Review of Curly Sue (1991) by Stuart K — 17 Jan 2012

John Hughes was at the peak of his powers in the 1980's and into the early 90's. He'd moved from teen comedy-dramas to family comedies with Uncle Buck (1989) and Home Alone (1990). With this, it was part of a deal with Warner Bros.

who tried to sell it as the next Home Alone, but it would prove to be Hughes' final film as a director, and it was the beginning of his downfall before he vanished. Pity really. Homeless drifter Bill Dancer (James Belushi) and his young companion Curly Sue (Alisan Porter) go around doing con tricks to get by in life, they've come from Detroit to Chicago in hope of a better life, and they try a con on rich divorce lawyer Grey Ellison (Kelly Lynch), who thinks she's ran over Bill in her car, but after getting a free meal out of it, she ends up accidentally running over Bill for real.

So, Grey puts Bill and Curly Sue up in her apartment, and they enjoy their new quality of life. But, soon Grey learns the truth about the homeless duo, but see's that Curly Sue would be torn apart if she leaves Grey's apartment, but Grey's devious ex Walker McCormick (John Getz) looks set to split Bill and Curly Sue apart by spreading rumours.

It's a disgustingly sweet film, the sort that would give you diabetes. It does have it's moments of violent slapstick but it's all too much with it's sentimentality, with smothers you too much.

However, it's got the screen debut of Steve Carell, not all bad then.