Dad

When the name of Steven Spielberg is listed in the credits (even as an executive producer), you can usually rest assured that the melodrama will be ladled on by a ladle roughly the size of the Big Dipper. Dad, based on William Wharton's bestselling novel, is no exception. Jake and Bette Tremont (played by the formidable acting team of Jack Lemmon and Olympia Dukakis) are septuagenarians whose orderly--Bette gives the orders--world is shaken when Bette is hospitalized following a serious heart attack. Their son John (Ted Danson), takes a break from his hectic stockbrokering life, and comes home to teach "dad" the ropes of daily living: as in how to wash dishes, do the laundry, make the bed, and fix a bowl of cereal. No sooner does Jake get his good housekeeping seal of approval when he discovers that he has cancer. When John's son Billy (Ethan Hawke) shows up, grandfather, father and son all try to bridge the generational gaps dividing them with what little time is left. Dad suffers from too much story; yet, even so, Danson, Dukakis, Hawke, and especially Lemmon, throw their all into their roles so convincingly that the audience is swept along, albeit unwillingly. Most people will find Dad to be a moving film, with loads of heart, wit, and tears. Recommended. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review--June 14, 2005--Universal, 118 min., PG, $12.98--Making its first appearance on DVD, 1989's Dad sports a so-so transfer, Dolby Digital 2.0 sound, and only one trailer for an extra. Bottom line: not much of a showcase on DVD, but the film remains a charmer.]