Uncle Buck is a 1989 comedy-drama starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly and Gaby Hoffmann, and co-stars Macaulay Culkin, Jay Underwood and Laurie Metcalf. The movie was written and directed by John Hughes. It received a PG rating from the MPAA and a 12 rating from the BBFC.
Plot
Bob Russell (Garrett M. Brown), his wife Cindy (Elaine Bromka), and their three kids, 8-year old Miles (Macaulay Culkin), 6-year old Maizy (Gaby Hoffman) and 15-year-old Tia (Jean Kelly), recently moved from Indianapolis to Chicago. Tia resents her parents because she feels everyone was happy enough where they were already living.
Bob and Cindy are in bed one night when Cindy's aunt calls, telling them that Cindy's father has had a heart attack. Bob and Cindy immediately make plans to go to leave for Indianapolis. Upon being told the news, Tia angrily states that "If my whole family moved away from me, I'd have a heart attack too", and slams the door in her mother's face.
Despite trying everyone they know, the parents are unable to find a sitter for the kids. In spite of Cindy's objections, they are forced to settle on Bob's brother Buck: an unemployed slacker who lives in a rundown apartment, drives a barely-functional 1978 Mercury Marquis, smokes cigars, spends his free time in bowling alleys, and makes his living by placing large bets and cheating on fixed horse races.
Cindy and Bob leave for Indianapolis, leaving 'Uncle Buck' in charge. The loutish but well-meaning and sensitive Buck does the best he can; Miles and Maizy quickly bond with and adore him, but he repeatedly butts heads with the rebellious Tia. He is also dealing with constant pressure of commitment from Chanice Kobolowski (Amy Madigan), his girlfriend for the past eight years.
Buck meets Tia's boyfriend, Bug (Jay Underwood), and instantly realizes that he is clearly only interested in sex with her. When Buck scares Bug away from her with a hatchet he claimed he wanted to show him (proclaiming to be so proficient with the weapon he's been known to "circumcise a gnat"), an infuriated Tia gets revenge by making Chanice think that Buck is flirting with the Russells' neighbor, Marcie Dahlgren-Frost (Laurie Metcalf). Chanice leaves Buck.
Tia escapes the overprotective Buck, sneaking out to a house party to see Bug. While there she realizes that Bug is only interested in her for sex, which he tries to pressure her into. Buck finds his way to the house and barges in on Bug by drilling through the doorknob, only to discover that not only has Tia already left (having turned Bug down), but Bug is already with another girl.
Buck starts driving back home, finding Tia wandering by herself on the streets. In the car, Tia admits that Buck was right about Bug all along: Buck stops the car in a quiet area and opens the trunk, revealing a tied up Bug. Buck requests that Bug apologizes to Tia with subtle threats of drilling his teeth out, and then lets him go (while still tied up). Bug then yells various obscenities and threatens to sue as he retreats, prompting Buck to remove his golf clubs and drive a ball into Bug's head. Bug continues screaming obscenities, in obvious pain, until Buck drops yet another ball, ready to swing, as Bug disappears into the night.
Buck has finally earned Tia's love and respect, so back home she admits to Chanice that she set Buck up to look like he was flirting with Marcie. Chanice reunites with Buck.
Later, Cindy and Bob return home as Cindy's father is recovering. Tia meets her mother as she enters the house. Cindy is expecting a loud tirade. Instead, she is surprised to receive a tearful embrace. Cindy promises that things will change, so Tia will not be so resentful of her parents any longer. Uncle Buck leaves with Chanice as the family waves goodbye.
Cast
Production
John Hughes claims that the scene wherein Macaulay Culkin speaks with Amy Madigan through the mail slot in the front door was what gave him the idea for Home Alone. The film was shot almost entirely on the campus of New Trier West High School in Northfield, Illinois. The house set was constructed in the gymnasium. The piano music at the beginning of the film is by Hugh Harris, it is taken from his 1989 song "Rhythm Of Life"; the full song is played at the end of the film.
Towards the end of the film when Buck fires a golf ball at the fleeing Bug, the "club swing" shot was filmed on the grassy school bus turn-around of the New Trier West campus, but the Bug fleeing shot was filmed in the parking lot of a small grocery store in Glencoe, Illinois, more than 3 miles (4.8 km) away. For the scene in which Miles rapidly interrogates Buck about the fine details of his life, John Candy had the script pages stuck on his back so that Macaulay Culkin could maintain the scene's breakneck pace.
William Windom, Mike Starr and Anna Chlumsky make minor appearances.
Danny DeVito was considered for the role of Buck Russell.
Reception
During its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, Uncle Buck grossed $8.7 million in 1,804 theaters, ranking #1 at the box office.[1] It stayed the #1 film for a total of four weeks in a row.[1]
The film grossed a total of $66.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $12.5 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $79.2 million. In 1989 it was the 18th top grossing film in the United States and Canada, and the 20th top grossing film worldwide.[2]
As of August 2009, Uncle Buck is Macaulay Culkin's highest grossing film outside of the Home Alone series.[3]
TV series
In 1990, a television series named Uncle Buck was broadcast on CBS. It starred Kevin Meaney as Buck, a slob who drinks and smokes. When his brother and sister-in-law die in a car accident, Buck is named as the guardian of Tia, Miles, and Maizy. The show was not received well by TV critics, but it did quite well on Monday nights. However when the show was moved to Friday, in an attempt by CBS to establish a comedy night there, the shows ratings quickly fell and it was cancelled.
References
External links
