Dad is an 1989
comedy-dramaComedy-drama, also called dramedy or seriocomedy, is a style of television, theatre and film in which there is an equal or nearly equal balance of humor and serious content.-Theatre:...
based on
William WhartonWilliam Wharton , the pen name of the author Albert William Du Aime , was an American-born author best known for his first novel Birdy, which was also successful as a film.-Biography:...
's novel of the same name. The movie stars
Jack LemmonJohn Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts, Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger, The Out-of-Towners, The China Syndrome, Missing, Glengarry Glen...
,
Ted DansonEdward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He is currently a regular on Larry David's HBO sitcom, Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close in...
,
Olympia Dukakis-Personal life:Dukakis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, the daughter of Alexandra and Constantine S. Dukakis. Her parents were Greek immigrants to the United States, her father from Anatolia and her mother from Peloponnese...
,
Kevin SpaceyKevin Spacey is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
and
Ethan HawkeEthan Green Hawke is an American actor, writer and film director. He made his feature film debut in 1985, opposite River Phoenix in the movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role...
, and was written and directed by
Gary David GoldbergGary David Goldberg is a United States writer and producer for television and film. Goldberg is best known for his work on Family Ties , Spin City , and his semi-autobiographical series Brooklyn Bridge .-Background:Gary David Goldberg was born on June 25, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York...
. It was produced by
Amblin EntertainmentAmblin Entertainment is an American film and television production company founded by director, Steven Spielberg, film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in 1981. Amblin is only a production company, and has never distributed its own movies, nor has it fully financed its productions,...
and distributed by
Universal PicturesThis is a partial listing of films produced and/or distributed by Universal Pictures, the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal.-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc...
.
Plot
A busy executive (Danson) learns during a meeting that his mother may be dying and rushes home to her side. He ends up being his father's caretaker and becomes closer to him than ever before. In the process, he teaches his father to be more independent, which causes problems with the man's wife (Dukakis). Estranged from his own son (Hawke), the executive comes to realize what has been missing in his own life.
Reception
Jack Lemmon received much critical acclaim for his performance. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in the film.
The film was nominated in 1990 for the
Academy Award for MakeupThese are the Academy Award for Makeup winners and nominees. Only three films are nominated each year rather than five as in most categories.The competitive category was created in 1981. Previously, make-up artists were only eligible for special achievement awards for their work. Before 1981,...
, but lost to
Driving Miss Daisy Driving Miss Daisy is a 1989 film adapted from the Alfred Uhry play of the same title for Warner Bros. The film was directed by Bruce Beresford with Morgan Freeman reprising Hoke's role and Jessica Tandy playing Miss Daisy...
.