Review of Jack the Bear (1993) by Danielle S — 02 Jul 2008
Since the tragic death of his wife in an automobile accident, John (Danny DeVito) has been raising his two sons, Jack (Robert J. Steinmiller) and Darian (Miko Hughes), by himself. Many of his neighbors consider John to be the perfect parent, but drinking too much brings out his dark side.
Jack the Bear tells the story of John and his sons during the Fall of 1972 in Oakland, California, where the delicate balance of a family already hurt by tragedy is jeopardized by the actions of a neo-Nazi (Gary Sinese).
The role of John Leary is a good one for DeVito, a character with many dimensions: bereaved spouse, good-time dad, local TV host of the nightly monster movie show, problem alcoholic. The story is told from the perspective of 12-year-old Jack (Steinmiller, Jr.
) who's old beyond his years. At the outset, Jack's voiceover informs us that this is a story about the year he learned that monsters only reside within ourselves. His younger brother Dylan (Hughes) plays an adorable three-year-old scene stealer.
This review of Jack the Bear (1993) was written by Danielle S on 02 Jul 2008.
Jack the Bear has generally received positive reviews.
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