either by curiosity or contractual necessity. Further complicating matters, Greenwood also hits the road in search of his step son.Filmed in 1997, the film feels at least a decade dated, both in concept and it's fading stars' charisma (and mullet hair). While it may at times resemble a hackneyed version of 1988's superior "Midnight Run", it's closer in spirit to "Plan 9 from Outer Space" and "Weekend at Bernie's". The only thing about the film that does feel relevant for it's respective time, is the awkward corporate synergy between the movie's characters and the band, Sugar Ray. Not once, but twice, do we get to see the two hit wonder in concert action, not counting the backstage scene. To boost this premise, we also get a mime appearance, as well as a bizarre Mel Gibson cameo. For a comedy, "FD" is devoid of laughs, and the home run gags, such as a comatose teenager being cleaned in the shower while both the person on the phone and a nosy bellhop confuse what is going on with pedophilia and swinging, don't just fall short- they keel over in a an explosion of dumpster fire dust.It's shocking that Williams appeared here in the same year that he won an Oscar for his work on "Good Will Hunting". There is an awkward scene where he does his signature rapid fire impressions, but the rest of the movie he wavers between shrill hysteria and insecurity that made my skin crawl. And that's before you contrast his character with the man who would ultimately take his life in 2014. There's also very little chemistry between him and Crystal, with Williams' mental instability poorly meshing with Crystal's bizarrely miscast tough Type A personality phoniness, as they both become son smitten. Greenwood's presence in the film is a shame too, with him appearing in the superior "The Sweet Hereafter" the same year as well. Here, his character is an afterthought, confined to the comedy hell of being tipped in an outhouse, before just abandoning his search for his step child. Perhaps worst of all, Hofheimer's teenager character isn't wayward and developing- he's a sociopathic creep- though in his defence he's much like his mother who has no problem lying to the 2 main characters that she uses as volunteer bounty hunters by lying about their paternity. Crystal sees through the charade and explains how great it is- but it's not. Sounds like the movie itself. This Father's Day, it would be best to watch… anything else.

Robin Williams and Billy Crystal are two of the funniest comedians of their generation, and they combine forces for this comedy, about two fathers who go searching for their respective suns who ran away. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, and Natasha Kinski. I went to see this movie, appropriately enough, with my father. The movie was alright, but considering the talent involved this movie should have been much funnier. The two just seem to be sleepwalking through a badly done script. In this movie they play two fathers trying to track down their respective sons, who have run away together. While it may not be the most original the two should have been able to be funny enough to make this movie work. Unfortunately these two men are above these roles. The two have done far funnier roles separately, and it is too bad, that these two comedians get together so rarely on screen, and it is even more unfortunate this collaboration falls so short. Don't get me wrong this isn't a bad movie, and it does have some good moments, but it could have been funnier. Watch for an appearance by Mel Gibson in an interesting role.