Cast: Danny DeVito, Robert J. Steinmiller, Miko Hughes, Gary Sinese, Reese Witherspoon
Director: Marshall Herskovitz
Producer: Bruce Gilbert
Screenplay: Steven Zaillian from the novel by Dan McCall
Cinematography: Fred Murphy
Music: James Horner
U.S. Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Since the tragic death of his wife in an automobile accident, John (Danny DeVito) has been raising his two sons, Jack (Robert J. Steinmiller) and Darian (Miko Hughes), by himself. Many of his neighbors consider John to be the perfect parent, but drinking too much brings out his dark side. Jack the Bear tells the story of John and his sons during the Fall of 1972 in Oakland, California, where the delicate balance of a family already hurt by tragedy is jeopardized by the actions of a neo-Nazi (Gary Sinese).
With many films that stray off-course, it can be difficult to identify exactly where things go wrong. Not so with Jack the Bear. It takes little insight and virtually no digging to excavate the turning point, which occurs halfway through.
The first part of the movie is like a thoughtful version of TV's The Wonder Years. While the distant shadow of tragedy still hangs over Jack the Bear, it's a background element. We see Jack take care of his little brother, experience his first day in a new school, develop a crush on a girl and invite her to his house for dinner, and stay up late at night to watch a horror-movie show that his father stars in. The film moves along at a leisurely pace, letting us float in nostalgia as we remember what it's like to be a child.
However, about the time that Gary Sinese's Norman starts playing a major role, the film shifts from light drama to leaden melodrama, with doses of action and silliness thrown in for good measure. The second half of Jack the Bear is a jerky, uneven ride that never comes close to fulfilling the promise of what preceded it.
Danny DeVito is pretty much a non-entity in the film, playing second fiddle to a pair of adequate child actors. Gary Sinese, who, like DeVito, directs in addition to acting, does his best to flesh out a purely one-dimensional character. Because of the limitations of the script, however, he is unsuccessful. Norman turns out to be another cardboard cut-out bad guy.
Some viewers will probably enjoy the bizarre twists and turns, but I prefer more consistency. Characters and circumstances that are so charming and believable in the first half become distorted beyond belief. It's sad to see so much promise thrown away. What happens to Jack the Bear is another instance of a film slipping off-track and never being able to find its way back.
© 1993 James Berardinelli