Jack the Bear is a 1993 comedy-drama film starring Danny DeVito. It is based on a novel by Dan McCall.
Plot
Jack Leary (Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.), his younger brother Dylan Leary (Miko Hughes) and father John (Danny DeVito) start over in 1972 Oakland following the death of the boys' mother.
John is a comedy/horror TV personality, entertaining his viewing audience during horror movies. He is devoted to his two sons, though his drinking problem disrupts the smooth running of the household, as some of his parental duties fall to Jack.
A neighbor, Norman Strick (Gary Sinise) shows up at their home one Halloween evening, seeking a donation for a racially-prejudiced candidate. John refuses, and shuts the door in Norman's face. Obviously bothered that Norman lives across the street, John gets drunk, and his performance on his TV show mimics the racially-charged beliefs of his neo-Nazi neighbor. He is subsequently asked to take time off from his show.
The morning after John's performance, Jack finds Norman's dog, Cheyenne, dead on their front lawn. Jack encourages John to talk to Norman about it, and though John apologizes for his actions on television and insists he did not poison Cheyenne, Norman refuses to shake John's hand.
Jack had a young love affair with Karen Morris (Reese Witherspoon), but after his father's disastrous performance on television, she breaks up with him. Jack's world begins to tear apart, and the pressure of filling in for his father begins to take its toll. He begins to take out his anger on Dylan, is seen taking a drink just like his father, and he begins to swear and curse whenever he is angry.
Dylan disappears and next-door neighbor Dexter claims Norman kidnapped him. Jack calls the police and he and John are extremely worried until Dylan is found in a nearby forest. Norman has vanished, and days later, Dylan has not spoken. John takes out his frustration by going to Norman's home with a bat. He is not there, and after John briefly terrorizes the man's parents, he destroys Norman's beloved T-Bird with the bat.
John's in-laws, who always disapproved of him, take the boys to their Los Angeles home. Jack decides that he cannot handle the parenting methods of his grandfather (who is always lecturing, and not fun like his father--a realization by Jack that he 'does' love his father), and sneaks back to his home. John is out, and Jack goes to sleep in his own bed.
John arrives home and shortly after, Jack is awoken by the electricity going off. Here, we see that Norman has gained entry to the home. Jack knows there is an intruder, and he accidentally knocks John out with a bat. Norman says "Home run, Jack", and chases Jack upstairs and out the bathroom window. Jack jumps for a branch in a nearby tree, and Norman pursues him. John has recovered, and yells from the window, warning the neo-Nazi to stay away from his son. Jack screams for his father. As Norman crawls toward him, Jack watches in horror as the man falls into his neighbor's yard and is attacked by the neighbor's Doberman Pinschers.
In the end scene, Jack is playing his mother's favorite song and asks a still mute Dylan what it was. He doesn't appear to remember. Jack, then breaks down crying and tells John that "Nothing is right." "Then we're going to make it all right." John answers, adding "Daddy's here" as he and his son embrace. Dylan, then, comes over and answers "Jack the Bear." All three embrace emotionally.
The final scene fades as John watches his sons playing in the front yard.
Cast
Awards and nominations
External links
