Uncle Buck

Year: 1989

Grade: A

Country: USA

Director: Hughes

Review

absolutely spectacular film. john hughes was at his best in 87 with planes trains and automobiles, but his filmmaking and writing are nearly as good in this film. trouble is that he has only one great talent in this film, in john candy, and that’s the major difference between ptaa and uncle buck. his use of music and sound are nearly as good here as they are in ptaa. actually i hadn’t noticed some of the touches he adds in the sound category until i watched the film this time around. the scene with the nosy neighbor who finds buck fighting with the washing machine is an illustration of the subtle use of sound that adds an energy to the scene, and to the film. john candy is brilliant in another tough, very comic role. he shows here and in ptaa that he could nail the great roles, and of course he also elevated the shitty roles, but that’s another story. the supporting cast is all good because, like the farrelly brothers after him, hughes knows talent and (apparently) works well with actors. hughes was a master auteur for about five years, but when he stopped directing his work suffered quite a bit.