‘I don’t think I want to know a six-year-old who isn’t a dreamer…’
When naming the best director of the 80s and 90s it would be the same names that kept coming up. Spielberg. Tarantino. The Coen Brothers. Scorsese. The usual suspects. John Hughes, despite being the most commercially successful of all of them bar Spielberg, would probably not even merit a mention. But you know what? Weird Science, Ferris Bueller, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Pretty in Pink, Home Alone… now that is a list to rival any director of that era. And sure, some of them he wrote and didn’t direct, but there is absolutely no denying that Hughes is responsible for some of the most beloved films of his day, and he absolutely doesn’t receive the props that he so clearly deserves. And that’s without even mentioning Uncle Buck…
When an uptight couple are forced to leave town for a few weeks, they reluctantly fall back on Buck Russell (John Candy), the black sheep of the family, to perform babysitting duties. Precocious Miles (Macaulay Culkin) and adorable Maizy (Gaby Hoffmann) take to their uncle Buck immediately but Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly), a typically rebellious and bratty teenage girl, proves a tougher nut to crack. And that’s it. That’s the plot. But actually, it is this simplicity that makes Uncle Buck so successful. There are no big slapstick comedy scenes. No over-the-top plot points. Just one guy who is torn between drinking, smoking and spending time at the racetrack on the one hand and the inexorable pull of being a responsible adult on the other.
None of this would fly without an utterly captivating performance from Candy in the lead role. You can count on one hand the comedic actors throughout history who have the warmth and the human touch to make this role work. For all intents and purposes, this character is an asshat. And yet, we love him because Candy makes us love him. His young supporting cast do a great job also with Culkin cuter and less annoying than his Home Alone character and Louisa Kelly dripping in contempt as Buck’s kryptonite and nemesis Tia.
Watching this film again after all these years was like returning to see an old friend. It’s still as heart-warming as ever, as funny as ever, and honestly? It was just real nice to see Candy up on screen again doing his thing. Truly one of the greats.