Stan Dragoti made accessible comedies built on readily understood situations. In Mr. Mom, his actors supply enough warmth for a decent evening, though he too often settles for familiar jokes when the characters deserve more attention.
Fi1m perspective
We laughed at the shopping trip in Mr. Mom (1983), where Dragoti's fondness for situational comedy pays off. Too often, though, the film expects the fact of a father doing housework to be funny without much further assistance. Michael Keaton and Teri Garr make it warmer than that sounds. It is a decent, undemanding comedy, and its director is better at keeping it amiable than finding fresh jokes in the exchange of responsibilities.
Dragoti came to features from advertising, where he had directed commercials and worked with Charlie Moss. That background suits the simple situations of his later comedies, although his feature debut, Dirty Little Billy (1972), was a revisionist Western. Love at First Bite (1979), a Dracula spoof starring George Hamilton, marks the move towards the light comedy that became his main business. By Mr. Mom, written by John Hughes, the situation could scarcely be clearer: a father takes on the domestic responsibilities.
The more promising moments in Mr. Mom come when Jack's children receive the attention, and his new situation stops being treated as extraordinary. Dragoti gets enough from Keaton and Garr to suggest a less frantic film might have been worth making. Patrick Kennedy's editing keeps the farce moving, but some jokes are still left running after they have done their work. Lee Holdridge's music is agreeable without giving the comedy much character. Dragoti seldom lets the quieter exchanges set the pace, even though those give us more reason to care about the family.
The comedy run continued with The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), starring Tom Hanks, and She's Out of Control (1989). The latter drew criticism for a thin premise and formulaic execution. Necessary Roughness (1991), a football comedy with Scott Bakula, was his final feature. For an evening with his work, Mr. Mom is a reasonable choice if Keaton and Garr are the attraction; expect less from the domestic jokes.
Biography
Stan Dragoti was an American film director. Born in New York City to Albanian immigrant parents, he studied at Cooper Union College and the Visual Arts College before working in advertising at agencies including Young & Rubicam and Mary Wells Lawrence. With partner Charlie Moss, he co-created the 'I Love New York' tourism campaign.
Dragoti made his feature directorial debut with the Western Dirty Little Billy (1972), which he also co-wrote. He went on to direct the comedies Love at First Bite (1979), Mr. Mom (1983), The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), She's Out of Control (1989) and Necessary Roughness (1991). He died in Los Angeles on 13 July 2018, aged 85.
