My Father the Hero * (1994, Gérard Depardieu, Katherine Heigl, Dalton James) – Classic Movie Review 9639

Director Steve Miner’s 1994 comedy drama My Father, the Hero stars Gérard Depardieu, who re-creates his role in this coursened, disappointing American version of his amusing enough 1991 French romantic comedy Mon Père, Ce Héros. He plays André Arnel, a Frenchman divorced from his wife, who compels his estranged 14-year-old daughter Nicole (Katherine Heigl) to go on a Bahamas tropical isle holiday with him.

Initially bored, she soon falls for local teenage heartthrob Ben (Dalton James), and, in order to seem more sophisticated, adult and alluring to him, she tells him that André is her lover masquerading as her father on their travels. Soon the whole island thinks that André is a paedophile (especially in a dodgy scene where he clears the room when he sings Thank Heaven for Leetle Girls) and James falls for the girl as he falls for her increasingly absurd catalogue of lies.

The minor but amusing French farce is much weaker this time round, broader, more slapdash and more sentimental. The edge and tension of a real situation between father and daughter has gone, and with it any of the emotional pain and poignancy involved in the original story.

Gag writers seem to have worked over the screenplay to try to jolly it up, but this is feeble, obvious material, with a heavy-footed performance in English by Depardieu, who here shows little light comedic flair, and irritating, soppy ones from the young lovers in one-note roles. Lauren Hutton is wasted in her one scene as as Megan Arnel, André’s ex-wife and Nicole’s mother, and Faith Prince, Stephen Tobolowsky, Ann Hearn, Robyn Peterson, Frank Renzulli and Emma Thompson as Isobel, André’s girlfriend (uncredited) are wasted too.

It features appearances by the Baha Men, whose songs create the movie’s island soundtrack.

My Father, the Hero is directed by Steve Miner, runs 90 minutes, is made by Touchstone Pictures, is released by Buena Vista Pictures, is written by Francis Veber and Charlie Peters, based on the screenplay Mon père, ce héros by Gérard Lauzier, is shot by Daryn Okada, is produced by Jacques Bar and Jean-Louis Livi and is scored by David Newman.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9639

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