Getting Even with Dad: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:48, 8 March 2024

Latest revision as of 15:28, 8 August 2025

(16 intermediate revisions by 11 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{short description|1994 film by Howard Deutch}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Getting Even with Dad

| image = Getting_even_with_dad.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| alt =

| director = [[Howard Deutch]]

| producer = [[Katie Jacobs]]

| writer = Tom S. Parker<br />[[Jim Jennewein]]

| starring = {{Plain list |

* [[Macaulay Culkin]]

Line 19 ⟶ 20:

| music = [[Miles Goodman]]

| editing = [[Richard Halsey]]

| distributor = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] (United States)<br>[[Warner Bros. Pictures]] (International)

| released = {{Film date|1994|06|17}}

| runtime = 104 minutes

| language = English

| budget = $30 million{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

| gross = $53.8 million

| gross = $35 million<ref name=ww>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Worldwide rentals beat domestic take|date=February 13, 1995|page=28}}</ref>

}}

'''''Getting Even with Dad''''' is a 1994 American [[comedy film]] starring [[Macaulay Culkin]] and [[Ted Danson]].<ref name="articles.mcall">{{cite news|title= Ted Danson, Macaulay Culkin Work Together On An Even Keel |publisher= [[The Morning Call|Morning Call]] |url= httphttps://articleswww.mcall.com/1994-/06-/18/news/2971838_1_tedted-danson-starmacaulay-sinceculkin-shirleywork-templetogether-cheerson-episodesan-even-keel/ |access-date=2010-12-31}}</ref> It received negative reviews from critics, but was commercially successful, grossing $53.8 million on a budget of $30 million.

==Plot ==

Line 40 ⟶ 41:

==Cast==

* [[Macaulay Culkin]] as Timmy Gleason, Ray's son

* [[Ted Danson]] as Ray Gleason, Timmy's widowed father

* [[Glenne Headly]] as Detective Theresa Walsh

* [[Saul Rubinek]] as Robert "Bobby" Drace

* [[Gailard Sartain]] as Carl

* [[Sam McMurray]] as Detective Alex Serransky

* [[Kathleen Wilhoite]] as Kitty Gleason, Ray's sister and Timmy's paternal aunt

* [[Sydney Walker]] as Mr. Wankmueller

* [[Hector Elizondo]] as Lt. Romayko

* [[Sam McMurray]] as Detective Alex Serransky

* [[Ron Canada]] as Zinn

* [[Dann Florek]] as Wayne, Kitty's husband and Timmy's paternal uncle

* [[Sydney Walker]] as Mr. Wankmueller

* [[Kathleen Wilhoite]] as Kitty Gleason

* [[Dann Florek]] as Wayne

* [[Scott Beach]] as Wino

==Production==

[[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] bought the film as a spec script in a bidding war with [[Hollywood Pictures]], [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]], [[TriStar Pictures|TriStar]], and [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] with MGM acquiring the script for $500,000.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ayscough |first=Suzan |title=MGM 'Geting Even' for 500G |url=https://variety.com/1993/film/news/mgm-geting-even-for-500g-102905/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 12, 1993 |access-date=June 30, 2021 }}</ref>

Macaulay Culkin's character was supposed to have a short haircut in this movie, but Culkin, who had let his hair grow at the time, liked his looks and did not want to cut it. His father, [[Kit Culkin]], demanded his son be allowed to keep his hair the way it was, pointing out that his character was a working-class boy and not a clean-cut, prep school one. He got to keep his long hair.<ref name="articles.mcall" />

Line 62 ⟶ 63:

==Reception==

===Box office===

{{RT prose|{{RT data|score}}|{{RT data|average}}|{{RT data|count}}|Overly formulaic and tonally inconsistent, ''Getting Even with Dad'' tries for a sentimental conclusion it doesn't earn and winds up a slapsticky cash grab aimed at fans of ''Home Alone''.}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/getting_even_with_dad/|title=Getting Even with Dad|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Flixster]]|access-date=November 17, 2021}}</ref> {{Metacritic film prose|31|26}}<ref>{{Citation|title=Getting Even with Dad|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/getting-even-with-dad|access-date=2021-07-06}}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= Cinemascore |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}</ref>

