User Reviews

Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Edward Herrmann, Katherine Helmond and Roddy McDowall star in Garry Marshall's 1987 romantic comedy. This starts off with snobby rich woman, Joanna Stayton (Hawn) hiring carpenter, Dean Proffitt (Russell) to remodel her closet on her yacht. Though Dean does the best he can, he and Joanna don't see eye to eye and she refuses to pay him for the job. Later, Joanna gets amnesia after falling off her boat and her husband, Grant (Herrman) leaves her at the hospital. Dean decides to use her to get his money by tricking her into thinking she's his wife, Annie and mother of his 4 sons. Dean starts to fall for her and tries telling her the truth, but can't. When Grant comes back for her, Joanna gets her memory back and realizes Dean used her. Joanna also learns Grant left her and she and Dean find their way back to each other. Helmond (Who's the Boss?) plays Joanna's mom, Edith and the late, McDowall (Fright Night) plays Joanna's servant, Andrew. I grew up watching this and always liked it. Goldie and Kurt are great together and I recommend this good romantic comedy.

I usually give films a big pass on logic, as rarely is any ever applied in a movie-verse, but this is just terrible! While it's true that the character of Joanna is very rude and spoiled, we're meant to laugh at the fact that the carpenter she stiffed up and kidnaps her when she gets amnesia! The movie comes with a lot of gags at the expense of Joanna getting used to doing things herself, which admittedly aren't that bad! However, it's hard to laugh when realizing that she's been kidnapped and effectively turned into a servant to a jackass and his four children. They even talk about her as if she's their object when fighting to "keep her", and all of Dean's friends are in on keeping her with him against her will. We're meant to 'awww' at pure, unaltered Stockholm Syndrome as if it were acceptable. The intended idea of a spoiled person learning to do things for themselves, that money isn't all there is, makes this not quite horrific. There are a couple gags in here that aren't that bad. If you can overlook kidnapping, rape by deception, and Stockholm Syndrome, then this movie is grin-worthy at best.

Released in 1987, "Overboard" depends very heavily on reliable performers to carry the film and the casting choices couldn't have come at a better price with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell taking the leads in a movie that potential of being quite a forgettable relic.The duo manages to take a banal script and made it at least watchable by making us care for the characters and playing it like it meant something genuine. The script had potential to shine but it tanked and should have been memorable, but inevitably it got lost in the crowd.

Trapped in the town of Elk Cove Oregon, Joanna Stayton (Hawn) is hanging around while her all exquisite yacht was in need of repairs.She hires a studly handyman named Dean Profitt (Russell) to make a new cabinet for her shoe collection. Due to her status as upper-class rich lady, she takes the pleasures to chastise, judge and douse her snobby ways to everyone she sees below her status.Dean is none too pleased with her misbehaviour and her bullying ways manifests towards him. When she gets pushed off the yacht, she winds up in the hospital without a clue as to who she is and this opens up the opportunity for Dean to get revenge on this pampered snob. He lies to the hospital staff and tells them she's his wife and that she's the mother of his four hyperactive sons. Joanna has now entered into a world she has never been to before she now lives in squalor and responsibility while Dean keeps the scheme in tact while he ventures to seek employment.

Although light in its delivery under the direction of Garry Marshall, the film itself lacks in the comedy it's promised and a very lopsided script under the penmanship of Leslie Dixon. "Overboard" had the tools for a potential battle of the classes with a bit of an amnesia angle thrown to make things interesting, but the amnesia story is demoted to just an afterthought and really nothing comes in the way Joanna adapting to a lifestyle that's alien to her. No conflicts, repercussions about her memory loss.

The movie's focal settings has Joanna going from a socialite to a domestic mother to four incorrigible brats.The house is condemned and surely had seen better days but Dean does not seem to dismiss. Joanna now is faced with an environment that she has never been through before, she is trapped in this lie that she can't escape from as concocted evidence comes in the form of photos of herself with Dean while stressing the fact that she has been in sexual relationship with a man she would never consider getting in bed with.

The film emphatically garners to the mortified facial reactions of Joanna to the play along schemes of Dean, but Marshall only just goes to the shallow waters of this experimental house arrest while turning a small-town Oregon into making it feel like you're living in Kentucky with characters who act like stereotypical rednecks from consuming beer and barrel dunking games. Sure this film had potential to go anywhere, but Marshall decided stagnate with what it is. Just minor squabbling, contrary differences the cliched slow love dance and from there the shock value changes to a growing romance. The relationship gets better as Joanna has now made a house even the boys have grown fond of and getting some well-needed discipline that's been a long time coming for them.

