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Jack the Bear

Jack the Bear

Drama · Comedy · 1993

Story of the relationships between two sons and their father, who moves the family to California and becomes a tv horror show host after the death of his wife.

Movie details

Jack the Bear

“Laugh. Cry. Hold on tight.”

1993 Drama · Comedy 1h 39m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

Story of the relationships between two sons and their father, who moves the family to California and becomes a tv horror show host after the death of his wife.

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 Jack the Bear?

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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After a suicide attempt, Lane has moved into her country house to recuperate. Her best friend, Stephanie, has come to join her for the summer. Lane's mother, Diane, has recently arrived with her husband Lloyd, Lane's stepfather. Lane is close to two neighbors: Peter, and Howard. Howard is in love with Lane, Lane is in love with Peter, and Peter is in love with Stephanie.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Marshall Herskovitz

Written by

Steven Zaillian

Danny DeVito

Danny DeVito

John Leary

Gary Sinise

Gary Sinise

Norman Strick

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Peggy Etinger

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon

Karen Morris

Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

Jack Leary

Miko Hughes

Miko Hughes

Dylan Leary

Art LaFleur

Art LaFleur

Mr. Festinger

Court is in session

Put Jack the Bear 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.