Jack the Bear

PG-13

Released Apr 2, 1993

1 hr. 38 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

List

28%

18 Reviews

Tomatometer

58%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A single father, John Leary (Danny DeVito), struggles to raise his two young boys, Jack (Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.) and Dylan (Miko Hughes), after his wife (Andrea Marcovicci) is killed in a car accident. Working as a TV horror movie host at night, John spends most of his free time drowning his sorrows in booze and fighting with his neo-Nazi neighbor, Norman (Gary Sinise). But when Norman kidnaps Dylan in an act of revenge, John is forced to wake up and take control of his life again.

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L F

I was twenty when I watched this. It was a powerful performance and heart rendering. If you can relate to a similar childhood, you will get this movie on a different level than most.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/18/23

Full Review

steve d

an odd mix of tones that didn't work.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Poignant story about how adults and children process trauma

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Surprised the score is so low. I thought this movie was quietly moving.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

With many films that stray off-course, it can be difficult to identify exactly where things go wrong. Not so with Jack the Bear. It takes little insight and virtually no digging to excavate the turning point, which occurs halfway through.The first part of the movie is like a thoughtful version of TV's The Wonder Years. While the distant shadow of tragedy still hangs over Jack the Bear, it's a background element. We see Jack take care of his little brother, experience his first day in a new school, develop a crush on a girl and invite her to his house for dinner, and stay up late at night to watch a horror-movie show that his father stars in. The film moves along at a leisurely pace, letting us float in nostalgia as we remember what it's like to be a child.However, about the time that Gary Sinese's Norman starts playing a major role, the film shifts from light drama to leaden melodrama, with doses of action and silliness thrown in for good measure. The second half of Jack the Bear is a jerky, uneven ride that never comes close to fulfilling the promise of what preceded it.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Alcoholic father attempts to raise his family after the death of his wife.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

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Marshall Herskovitz

Director

Danny DeVito

John Leary

Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

Jack Leary

Miko Hughes

Dylan Leary

Gary Sinise

Norman Strick

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Peggy Etinger

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Edward Guthmann

San Francisco Chronicle

It's all about renewal and forgiving and conquering old demons, but it's filtered through Hallmark Card goo.

Rated: 1/4

Jan 11, 2023

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

What works is, first of all, the DeVito performance as a driven man in a ridiculous job who loves his children but has lost his bearings.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Rated: 1/5

Oct 15, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 22, 2005

Full Review

Caffeinated Clint

Moviehole

Rated: 2/5

May 6, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

A single father, John Leary (Danny DeVito), struggles to raise his two young boys, Jack (Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.) and Dylan (Miko Hughes), after his wife (Andrea Marcovicci) is killed in a car accident. Working as a TV horror movie host at night, John spends most of his free time drowning his sorrows in booze and fighting with his neo-Nazi neighbor, Norman (Gary Sinise). But when Norman kidnaps Dylan in an act of revenge, John is forced to wake up and take control of his life again.

Director: Marshall Herskovitz
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 2, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.7M
Sound Mix: Stereo