Canadian imports may work for pharmaceuticals, but movies are another story. Case in point, this satire on mid 70s Yuppiedom that screams Michael Ritchie ("Smile"/"Semi Tough") but is instead directed by the much more somber Canuck, Ted Kotcheff, of "Duddy Kravitz" fame. Consequently, the best scenes tend to be the quieter ones like when Jane tries to borrow money from her selfish father (wonderfully etched by veteran TV character actor John Dehner) and is told that poverty breeds character. Or the one where Dick is fired from his aerospace job by his self pitying a-hole of a boss (Ed McMahon, showing that he was more than a late night sidekick). Conversely, the scenes of physical comedy are way too broad (quiet Ted trying to overcompensate, perhaps?) like the cliched mad scramble on the streets of LA for scattered cash, or Jane's klutzy modeling gig that is a study in badly staged slapstick. And a gifted comedy director would surely have recognized and done more with a rare child actor who can make you laugh every time he opens his spoiled bratty mouth, as is the case here with Sean Frye. And while the two leads try hard to enliven the proceedings, especially Jane Fonda, who was always an under rated commedienne, the end result is a hit and miss film that is intermittently amusing, often dull, and never affecting. C plus.
Review of Fun with Dick and Jane
