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First Family

Play trailer Poster for First Family R Released Dec 25, 1980 1h 44m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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20% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 11% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
The president (Bob Newhart) and his boozing wife (Madeline Kahn) go to Africa to bargain for their abducted daughter's (Gilda Radner) return.
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First Family

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Richard Corliss TIME Magazine What is the sound of one man not laughing? Jun 25, 2013 Full Review Vincent Canby New York Times [First Family] has sequences that are side-splittingly funny, others that are sublimely cheerful and still others that, like the movie itself, simply don't know how to end. Rated: 3/5 Jun 25, 2013 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Disappointing acerbic political satire directed and written by Buck Henry. Rated: C+ Oct 21, 2016 Full Review Ralph Novak People Magazine Buck Henry directed his own screenplay, which disintegrates about halfway through the film. Jun 25, 2013 Full Review TV Guide Filled with illogical situations and juvenile humor, First Family will have trouble getting anybody's vote. Rated: 0/4 Jun 25, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (9) audience reviews
Steve D I think the movie wants me to be laughing but it has given me no reason to do so. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Folks are too hard on this movie. Yes, it should have been so much better with everyone involved, but it was still fairly humorous during most of it. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Dreadful comedy with a good cast from Buck Henry has the US President offering kidnapped American citizens in trade with an African nation for special fertilizer from feces that produces huge vegetables. Pretty sure plenty of African would find their portrayal in this film somewhat offensive. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member As I remember, it had one good joke that they showed in the trailer. We went on opening night and were among six people in the theater. No way to disguise the sound of a beer opening in that kind of crowd. How does this cast produce something this bad? Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review s r The great potential humor of this film was lost in absurd stupidity. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Should have been great, with Buck Henry and the amazing cast. But it wasn't... (although the last 10 minutes were amazing, how strange is that?) Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
First Family

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First Family

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Movie Info

Synopsis The president (Bob Newhart) and his boozing wife (Madeline Kahn) go to Africa to bargain for their abducted daughter's (Gilda Radner) return.
Director
Buck Henry
Producer
Daniel Melnick
Screenwriter
Buck Henry
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 25, 1980, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 44m
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