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Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss) is at the pinnacle of his psychiatry career. His new book, Baby Steps, is such a huge success that Good Morning America’s crew is coming to interview him while he’s on vacation with his family at Lake Winnipesaukee. The day before he leaves, however, he meets a new patient—Bob Wiley (Bill Murray)—who’s about to change everything.
Bob, in his own words, has problems. He’s afraid of pretty much everything. But in just one session with Dr. Marvin, he realizes that he’s finally found the man who can help him. So when Dr. Marvin announces that he’ll be away until the end of the summer, Bob is beside himself. So, following the advice found in Dr. Marvin’s life-changing book, Bob sets out to find his doctor back.
When Bob shows up at Lake Winnipesaukee, Leo is horrified. Everyone else in the family, however, takes an instant liking to Bob—and they welcome him into their home. He helps Leo’s wife, Fay (Julie Hagerty), with the dishes, he learns how to sail with Leo’s daughter, Anna (Kathryn Erbe), and he teaches Leo’s son, Siggy (Charlie Korsmo), to dive. The longer Bob stays, the more Leo’s family loves him—and the more Leo tries to get rid of him…using any method that works. But like the cat in the famous song, Bob just keeps coming back.
What About Bob? is comedy the way comedy should be. It’s side-aching, belly-laughing hilarious without being crude or offensive (well, except for Bob’s sporadic bouts with a fake case of Tourette’s Syndrome). While I can appreciate the occasional not-so-family-friendly comedy (like the American Pie movies), it’s always refreshing to watch a movie like this one—one that you can watch with your mom without her ranting about the depths to which the world has sunk. Bill Murray performs with his usual comedic genius (if you like him here, check out The Man Who Knew Too Little), and Richard Dreyfuss is the perfect for the part of the uptight Dr. Marvin. If you don’t already own What About Bob? on DVD, you should.
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