Movie review: ‘Son in Law’

FloridaGator80

I’m sure that if you know Pauly Shore’s persona, then you also know there’s very little middle ground about him and the movies: You either like the toasted surfer-like dude from “Encino Man” or “Bio-Dome” or you just tune out that kind of noise and wouldn’t consider seeing one of his films. Well, regardless of your opinion, I’d say there’s absolutely no way you just should miss “Son in Law.” You’ll find Pauly can reach a bit deeper than you might believe and his goofiness doesn’t wear thin in this one. All things considered, “Son in Law” is a movie that will keep a smile on your face hours after your television or monitor clicks off.

‘Son in Law’
(1993; 95 minutes; rated PG-13; directed by Steve Rash and starring Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino and Lane Smith)

PAULY SHORE IS A GOOD ‘SON IN LAW’

(NOTE: I expanded this review with some additional opinion and updating of links on Feb. 18, 2016. I again expanded the review on April 29, 2020. I again expanded the review on Jan. 12, 2023.)

One kind of film to truly enjoy is one that brings a surprisingly poignant, positive message even though you wouldn’t have thought it possible by the idea or star driving the film. My most often-used example of such a film is the terrific “Shallow Hal” from the Farrelly brothers (click here for my review). However, running a close second, is a truly great one right out of left field – “Son in Law” starring Pauly Shore.

(CLICK here … for all my reviews of movies)
(CLICK here … for a chronological list of my reviews)
(CLICK here … for all my Christmas movie reviews)
(CLICK here … for all my reviews of horror movies)
(CLICK here … for all my reviews of movies about war)

Yes, I wrote Pauly Shore. And “Son in Law.” And “truly good one.” And, no, I haven’t lost my mind.

“Son in Law” is a coming-of-age story of a small-town girl who goes off to a big-city college and gets help in her evolution from the flaky guy. The potential pitfalls are numerous and stereotypical traps abound for filmmakers, but “Son in Law” neatly sidesteps each one and offers the audience what can best be described as a sharp little comedy worth watching a second or third time.

I’m going to write a little bit more about the plot so that you might become intrigued enough to watch “Son in Law.”

Shore is “Crawl,” a sixth-year senior who switches majors faster than he buys shoes (“Majored in karate for two semesters!”). However, there’s something more and certainly deeper with Shore here than you’d expect and there are a few early clues that play out through the film. He’s coming to the aid of Carla Gugino, who plays “Rebecca Warner,” the small-town girl who’s first afraid of the big new experience and then afraid of a pending proposal from her boyfriend from back home. She adapts to her new life better than she wants to get engaged.

But, a Thanksgiving visit back home lights the fuse that leads to a surprisingly neat ending – not too saccharine, but also not so gnarly as to close out a good film on a low note.

Along the way, Shore quickly scoots with Gugino through a new wardrobe (“weasel wear”), a new haircut and finally a tattoo (butterfly … inside left ankle). Still, Shore shows a bit of depth at the tattoo parlor. When Gugino asks what he thinks, Shore replies with a shrug, “It’s permanent.” It’s a common-sense filter over something that you’d think he would recommend as the next level for Gugino.

Common sense? Pauly? Yes, and again, I haven’t lost my mind.

Once the unlikely couple arrive “back home,” things take a decidedly unusual turn – Pauly just isn’t farmhand material, but he knows how to show his mettle.

Shore does a bunch of stereotypical bits such as driving the farm’s combine into the field while John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” plays on its tape deck, but his funniest scene is when he calls the square dance near the end of the film. Crawl-speak sets a new standard for the square-dance set. Still, it is those moments when he’s serious and the clowning drops away that Shore does the best work of the film and what makes this one worth your time.

Simply the best of that work is when Shore bonds with Gaugino’s family and his individual interactions with each fill out his character with more than his usual silly antics.

Fill out a character? Pauly? Who’d a thought? Yes, and again and again, I haven’t lost my mind.

Of course, everything works out in the end to everyone’s satisfaction (except the back-home boyfriend’s, of course) but the film does it with a touch of verve instead of the stereotypical trap into which it could have fallen despite the stereotypical family photo at closing credits.

Now, let’s take a look at the headliners:

  • Shore’s timing throughout the film is excellent and he plays off Gugino to perfection. His physical comedy can use work (some of his silliness is just silly, but you quickly forget his foibles here). I’m not saying Pauly is Oscar material since his range of emotion isn’t great, but he is very confident with this role and is the perfecting casting choice. In the “Razzie” awards for worst in film, Shore has won four times (including for “Bio-Dome” and “Encino Man” and a much-deserved one for “Jury Duty”) and was nominated for “Worst Actor of the Century.” I liked him in a guest spot early in his career as the fast-food boss of “Al Bundy” in an episode of “Married With Children” (it was 1989 and his seventh “acting” credit – sorry, Pauly, couldn’t resist the quotation marks).
  • For her part, Gugino might not have been the next Meryl Streep with this film, but she has fun with it and has some spine under her vulnerable façade. Although she doesn’t manage to make “Rebecca” memorable, the important thing is that she is competent and doesn’t fumble in her work here. Gugino has been in “Sin City” and in “San Andreas” and has done episodes in 2020 on the TV series “Manhunt.” She is a somewhat busy actor with 99 credits spanning five decades with the first being in 1988 and she even did an episode of the TV series “ALF” (remember that one?).

