Mr. Mom (1983)

Silly, inconsequential family situation comedy, enlivened only by the strong performance of Michael Keaton in one of his early star turns as the dad who has to take on his wife's responsibilities around the house (with the expected comic ineptitude) when he gets laid off and she gets a job. The screenplay by John Hughes, one of his earliest, is entirely predictable and really quite uninspired stuff. It's certainly one of his least personal projects, feeling instead like a TV sitcom written on autopilot, and surprisingly lacking in the kind of wild slapstick and weird, offbeat supporting characters that show up frequently in Hughes' work and could have added some much-needed reinforcement to the proceedings here.

Teri Garr isn't given much to do with her role, and even the fine supporting players such as Martin Mull (as Garr's sleazy boss), Jeffrey Tambor (as Keaton's sleazy boss) and Christopher Lloyd (as one of Keaton's fellow engineers), are never really on-screen long enough to make much of their scenes. Only Ann Jillian, as the sexy neighbor intent on seducing Keaton while his wife's away, manages to rise above the material. Michael Keaton's performance demonstrates the kind of offbeat comic energy that made him such a unique and interesting actor, but his talent would be better-served in later vehicles. As it is, there's not much in it for adults, and the humor is really aimed primarily at kids, which is probably why the film seems to be most fondly remembered by people who saw it during their own childhood.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Hyperactive, flippant teen comedy by John Hughes about a high school senior who plays sick in order to spend the day carousing around the city with his girlfriend and his best buddy. The script is funny enough, and Matthew Broderick is sufficiently likable as the title character -- ably supported by Jeffrey Jones as the slimy school principal, Edie McClurg as his secretary, and Ben Stein in a brief but memorable turn as the monotonous economics teacher. Broderick and friends spending their day doing "grown up" things like eating at a fancy restaurant or going to an art museum brings to mind Macaulay Culkin taking on adult responsibilities in Hughes' later HOME ALONE, and the idea makes for some of the most effective scenes in the film for the comical contrast they present

Hughes' "deep" moments of teenage introspection feel forced here, coming across as pretentious and bringing the comedy to a halt, though they do give some heart to the humor. In any case, there are far fewer of those moments here than in his earlier teen comedies. In this way, the film is less dated than SIXTEEN CANDLES or THE BREAKFAST CLUB because it's not as closely linked to a particular moment, with its broad, sometimes cartoonish humor being more timeless in its appeal. But it's also less interesting and less personal overall as a result. Unlike the two previously-mentioned Hughes films, which treated the soul-searching and angst of those awkward years deadly serious and have a certain charm as a result, FERRIS BUELLER is pure comic fantasy, an exaggerated and sometimes surreal vision of playing hooky that is fun but also superficial.

The Great Outdoors (1988)

Funny if formulaic comedy, written (but not directed) by John Hughes, about a man who takes his family on what he hopes will be the perfect vacation, only to have it ruined by the unexpected arrival of his obnoxious in-laws.

John Candy is his usual, affable self. He had a wonderful screen presence and always rose above the material he was given. He stars opposite Dan Aykroyd here, and while the two make a good comic pair, they never quite achieve the chemistry needed to make the most of their scenes together. Hughes' script works in several of his trademark slapstick sequences that border on the painful -- highlights include Candy careening out of control on water skis, and an attack by a rampaging grizzly bear -- but also a heavy dose of sentimentality that drags the pace down at times, particularly in the obligatory "teen summer romance" subplot. Harmless, good-natured fun.