Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

My Father the Hero Blu-ray Movie Review

Only in Hollywood is "happily ever after" the result of lying and accusations of pedophilia.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 10, 2011

Thank Heaven for little girls.

Lying and pedophilia. Gets 'em every time. Oh such funny stuff. Hardy-har-har. Those are the components that make up the make-believe plot-within-a-plot of My Father the Hero, a not-so-innocent little Comedy about finding true love through the filter of deception and painting an otherwise loving father as one of the worst monsters who ever walked the earth. Of course the movie uses its not-so-pure little plot devices with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Gérard Depardieu's character isn't really a pedophile, of course, but his daughter is a major-league liar who is indeed emotionally scarred from the sins of the father, just not from the sins she falsely lays at his feet. The basic premise isn't too bad, to be honest, but it's a little too "out there." This is the sort of stuff children do as a cry for help and attention; accusing daddy of one of the absolute worst sins in the book usually isn't right up there with "what's your major" and "what's your sign" as far as pickup lines go. The movie isn't really harmful; it doesn't intend to be offensive or over-the-top, it's just in bad taste, even if the filmmakers don't seem to believe as much.

What are my intentions towards my daughter?

Divorced Frenchman Andre (Gérard Depardieu) has just arrived in the big city to pick up his daughter Nicole (Katherine Heigl) for a long-overdue daddy-daughter destination vacation getaway. Unfortunately, Nicole's got some issues. She's at one moment angry with her mother and loving her father, and the next angry with her father and uncertain of who she is and of her place in life. Nevertheless, they arrive in a tropical paradise where Nicole quickly meets a local boy named Ben (Dalton James) who's instantly attracted to Nicole. Unfortunately, the confused and disturbed Nicole doesn't really know how to respond, and she startles Ben by claiming that she and Andre -- her biological father -- are in fact lovers and not father and daughter. The rumor quickly spreads throughout the community; Andre is quickly shunned and Ben becomes only more confused. Eventually, Andre is forced to join in on the lies -- which quickly spread far beyond "simple" pedophilia -- in an effort to save Nicole's fledgeling relationship with Ben, his own dignity, and their entire vacation.

It's just too hard to laugh. Forget that the film's premise is built on some pretty ugly business, but Nicole is such an obviously troubled character to begin with that it's impossible to find the humor in her problems; she acts out with regularity, lashes out at her parents one moment and becomes bubbly-friendly the next. She's on such an uneven keel that she's more a magnet for sympathy than a fountain of laughs. Katherine Heigl never quite seems to know what to do with the character, but her uncertain performance actually better defines the character in a strange, roundabout sort of way. This is the problem with the entire film; it just never seems certain of itself, always running around as if a chicken with its head chopped off. That should be a funny sight, but in reality it's not. The film definitely means well; never does it give off the vibe that it takes any of this seriously, but what should be a series of comic absurdities rarely engender any real humor, instead leaving audiences wanting to call Nicole's guidance counselor or shrink, not cheer on her latest lie or antic.

Gérard Depardieu is the one saving grace. He's the only actor who seems to realize he's in a Comedy, and it's from his character that the film earns most of its few and scattered laughs. He handles what is at first his absolute cluelessness about what's going on and why everyone seems to shun him with a smile and a nonchalance that's really quite infectious. Watching him gleefully walk through a crowd of people with a grin on his face and a spring in his step as everyone slowly backs away with a scowl on their faces is priceless, and a scene featuring him just-so-happening to play "Thank Heaven For Little Girls" with his back to a quickly-evacuating-in-disgust audience is one of the film's best moments. My Father the Hero certainly finds some levity in the premise, but it's just too dark and, dare say, taboo for a PG-rated movie that's meant to be this light and breezy. Additionally, Depardieu gives it his all in some of the film's more lame standby comic sequences, like during a fumbling waterskiing jaunt where he of course flails about and is almost whacked by a massive ship. Director Steve Miner (Halloween H20) keeps the film moving along at a fair enough pace, but neither his steady direction nor Depardieu's relatively strong performance can save a movie that's otherwise just a little too much for family Comedy.

My Father the Hero Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

My Father the Hero arrives on Blu-ray with a decent but could-be-better 1080i, 1.85:1-framed transfer. After the mucky opening credit sequence -- definitely a pattern with these Mill Creek Hollywood/Touchstone releases -- the image clears up considerably, still sporting occasional wear-and-tear and a few white speckles, but nothing too debilitating. The image isn't exactly sharp, but it's not particularly soft, either. Detailing is adequate, never exemplary, but far from nonexistent. However, faces look awfully waxy and pasty to the point of suggesting noise reduction, and indeed, there's very little evidence of grain. Still, the image picks up a few good-looking textures, such as in a straw hat or a beach towel. Colors are steady and natural, but flesh tones carry a hint of unnatural warmth. Blacks are fairly strong. This is by no means a high-quality Blu-ray transfer, but it's certainly adequate considering both the film it accompanies and the aggressive pricing of the release.

My Father the Hero Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

My Father the Hero's DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack is, much like the video, adequate but far from sensational. This is a "Comedy" after all, and as expected the soundtrack plays second fiddle, pretty much only carrying dialogue, music, and a few scattered sound effects. The general sound effects, primarily coming in the form of both big-city ambience at film's open and some lesser but still mood-critical elements at the beachside resort are handled reasonably well; listeners will never feel like a part of either environment thanks to the sheer lack of range provided by the two-channel track, but both are delivered with fair definition across the front. Music is the true highlight here; the many Caribbean beats play with airy, spacious, and buoyant notes, and there's even a nice little bit of power from the low end to make the music complete. Dialogue is consistently clear and accurate, delivered exclusively through the center channel. This is a fairly basic soundtrack that won't set the audio world on fire, but it does certainly handle the track's limited materials with relative ease, even despite the limitations of the two-channel presentation.

My Father the Hero Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

My Father the Hero contains no extra features.

My Father the Hero Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My Father the Hero is an odd little movie to say the least. The premise of a girl lying about her father to earn the affections of a boy is sound, but why did the filmmakers ever think going so far as to accuse him of being a pedophile was the angle the movie needed? Sure there are a few genuinely funny scenes that are a direct result, but more so thanks to the grin-and-bear-it performance of Gérard Depardieu rather than a result of a particularly funny script. This isn't a terrible movie, but its priorities are out of whack and it's not really even in good taste. It ends well, of course, but it's not exactly the kind of movie to watch with younger viewers as it's sure to engender a lot of questions that adults might not be comfortable answering. My Father the Hero arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mill Creek and features a decent technical presentation but no extras. Worth a rental for older audiences hard up for something to watch.