A criminal trying to reform is forced to endure the most humiliating punishment of all -- hanging out with his son -- in this family comedy. Ray Gleason (Ted Danson) is a thief whose ambitions far outstrip both his skill and his intelligence; Ray is just bright enough to have realized this, and he's decided to go straight and open a bake shop (he learned how to decorate cakes during his last stay in prison). However, Ray needs to raise some working capital, so in association with his buddies Bobby (Saul Rubinek) and Carl (Gailard Sartain) he is planning his last heist, in which they hope to walk away with a highly valuable collection of rare coins. Ray also happens to have an 11-year-old son, Timmy (Macaulay Culkin), whose mother died several years ago; Timmy has been living with his aunt, but when she gets married and goes away on her honeymoon, Timmy ends up staying with Ray. Timmy is a lot smarter than his dad and quickly figures out what Ray and his cronies have been up to; he's long felt a great deal of resentment toward his father for not being around when he needed him, so Timmy steals the loot from the robbery and uses it to blackmail Ray into spending some quality time with him. Timmy also thinks that it's high time Ray settled down, so when he notices that Theresa (Glenne Headly), an undercover cop, has been following Ray's trail, Timmy tries to play matchmaker and bring them together. Getting Even with Dad would prove to be the next-to-last screen appearance for former pre-teen superstar Macaulay Culkin; he was 14 when this film was released, and within five years he was a married man attending the Rhode Island School of Design. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Sam McMurray - Alex; Kathleen Wilhoite - Kitty; Dann Florek - Wayne; Wil Albert - Docent; Scott Beach - Wino; Ron Canada - Zinn; Jerry Carlton - Foreman; Charles Dean - Policeman at Church; Karen Kahn - T.V. Anchorwoman; Joe Lerer - Bus Driver; Jarion Monroe - Ticket Seller; Barbara Scott - Dog-Walking Mother; Syd Walker - Mr. Wankmueller; Cheryl Lee - Leggy Blonde; Ralph Peduto - Chapman; Sharon Bialy; Sam Horrigan - Boy on Subway
Credit
Clayton R. Hartley - Art Director, Tom S. Parker - Associate Producer, Jim Jennewein - Associate Producer, Elena Spiotta - Associate Producer, Richard Pagano - Casting, Debi Manwiller - Casting, Sharon Bialy - Casting, Rudy Dillon - Costume Designer, K.C. Colwell - First Assistant Director, Howard Deutch - Director, Richard Halsey - Editor, Richard Hashimoto - Executive Producer, Miles Goodman - Composer (Music Score), John Phillips - Musical Direction/Supervision, Bill Phillips - Musical Direction/Supervision, John M. Elliott, Jr. - Makeup, Virginia Randolph - Production Designer, Tim Suhrstedt - Cinematographer, Pierce Gardner - Producer, Katie Jacobs - Producer, Barbara Munch - Set Designer, Chuck Gasper - Special Effects, Tom S. Parker - Screenwriter, Jim Jennewein - Screenwriter
The ruling choices for this songs-plus-score soundtrack are songs about money, a New Orleans locale, and the use of Private Music recording artists. Therefore, there are tunes with titles like "Money (That's What I Want)" and "I Need Money Keep You Alibis," oldies by Professor Longhair and Slim Harpo, and current material by A.J. Croce, Ringo Starr, and Taj Mahal. The nine selections from Miles Goodman's score have the calm, contemplative style that telegraphs heart-warming sentiments on screen. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
The movie is about a dysfunctional father-son relationship. Timmy Gleason (Macaulay Culkin) is Ray Gleason's (Ted Danson) estranged son, who tries to blackmail his ex-con father into spending time with him. Ray and two cronies (played by Saul Rubinek and Gailard Sartain) pull off a rare coin heist, and then Timmy arrives wanting to share father-son time. Timmy hides the coins and uses them to blackmail his father. The police are suspicious of Ray, and Detective Theresa Walsh (Glenne Headly) is over-zealous in her undercover observance of Ray and Timmy, as she begins to become infatuated with Ray.
Macaulay Culkin's character was supposed to have a short haircut in this movie, but Macaulay who had let his hair grow at the time liked his looks and did not want to cut it. His father Kit Culkin demanded on behalf of his son that he should keep his hair the way it was. Pointing out that his character was a working class boy, not a prep school boy. Macaulay got to keep his long hair.
Saul Rubinek was really hit in the nose with a bat during the scene where he falls down the stairs at the stadium. Since Rubinek was caught off guard, his reaction gave the scene a more realistic look. The director decided to leave it in the final cut.
Ray's apartment in the movie is located at the corner of Jackson and Mason St. in Chinatown, San Francisco.
Reception
The film did not perform well at the box office. Also, it received negative reception from a few critics. The tomatometer from Rotten Tomatoes.com reported that only one of the eleven critics that reviewed the film gave the film a positive review, resulting in a 9% rating.
