Main Cast: Gilda Radner, Bob Newhart, Madeline Kahn, Richard Benjamin, Bob Dishy
Release Year: 1980
Country: US
Run Time: 105 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Gilda Radner, Bob Newhart, and Madeline Kahn star in this comedy. The farce sends up an idiotic First Family in the persona of a bumbling president (Newhart), his semi-alcoholic wife (Kahn), and his oversexed daughter (Radner). Satirizing the artificial, formal speech of real-life First Families in television interviews, director Buck Henry carries this mode of speech into their private lives as well. The trio travel to an African country where the First Daughter is kidnapped and white Americans are traded as slaves in exchange for some special animal dung that is able to accelerate plant growth. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Review
It's staggering to think that a man who wrote such wonderful comedies as The Graduate and What's Up Doc? could also come up with the atrocity that is First Family, but indeed Buck Henry did do such a thing. It would be tempting to blame the mess on the director, but since that is also Henry, nothing is really gained by that tactic. Family is not totally without laughs, but it does come perilously close. For the most part, the jokes are simply not funny, and even the few that are, are not helped by Henry's lackluster, pointless direction. Of course, it is possible -- not advisable, but possible -- to make a comedy that is low on laughs but which is still effective because the story itself is well put-together, its characters are engaging or at least amiable, and there's a sense of cheeriness and lightheartedness that makes one willing to settle for a few smiles rather than a barrel of guffaws. But Family is lacking in all these areas as well, ultimately being an unfocused, irritating mess of a movie. That it manages this despite the presence of an absolutely first rate cast seems incredible, but it's true. Such incredible talents as Bob Newhart, Gilda Radner and Austin Pendleton have nothing to show for their efforts; only Madeline Kahn somehow manages to rise - ever so slightly -- above the material. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Harvey Korman - Ambassador Spender; Austin Pendleton - Alexander Grade; Rip Torn - Gen. Dumpston; Fred Willard - Presidential Assistant Feebleman; Julius Harris - Ambassador Longo; John Hancock - President Mazai Kalundra; Maurice Sherbanee - Arab Delegate; Buck Henry - Fr. Sandstone; Lou Felder - Secretary of State Reigie; Susan Forristal; Dudley Knight - Secretary of Defense Springfield; Lyman Ward
Credit
William Hiney - Art Director, Leslie Hill - Associate Producer, Phil Rawlins - Associate Producer, Ralph Burns - Conductor, Buck Henry - Director, Stu Linder - Editor, Susan Martin - Editor, Ralph Burns - Composer (Music Score), Fred Koenekamp - Cinematographer, Daniel Melnick - Producer, Rick Simpson - Set Designer, Jerry Jost - Sound/Sound Designer, Richard Alexander - Sound/Sound Designer, Les Fresholtz - Sound/Sound Designer, Kevin F. Cleary - Sound/Sound Designer, Tex Rudloff - Sound/Sound Designer, Buck Henry - Screenwriter, John Philip Sousa - Featured Music
Manfred Link is the President of the United States. He and the usually tipsy First Lady have a 28-year-old, sex-starved daughter named Gloria.
The President is surrounded by a number of eccentric staffers and allies, including vice president Shockley, ambassador Spender, press secretary Bunthorne and a presidential aide named Feebleman. He also is advised by General Dumpston, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The administration needs the support of the (mythical) African nation of Upper Gorm for an upcoming vote and must deal with Longo, that country's United Nations ambassador. Unfortunately, it can find only one American who knows how to speak the Upper Gormese language, a man named Alexander Grade.
As best they can understand it, the ruler of Upper Gorm wants, in exchange, a number of Americans sent to his land so that his country, like the United States, can know what it's like to have an oppressed minority. Gloria is kidnapped and Americans are transported to Africa like slaves.
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