What About Bob? (1991)

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

18 Jan 2007 11:43 AM

Bob Wiley is . . . different. He's beyond nervous, he's beyond neurotic. The man needs serious professional help, and when he comes to see Dr. Leo Marvin, that's what he thinks he's getting. Dr. Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss) is sure that with regularly scheduled office visits, he can get Bob (Bill Murray) on the right track, but he's on his way to the lake for vacation. He'll take care of Bob when he gets home.

What Dr. Marvin does not expect is for Bob to follow him out to the lake, get himself invited to stay with the family, and participate in all family activities as though he's one of them. But Fay, Leo's wife, takes an immediate liking to Bob and can't see throwing him out into the night. Siggy, Leo's son, finds in Bob the friend he never had in his father, and so Leo finds himself a one man band, trying to convince Bob to go back to the city and wait until vacation time is over before they begin their serious therapy.

Bob, meanwhile, is convinced that Leo is the greatest therapist that ever lived. He hangs on his every word. He idolizes Leo to the point of silliness. Whatever Leo says, goes, and he follows Leo around like a little puppy. No matter what Leo does, Bob chalks it up to a new sort of therapy.

In fact, near the end of the movie, when the good doctor is nearly insane himself from trying to deal with Bob, he decides murder is the only way out. Strapping a huge amount of dynamite to Bob, Leo lights the fuse and thinks it's all over. However, Bob uses the experience as "Death Therapy" and claims it has changed his life. Oh, wait, did that dynamite just explode somewhere it shouldn't have?

This movie is absolutely hysterical. You'll fall in love with Bob and his innocent, good-natured ways, and you'll laugh as you watch Dr. Marvin go farther and farther off the deep end until he is a patient himself. While young children may not understand all the humor, older children will enjoy it along with their parents. It does contain a small amount of language and rude humor, so I present that caution, but it's the only one I have.

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Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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