It's time for our psych eval as we join Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss in this classic from 1991. This week we ask ourselves What About Bob? This is one of D's favorite comedies and favorite movies of all time. Will Kat feel the same way? Let's find out!
Storyline :Dr. Leo Marvin, an egotistical psychotherapist in New York City, is looking forward to his upcoming appearance on a "Good Morning America" telecast, during which he plans to brag about "Baby Steps," his new book about emotional disorder theories in which he details his philosophy of treating patients and their phobias. Meanwhile, Bob Wiley is a recluse who is so afraid to leave his own apartment that he has to talk himself out the door. When he is pawned off on Leo by a psychotherapist colleague, he becomes attached to him. Leo finds Bob extremely annoying. When Leo accompanies his wife, Faye, his daughter, Anna, and his son, Sigmund, to a peaceful New Hampshire lakeside cottage for a month-long vacation, he thinks he's been freed from Bob. Leo expects to mesmerize his family with his prowess as a brilliant husband and remarkable father who knows all there is to know about instructing Faye and raising Anna and Sigmund. But Bob isn't going to let him enjoy a quiet summer by the lake. By cleverly tricking the telephone operator at Leo's exchange, Bob discovers the whereabouts of him and his family. Despite his phobia about traveling alone, Bob somehow manages to talk himself onto a bus, and he arrives in New Hampshire. Leo's vacation comes to a screeching halt the moment he sees him. With his witty personality, his ability to manipulate people, and his good sense of humor, he quickly becomes an annoyance to Leo, but not to Faye, Anna, and Sigmund, because they think he is fun while Leo is dull. Fearing that he's losing his family to him, Leo frantically tries to find a way to make him go back to New York City, and it's not as easy as he had hoped. He finds himself stepping outside the law to try to get Bob to stay away from Faye, Anna, and Sigmund--he slowly goes berserk, and makes plans to kill Bob.
Directors: Frank Oz
Writers: Alvin Sargent, Laura Ziskin and Tom Schulman
Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, Bill Murray, Julie Hagerty, and Charlie Korsmo
Awards: 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
Film Budget: $39,000,000
Gross Worldwide: $63,707,829
For a movie made in the early 90s we were surprised by the lack of popular music present here but you can enjoy this lovely and iconic score by Miles Goodman, we certainly did.
Bob's a special kind of friend. The kind that drives you crazy!
In interviews both Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss admitted that they did not get along during filming.
Dr. Leo Marvin is a psychiatrist whose children's names are "Sigmund" and "Anna". They are named respectively after the famous psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and his daughter, child psychologist Anna Freud.
Robin Williams was the first choice for the role of Bob Wiley, as he had been nominated for an Oscar for his performance in screenwriter Tom Schulman's Dead Poets Society (1989), also distributed by Touchstone Pictures. However, at the time filming was to begin, Williams had just finished filming The Fisher King (1991) and was forced to turn down the role. Williams and Charlie Korsmo, who plays Richard Dreyfuss's son in this movie, would go on to star in Steven Spielberg's Hook (1991) the same year.
When Fay Marvin was tucking in Bob and her son Sigmund on the night of the Bob sleepover, she holds the sheets up to allow Bob to climb into his bed. Bill Murray improvises in the scene and crawls under the sheets head first, cracking up Julie Hagerty.
Director Frank Oz wanted Patrick Stewart to play Dr. Leo Marvin, which was eventually played by Richard Dreyfuss.
At the time of this posting we were not able to find What About Bob? on streaming so we rented on Amazon and you can as well at the link below.