Wow, so get this. I was trying to chase down my maybe-kid (just found out) when this British punk popped out of nowhere and bopped me on the head! Now I can’t remember a thing. Do you remember what happened in Fathers’ Day?
Pop Quiz Hot Shot!
1) The two titular fathers are played by Billy Crystal and Robin Williams. What are their jobs?
2) They are both wrapped up in a search for someone they think is their son. Where did he run off to and why?
3) And he’s in a tad bit of trouble with Jared Harris (remember meeeeeeeeeeeeeee). Why?
4) Robin Williams drives around most of the film, but has one particular quirk when he drives which he shows off at least twice. What is it?
5) In the end, who is the actual father? Who think he’s the father as well?
Bonus Question: In the mid-credits scene we see Robin Williams show up at Billy Crystal’s door. Why?
Answers
1) Billy Crystal is a lawyer and Robin Williams appears to be a writer (with all of the emotional baggage that comes with). Crystal lives in LA, but is up in San Francisco for a business meeting, which is where he ends up fortuitously meeting up with Robin Williams.
2) The kid ran off to be a groupie for the band Sugar Ray? Well, kind of. He’s in love with a girl who is an actual groupie for Sugar Ray. He’s just along for the ride because he really really likes her you know?
3) Well, you see, he took a bunch of money from Jared Harris to, I think, purchase some drugs (that they would presumably resell at the Sugar Ray concert or something?). Instead of using the money for that though the kid buys an engagement ring for the girl who doesn’t even like him! That’s a mistake. Stealing drug dealer’s money is bad news I think.
4) So Robin Williams is generally rather nervous throughout the film. But in particular, when he drives, he will on occasion believe he sees a dead body lying in the road and become anxious that he blacked out and accidentally killed someone. It is bizarre.
5) Bruce Greenwood is the actual father duh! Everyone knew that, he’s always the dad in bad movies. Robin Williams I think genuinely believes he’s the father because the kid lies to him. And Billy Crystal is also told he’s the father, but he sees through it and realizes that he is not, in fact, the father.
Bonus Answer: Well, so this would have had to be a 20 year down the line sequel because guess who ran away with each other? That’s right, Billy Crystal’s kid and Robin Williams kid (with the woman he met at the end of the film)! What a coincidence. They have gone off to jolly England (all sequels need to go international obviously), so Crystal and Williams give chase, only to run into a very straightlaced (but still vengeful) Jared Harris, who is no (against all odds) a lawyer in England. There is cultural clashes galore, bobbies getting called, and a chase to … Glastonbury? The music festival is featuring Sugar Ray (of all bands), and it turns out this was all a ploy to get the two acquaintances reacquainted after all these years! These rascals. Well it worked. They all grab a pint at the pub when the two children announce that on their travels they did, in fact, fall in love for real! Williams is delighted, Crystal is horrified, smash cut.
It hits all the necessary notes for a bad comedy. Too bad Williams passed away. I would have called it Grandfathers’ Day obviously, with critics confused about the title since there aren’t any grandfathers in the film …
Bad Movie Twins 