Review of Overboard (1987) by Laura M — 07 Jul 2010

When you look back at your childhood, what movies pop out as memorable to you? Overboard was one of many for me. It was a movie the whole family could watch and appreciate, with classic comedy bits accessible to everyone. Goldie Hawn plays Joanna Stayton, an over-indulged rich bitch who has a host of servants , thus she doesn't have to lift a finger. She's married to the equally indulged Grant, played by Edward Hermann, who plays rich guys in a lot of his work. Kurt Russell is the working class misogynist carpenter, Dean Proffitt, who lives in the small Oregon town of Elk Cove where Joanna's yacht is stuck. Proffitt is sent to work on the yacht for what's he told is an emergency, which turns out to be Stayton wanting her wardrobe redone. Stayton is a total snob, and expects everything to be perfect. They clash completely, to the extent where she refuses to pay him, and after much harassment she throws him and his work tools off the yacht. Proffitt is furious, until karma cuts him a break. After accidentally falling off the yacht, Joanna washes ashore with amnesia, and is found by garbage men. She winds up on the news, where Proffitt sees a chance to make her suffer. He collects her at the hospital, having managed to convince the staff he's her husband, and calls her Annie. He brings her home to his four boys, who have all been told to call her mom, and subjects her to humiliation, including wearing shapeless clothes, lying to her about her past, and forcing her to perform household tasks she's never done before.

However, Proffitt goes too far in his quest to make her suffer. It was wrong of her to throw him off the yacht and deny him payment for labour, but his humiliation only lasted two days, hers is a lot longer. Plus it all occurred when both were of sound minds and not suffering from memory loss. Her affection for the children happens almost overnight, and her regard for Proffitt increases after she hoses him with water. She's convinced of her place in the Proffitt home after seeing some doctored pictures, but doesn't seem to find anything wrong in not sharing a bed with her husband. He falls for her big style, but doesn't have the heart to tell her the truth, for fear of losing her. He pretends it's her birthday and brings her out. The next day he gives her the perfect gift for any woman- a washing machine! (He's lucky he didn't try that with me, ahem). Joanna's mother is worried about her daughter, as every time she rings the yacht Grant makes some excuse about her being asleep or busy. Eventually, after enough pressure from his mother-in-law, Grant returns to the sleepy town of Elk Cove to find his estranged wife.

It works as a comedy as the two protagonists are both unlikeable at the start. We first see Proffitt as the victim, whose work is so underappreciated he doesn't get paid. It's enough to make anyone angry. Hawn has always been underrated as a comedy actress, and the Jennifer Anistons of our time can't hold a candle to her. I suspect the film would be far weaker without her.

There are some genuine laugh out loud moments, but there are also scenes of such absolute cheese that you'll laugh at too. I know it's only a movie, but it doesn't seem realistic at all. Had it happened in real life I have no doubt that Proffitt would be serving a lengthy sentence. Come to think of it, it could have been made into a horror! Hollywood are eager to remake it, with Jennifer Lopez in the lead. Needless to say I won't bother seeing that, remakes are rarely as good as the originals.

Overboard is still a good comedy, but perhaps it was better when I was a kid. I'll still be watching it on a lazy Sunday though, grateful I don't have amnesia.