The supporting cast isn’t A-list, but it is absolutely sensational. Here’s a look at the key players working with Shore and Gugino:

  • Veteran character actor and Golden Globe nominee (not for this one) Lane Smith plays Gugino’s father, “Walter Warner.” Smith made a career of supporting roles of worthy note and never disappoints here. He brings whatever’s necessary to each of his scenes. Smith had three notables in the year before “Son in Law” was released: “My Cousin Vinny,” playing the prosecutor opposite Marisa Tomei, who won a supporting Oscar for her role; “The Mighty Ducks” as the evil opposing coach; and “The Distinguished Gentleman,” playing crooked congressman “Dick Dodge” (click here for my review). He was nominated for 1989’s “The Final Days,” a TV film from the Woodward-Bernstein book about the end of the administration of President Richard Nixon. Smith died at 69 in 2005 of ALS.
  • Cindy Pickett plays Gugino’s mother “Connie Warner” and doesn’t have the meatiest of roles, but makes it work. Shore accidentally gets really close to her in the bathroom and winds up telling her she’s “nasty.” Of course, Pickett played a much more famous mother in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” in 1986, but she gives a better performance here.
  • A three-time Primetime Emmy nominee, Mason Adams plays grandfather “Walter Warner Sr.” Although he doesn’t elevate his character, Adams does a good job and winds up doing some Pauly-speak at the end. Adams is most recognizable as “Charlie Hume” on TV’s “Lou Grant” and also has a wonderful acting credit for an episode of “The Love Boat” (click here for my overview of that magnificent TV series). He was nominated all three times for his work on “Lou Grant” and, like Smith, he passed in 2005. Adams was 86.
  • Gugino’s brother “Zack Warner” is played by Patrick Renna and he was in his second film here after “The Sandlot.” Renna, the brother who likes computers and clashes with his father, is like Shore in enjoying “cones” (watch the film to decipher the Pauly-speak). He does what man young actors never accomplish – doing his job without being ridiculous. That’s a tough assignment for a young actor and he passes here with flying colors. Renna’s also done “The Big Green” and a variety of appearances on TV shows.
  • Gugino’s hometown friend “Tracy” is played by Tiffani Thiessen (she was credited as Tiffani-Amber in the film’s credits) and she does a good job with a small part. Thiessen blends the correct parts of bubbly, cute and nice without making you want to reach for an air-sickness bag and it’s too bad there wasn’t more for her in this one. She is best remembered from a couple of TV shows (“Saved by the Bell” and “Beverly Hills 90210”) and has been in “White Collar” and on the TV series “Alexa & Katie.”

The rest of the cast does a workmanlike job from Dan Gauthier, who plays “Travis,” who is the boyfriend back home he’s not so honest or faithful; or to Dennis Burkley, who plays the stocky farmhand “Theo,” who is the polar opposite of “Eb” on “Green Acres” (which show’s theme song is part of the “Son in Law” soundtrack). Gauthier has been in “Teen Witch” as well as a bunch of TV efforts, while Burkley has notched an eclectic group of roles in his career, including for the films “Mask,” “Tin Cup” (click here for my review) and “No Way Out.” Burkley died at 67 in 2013 of a heart attack.

Director Steve Rash has had an interesting turn in the director’s chair. His first effort was the somewhat inaccurate “The Buddy Holly Story” (click here for my review) and it won an Oscar for music and was nominated for Gary Busey’s acting and best sound. His fourth directing credit is similar to “Son in Law” in that it has a nice message and is endearing: The teen flick “Can’t Buy Me Love” (click here for my review) and “Son in Law” is his sixth. After that, Rash’s career dissolved into straight-to-video efforts stretching out the “American Pie” and “Bring It On” franchises and he did “Good Advice” with Charlie Sheen (click here for my review) and his last directing credit was in 2012.

So, all in all, what do we have? A neat little comedy you’ll enjoy even though you didn’t believe you could.

“Son in Law” earned a respectable $36.4 million for 1993 and was the 41st ranked film at the box office that year, according to Box Office Mojo. It was made on a budget of $20 million, according to Wiki. The No. 1 film was “Jurassic Park” with $357 million. Films from that year that I’ve reviewed include:

Here are additional cast and notes (via IMDb.com):

  • Flea of “The Red Hot Chili Peppers” and Brendan Fraser, Shore’s co-star in “Encino Man,” both have uncredited roles (Flea was a tattoo artist, while Fraser walks through a party scene dressed as his character from “Encino Man”).
  • Ashley Judd auditioned for the role of “Rebecca” and might have made an interesting choice. I do not know if this had any bearing on the casting decision, but Judd was three years older than the 22-year-old Gugino at the time of filming for a role as a just-graduated high school student.
  • Shore’s character “Crawl” was named “Snake” in the first draft of the screenplay. I say it was a wise move going with “Crawl,” since “Crawl” is a bit more distinctive.
  • Gauthier almost was “Chad” in the film. The character’s name was changed to “Travis” after shooting began. Again, a wise move by whomever made the decision.

© Chuck Curry and A Gator in Naples, 2014-2016, 2020, 2023.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without
express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner
is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that
full and clear credit is given to Chuck Curry and A Gator in Naples
with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Published by FloridaGator80

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.