The''Getting filmEven with Dad'' grossed $18.8 million in the United States and Canada and $35 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $53.8 million.<ref name="mojo">{{Mojo title|gettingevenwithdad|Getting Even with Dad}}</ref><ref name=ww/>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film two out of four stars saying, "It wants to be a caper, a comedy, a romance, and a showcase for Macaulay Culkin. That's too much of a stretch."<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=Getting Even With Dad :: Reviews|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19940617/REVIEWS/406170302|publisher=[[The Chicago Sun-Times]]|access-date=February 8, 2013|date=June 17, 1994}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

[[Desson Howe]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' also gave the film a negative review explaining that "after plying the audience with formulaic predictability, ''Getting Even'' doesn't even have the decency to end quickly. Minutes away from sending the audience home, it chooses to fall asleep on the job."<ref>{{cite news|last=Howe|first=Desson|title=Getting Even With Dad|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/gettingevenwithdadpg13howe_a0b066.htm|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=February 8, 2013|date=June 17, 1994}}</ref>

===Critical response===

The film grossed $18.8 million in the United States and Canada and $35 million worldwide.<ref>{{Mojo title|gettingevenwithdad|Getting Even with Dad}}</ref><ref name=ww/>

{{RT prose|{{RT data|score}}|{{RT data|average}}|{{RT data|count}}|Overly formulaic and tonally inconsistent, ''Getting Even with Dad'' tries for a sentimental conclusion it doesn't earn and winds up a slapsticky cash grab aimed at fans of ''Home Alone''.}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/getting_even_with_dad/ |title=Getting Even with Dad |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[FlixsterFandango Media]] |access-date=November 17, 2021 }}</ref> {{Metacritic film prose|31|26}}<ref>{{CitationCite web |title=Getting Even with Dad |website=[[Metacritic]] |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/getting-even-with-dad |access-date=2021-07-06 }}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= Cinemascore |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}</ref>

[[Desson Howe]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' also gave the film a negative review explaining that "after plying the audience with formulaic predictability, ''Getting Even'' doesn't even have the decency to end quickly. Minutes away from sending the audience home, it chooses to fall asleep on the job."<ref>{{cite news |date=June 17, 1994 |last=Howe |first=Desson |author-link=Desson Howe |title=Getting Even With Dad|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/gettingevenwithdadpg13howe_a0b066.htm |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=February 8, 2013 }}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film a more mixed two out of four stars saying, "It wants to be a caper, a comedy, a romance, and a showcase for Macaulay Culkin. That's too much of a stretch."<ref>{{cite web |date=June 17, 1994 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Getting Even With Dad |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/getting-even-with-dad-1994 |publisher=[[The Chicago Sun-Times]] |access-date=February 8, 2023 }}</ref>

{{Anchor|Awards}}

Culkin's performance in the film earned him a [[Razzie Award]] & a [[Stinkers Bad Movie Awards|Stinkers Bad Movie Award]] nomination for Worst Actor (also for ''[[The Pagemaster]]'' and ''[[Richie Rich (film)|Richie Rich]]'').

== Year-end lists ==

* Dishonorable mention&nbsp;– Glenn Lovell, ''[[San Jose Mercury News]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Lovell|first=Glenn|date=December 25, 1994 |title=The Past Picture Show the Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- a Year Worth's of Movie Memories|newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]]|page=3|edition=Morning Final}}</ref>

* Worst (not ranked)&nbsp;– Bob Ross, ''[[The Tampa Tribune]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Ross|first=Bob|date=December 30, 1994|title=Versed in the worst|newspaper=[[The Tampa Tribune]]|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune/126948976|edition=Final}}</ref>

Line 80 ⟶ 79:

==External links==

* {{IMDb title|id=0109891|title=Getting Even with Dad}}

* {{rotten tomatoes|getting_even_with_dad|Getting Even with Dad}}

* {{Mojo title|gettingevenwithdad|Getting Even with Dad}}

{{Howard Deutch}}

[[Category:1994 films]]

[[Category:1994 children's films]]

[[Category:1994 comedy films]]

[[Category:American comedy films]]