In 1983 Francis Veber did a delightful comedy called LES COMPERES, starring Gerard Depardieu and Pierre Richard, in which an ex-girlfriend approaches both men separately to help find her run-away son. It seems that, although raised by the girlfriend and her actual husband, she claims the boy was the son of either Depardieu or Richard (although she doesn't mention either of them to the other). That film follows both bungling potential daddies as they pursue their "son" and finally bring him back to his mother and her husband.
American films (especially comedies) will occasionally steal ideas from French or other foreign cinemas - especially the French. It think it is more common with France because of the symbiotic relationship between our love-hate fascination with French culture, and their deep appreciation for American films. In any event, it took fourteen years before LES COMPERES was produced in the U.S. as FATHER'S DAY. It is special in several ways besides being based on such a successful French film. It is also (so far) the only co-starring vehicle for Billy Crystal and his friend and collaborator Robin Williams. They (of course) have the roles of Depardieu and Richard (although their jobs are different).
The story is similar. Scott Andrews (Charles Hoffmeier) has an argument about his girlfriend Nikki Trainer (Haylee Johnson), and runs away with her. His mother Collette (Nastassja Kinski) decides to track down two old boyfriends that she had affairs with seventeen years before (the same age as Scott). One is Jack Lawrence, a successful lawyer (Crystal) and the other is an over-emotional, suicidal failed writer and actor (and mime) named Dale Putley (Williams). To both she says that the boy is actually there son. She keeps tight raps on this, but eventually her husband Bob (Bruce Greenwood) overhears her talking on the phone with Jack, and decides he must find the boy before his two rivals do. This is a change from the original movie, as the doings of Depardieu and Richards as friendly rivals was sufficiently funny by itself.
Complicating Williams' search is his own emotional problems. But complicating Crystal's is that his lawyer is very busy, and on his third (presumably happy) marriage to Carrie (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Jack turns down Colette's request at first - but when he is on a legal assignment in San Francisco (where Scott is supposed to be) he decides to get involved. Quickly it becomes apparent that Jack is far more efficient at getting to anywhere on this search than Dale - he won't take crap from anyone (as he does very effectively show with Nikki's father Russ Trainor (Charles Rocket) by almost crippling him when he starts being threatening. Dale (on the other hand) almost gets beaten up by Russ a couple of minutes afterward.
The chemistry of the leads is the big plus here as they act and react with each other. At one point, when Crystal starts telling Hoffmeyer a story about his own youth, he just opens up the anecdote by saying "When I was ten years old my father took me to the circus". Williams quietly says, "That's a fascinating story.", as Crystal looks at him like he is crazy. Later, when it turns out the story really doesn't hold up too well as illustrating anything, Williams reassures Hoffmeyer "I didn't understand it either."
The sequences include crashing several rock concerts, dealing with two dangerous drug dealers, bringing Hoffmeyer down to earth when he learns the girl of his dreams is not someone to die for, and reassuring Dreyfus that those crazy antics in Crystal's hotel room that she overheard on the phone were not anything to break their marriage over. There is some nice little throw away moments, such as Crystal at a legal deposition, learning from a seedy gentleman that two ruinous disasters at his previous businesses (a fire and a gas explosion - both after midnight) were "acts of God". Williams rehearsing in various costumes how to introduce himself to his "son" (including a rap artist, a sophisticate in a robe, and an eastern spiritual philosopher) is worth looking at. And then there is the cameo by Mel Gibson, as the ultimately stoned face piercing expert.
The conclusion of the film is different from the French original. Some might think that a weakness, but I find it fascinating for giving an out to both men from a no-win situation. The change does not prevent the film from being entertaining to the viewer, if not as good as the original.
American films (especially comedies) will occasionally steal ideas from French or other foreign cinemas - especially the French. It think it is more common with France because of the symbiotic relationship between our love-hate fascination with French culture, and their deep appreciation for American films. In any event, it took fourteen years before LES COMPERES was produced in the U.S. as FATHER'S DAY. It is special in several ways besides being based on such a successful French film. It is also (so far) the only co-starring vehicle for Billy Crystal and his friend and collaborator Robin Williams. They (of course) have the roles of Depardieu and Richard (although their jobs are different).
The story is similar. Scott Andrews (Charles Hoffmeier) has an argument about his girlfriend Nikki Trainer (Haylee Johnson), and runs away with her. His mother Collette (Nastassja Kinski) decides to track down two old boyfriends that she had affairs with seventeen years before (the same age as Scott). One is Jack Lawrence, a successful lawyer (Crystal) and the other is an over-emotional, suicidal failed writer and actor (and mime) named Dale Putley (Williams). To both she says that the boy is actually there son. She keeps tight raps on this, but eventually her husband Bob (Bruce Greenwood) overhears her talking on the phone with Jack, and decides he must find the boy before his two rivals do. This is a change from the original movie, as the doings of Depardieu and Richards as friendly rivals was sufficiently funny by itself.
Complicating Williams' search is his own emotional problems. But complicating Crystal's is that his lawyer is very busy, and on his third (presumably happy) marriage to Carrie (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Jack turns down Colette's request at first - but when he is on a legal assignment in San Francisco (where Scott is supposed to be) he decides to get involved. Quickly it becomes apparent that Jack is far more efficient at getting to anywhere on this search than Dale - he won't take crap from anyone (as he does very effectively show with Nikki's father Russ Trainor (Charles Rocket) by almost crippling him when he starts being threatening. Dale (on the other hand) almost gets beaten up by Russ a couple of minutes afterward.
The chemistry of the leads is the big plus here as they act and react with each other. At one point, when Crystal starts telling Hoffmeyer a story about his own youth, he just opens up the anecdote by saying "When I was ten years old my father took me to the circus". Williams quietly says, "That's a fascinating story.", as Crystal looks at him like he is crazy. Later, when it turns out the story really doesn't hold up too well as illustrating anything, Williams reassures Hoffmeyer "I didn't understand it either."
The sequences include crashing several rock concerts, dealing with two dangerous drug dealers, bringing Hoffmeyer down to earth when he learns the girl of his dreams is not someone to die for, and reassuring Dreyfus that those crazy antics in Crystal's hotel room that she overheard on the phone were not anything to break their marriage over. There is some nice little throw away moments, such as Crystal at a legal deposition, learning from a seedy gentleman that two ruinous disasters at his previous businesses (a fire and a gas explosion - both after midnight) were "acts of God". Williams rehearsing in various costumes how to introduce himself to his "son" (including a rap artist, a sophisticate in a robe, and an eastern spiritual philosopher) is worth looking at. And then there is the cameo by Mel Gibson, as the ultimately stoned face piercing expert.
The conclusion of the film is different from the French original. Some might think that a weakness, but I find it fascinating for giving an out to both men from a no-win situation. The change does not prevent the film from being entertaining to the viewer, if not as good as the original.