Dad **** (1989, Jack Lemmon, Ted Danson, Olympia Dukakis, Kathy Baker, Kevin Spacey, Ethan Hawke, Zakes Mokae, JT Walsh) – Classic Movie Review 7046

Writer-producer-director Gary David Goldberg’s sweet but, happily, not too sickly 1989 comedy drama Dad is taken from the novel by William Wharton and stars the splendid team of Jack Lemmon, Ted Danson, Olympia Dukakis, Kathy Baker, Kevin Spacey, Ethan Hawke, Zakes Mokae and J T Walsh.

Danson plays John Tremont, a successful Wall Street financier who teaches his hen-pecked father Jake (Jack Lemmon) how to look after himself and take a new interest in life after his shrewish mother Bette (Dukakis) has a heart attack. It is then discovered his father has cancer and Danson is forced to re-examine his own failed relationship with his estranged teenage son, Billy (Hawke).

Dad is an unashamedly sentimental wallow for the Driving Miss Daisy (also 1989) crowd, with a typically fine performance by Lemmon (in effective shrivelled old man guise). Dukakis finds humour among the pathos and Danson does perhaps his best work yet as he moves from impatient busy executive to caring son.

Jack Lemmon’s son Chris plays his younger self. Also in the cast are Peter Michael Goetz, John Apicella, Richard McGonagle, Bill Morey, Mary Fogarty, Art Frankel, Ray Girardin, Jimmy Higa, Gregory Itzin (as Ralph Kramer), Richard Fiske, Tony Kienitz, Terry Wills, Patti Arpata, Donna Porter, Gina Raymond, Justine Petersen, Sprague Grayden, Lucas Hall and Katie Kissell.

It is interesting to compare Dad with Walter Matthau’s role as granddad in Lemmon’s sole film as director, Kotch (1971).

Goldberg has directed only one more film: Must Love Dogs (2005) with Diane Lane, John Cusack, and Elizabeth Perkins. He died on 22 June 2013, aged 68.

Gregory Itzin (April 20, 1948 – July 8, 2022) is perhaps best known for his role as US President Charles Logan in the action thriller series 24. The show’s producer Jon Cassar recalled: ‘He was one of the most talented actors I had the honor to work with, but more than that he was an all around great guy. He’ll be missed by his 24 family who had nothing but love and respect for him.’ He appeared as five different characters in Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and Star Trek: Voyager.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7046

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