The ’80s Breakout Comedy That Got Batman Made, Stream Without Netflix
What if a wife went out and got a “real” job while her husband stayed home and did the “woman’s” work? As incredibly offensive and misogynistic as that premise reads now, it used to be a fairly common trope in Hollywood. Nowhere was this plot line used to greater effect than in the 1983 hit comedy Mr. Mom.
Hoping for a cheap nostalgia fix, I watched this film for the first time in decades last week. I braced myself for some no-longer fashionable racial and homophobic slurs—it’s an ’80s movie, after all—but was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Mom holds up shockingly well in 2024.
Michael Keaton Is Mr. Mom
The majority of the credit goes to the incredible cast. Michael Keaton is particularly hilarious. I was surprised to read that Mr. Mom was his first starring role because it doesn’t show on screen.
Watching this movie, it’s easy to see why Tim Burton picked Keaton for Beetlejuice.
Beetlejuice, in turn, led to Batman, meaning that, in a way, I have Mr. Mom to thank for my favorite live-action superhero movie. But don’t think that Keaton carried the movie all by his lonesome. He had help from the sensational Teri Garr and the late Martin Mull.
A Problematic Role Reversal
Mr. Mom begins with Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) being laid off from his job as an automotive engineer. As a result, his dutiful spouse, Caroline (Teri Garr), becomes the breadwinner of the Butler family. This leaves Jack with all of Caroline’s domestic duties.
I don’t think I have to explain how showing a Dad being all “duh, how does laundry work?” hurts men just as much as women. That being said, Mr. Mom is still able to mine Jack’s fish-out-of-water situation for a few laughs. It’s when the movie deviates from its core premise, however, that it really shines.
Points To A Larger Truth
For instance, you would expect that if Jack isn’t very good with household chores, he would at least be good with tools, right? Wrong. Remember, Jack is a college grad with a cushy engineer job. Watching him pretend to do construction around the house just to appear more manly is one of the funniest parts of the film.
While I wouldn’t call Mr. Mom a feminist movie, it does a good job of highlighting how, in a middle-class family where both parents are college-educated and have access to modern technology, there is essentially no difference between the man of the house and his female counterpart.
Still Leans Into Gender Stereotypes
Speaking of which, Caroline’s characterization is the only place the movie really fails. Having her go to work at a prestigious advertising firm rather than pick up a waitress job was the right call and fairly progressive for 1983. However, Mr. Mom loses points by having Caroline’s big advertising break be based on her experience as a housewife.
It sends the wrong message that women are, first and foremost, mothers and housekeepers, even in the workforce.
Scored Big At The Box Office And Still Holds Up
GFR SCORE
Mr. Mom was a hit at the box office, earning over $65 million against a $5 million budget. It would go on to have success on home video and cable, which is where I first saw it as a child. Critically, it did okay earning, a solid 76-percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The consensus with critics is basically what I said above. The film’s antiquated view on gender roles is made up for by its strong cast and charming script courtesy of John Hughes. I highly recommend Mr. Mom if you’re looking for an ’80s comedy with minimal problematic content—a rarity if we’re being honest.
If you are curious about how a young Michael Keaton handles domesticity, you can stream Mr. Mom right now for free on Tubi.