Hawn and Russell seem to have great chemistry with each other even though their characters and among others are very cliched, they can still convey expressions like we would expect them to be knowing the situations they're facing. Russell embodies the right levels of anxiety and drive as he nervously tries everything in his power to make Joanna/Annie as his wife by making it convincing. He turns the best performance here as he uses his machismo to keep Joanna in on this soft revenge.while keeping her on her toes. Her opening scenes as a spoiled snob hit the right chord as the perfect foil for the world she's oblivious and the struggles of adjustment.

And though "Overboard tanked at the box office, it sure got a fan following once it was frequently seen on cable television. This is largely due to the meagre charm it brings while the vague acts of restoration plays better as TV movie rather than on the big screen. Marshall made television programs with the kind of material that was given to him. It truly had a sitcom atmosphere which enough hooks and angles to keep the air running from there. Putting it on the screen was not the right move here and only Hawn and Russell ensure they'll pull the right cords to keep the film eligible to make it cinematic.

I remember really liking this movie when I saw it in the late 80s. Checked out recently and was pleasantly surprised that it still manages some great scenes, funny bits, and charm thanks in large part to actress Goldie Hawn. The performance and writing for Hawn and her character are snooty fun nothing short of wonderful. While the drama seems almost perfunctory, the setup and execution with Hawn are brilliant. She sneers, berates, and whines every chance given. Given the movie features her real life beau Russell adds even more fun to it. Actors in for notable smaller but satisfying if not overcooked scenes include Katherine Helmond as the lead character's mother, and Edward Herrmann as her her caricaturish husband. Through it all, it's Hawn's character's transformation and her dead-on portrayal of a snoot that raises the movie above average.

Overboard is a fun movie! It's also one of those romantic comedies that could have been really awful but manages, not only to be better then average but MUCH better then average despite the "Hollywood" tone through it. There are a couple of reasons for that number one being the chemistry Between Russell and Horn. Unlike a lot of Hollywood real life couples who do movies together and have NO chemistry, these two are the exception. You can feel as you watch the movie how much these two genuinely like each other-it shows in their work. They created a really fun, feel good, romantic comedy that neatly avoids being either to corny or to sappy. Instead it's just charming, fun and sweet-with a touch of hilarity now and then.

The other thing that Horn and Russell do is make this unbelievable story believable in a way. With other romantic comedies, for example "maid in manhatten", your always aware your watching Jennifer Lopez play a movie role. That happens in a lot of romantic comedies but in this, the characters created are fun and unique and you can buy into it without constantly thinking of the actors/actresses behind the roles.

It's rare that a movie can be THIS Hollywood and still come off as fun as it did. This is one the whole family can enjoy. It's a lot of fun watching The ritsy socialite with amnesia and the gruff carpenter with the heart of gold as they start to soften toward each other and ultimately fall in love. Best of all, the movie takes its time with that and doesn't just throw events in,it never becomes boring and it's always fun to watch.

Obviously, certain parts are unrealistic-but who cares? This is the perfect movie to watch when your at home sick, or your tired and want to perk up and it's also a great date movie as well as great family fun! My rating is 8 out of 10.

Overboard and Groundhog Day are two movies that I have seen countless times.

Each time you see them, it makes you go over in your mind how you treat people in general and how they perceive you.

Usually, I review how I've treated people recently and I always try to treat them better without letting them use me as a doormat.

I don't know about the average viewer, but I think this type of movie is good every so often in order to keep a person on track.

This one teaches that commitment and humility are important values and gives us the incentive to grade ourselves on how we behave toward those we don't get along with very well and those we love.

Overboard is a 1987 romantic comedy starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. A widowed carpenter named Dean Proffitt is hired to repair a ship for a snobby socialite named Joanna Stayton. Things take a turn when Joanna falls out of the ship and gets amnesia causing her to forget about her rich life. Dean comes up with a plan by having Joanna as his wife and changes her name to Annie. At first Dean is enjoying his facade with Joanna but he later finds himself falling for her.

Will Joanna's memory regain?.

Overall I enjoyed this film. Sure it comes across as a silly romantic comedy about using someone but it was the chemistry of real life couple Kurt and Goldie that won me over.

So heart wrenching that 4 motherless kids will have one grown parent to help them attain a normal home. But then they can't resist being quintessential greedy Americans.

Everybody making out their X-mas list and the real greedy one wants a Prosche??Golly gee where did the love and happiness go?

I have to admit I have watched this movie many times and there are some funny things in it. Seeing Goldie Hawn is always a good thing. I do not think that I can support this movie anymore. A guy takes advantage of a woman that has lost her memory? Basically puts her through hell as a slave. Then falls for her and decides to have sex with her? Isn't that highly illegal? Shouldn't he be on a registry somewhere for this? Instead he gets the Coast Guard to help him and gets the girl. The girl is transformed through rape. I have to say I cannot watch this ever again. Still give it a 2 for the couple of funny things in it, but again this is a poorly thought out premise. Even though I understand that 1987 was a different time (that was the year of the release of the movie). I am sure people will read this and go, come on it is a movie. Think about it though.