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Max Dugan Returns

Max Dugan Returns

Comedy · Drama · Family · 1983

An English teacher and struggling single mother has her life disrupted when the father who abandoned her as a child comes back into her life.

Movie details

Max Dugan Returns

“Prices are double. Your love life's in trouble. The car won't start. Your boss has no heart. The door squeaks. The roof leaks. Your stereo just went mono. All you need is a little Max Dugan.”

1983 Comedy · Drama · Family 1h 38m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

An English teacher and struggling single mother has her life disrupted when the father who abandoned her as a child comes back into her life.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Max Dugan Returns?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Herbert Ross

Written by

Neil Simon

Marsha Mason

Marsha Mason

Nora McPhae

Jason Robards

Jason Robards

Max Dugan

Donald Sutherland

Donald Sutherland

Brian Costello

Matthew Broderick

Matthew Broderick

Michael McPhae

Dody Goodman

Dody Goodman

Mrs. Litke

Sal Viscuso

Sal Viscuso

Coach Roy

Panchito Gómez

Panchito Gómez

Luis

Court is in session

Put Max Dugan Returns on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.