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Rating:  - Superb!
Vincente Minnelli directed, so visually it's incredible, did any other director pay such attention to set decor, lighting, and making his stars look beautiful? (The chief benefactors here are Dina Merrill, Shirley Jones, and Stella Stevens, all beautifully turned-out and photographed to their loveliest.)
Glenn Ford and Ron(nie) Howard both were deserving of Oscar nominations, i think it may be Ford's most versatile performance ever, and the very young Howard had remarkable range and his performance, i believe, stands the test of time and remains one of the best acting jobs by a child ever recorded on film.
The commentary by Jones, Merrill, and Stevens is very revealing and interesting-Jones (who admits to having wanted to play the Stella Stevens role) notes that Minnelli wasn't so much a director of actors as a director of visual splendor, and while she states she had wished for more direction from Minnelli, she does so without insulting his memory or legacy. Dina Merrill comes across as the liveliest commentator here, with the happiest memories of the film. Stevens'comments compliment the other 2 actresses' very nicely.
In my opinion, Glenn Ford walks away with the movie, and this very under-appreciated actor seems in many ways to have been the George Clooney of his day, in terms of oozing charisma complimented by a no-nonsense, no-frills approach to acting. Yet, in this film, Ford shows he had plenty of technique, mastering difficult crying scenes one minute, heated anger with the Jones character another, and learning to parent his motherless son with increasing sensitivity as the film progresses. Intricate, touching, funny, sad, life-affirming story of a suddenly-single father learning to raise a young son on his own, when it likely was the last thing he ever expected to be doing. This theme would be revisited decades later by Dustin Hoffman in 'Kramer vs. Kramer' but Ford did it first here, and beautifully.
He truly was leading man material.
And once again, there's the lush visual artistry of Vincente Minnelli to enjoy- (Dina Merrill offers a fun comment about an Italian restaurant scene, saying, 'Has anyone ever seen such a beautiful looking Italian restaurant in real life? Eat at Minnelli's!") as she clearly enjoys watching the film again while fondly remembering Ford, Minnelli and how impressed everyone was with the young Ron Howard. Really a nice movie.
Rating: - You mean Andy Griffith wasn't Opey's first dad?!
Glen Ford and Ron Howard together as father and son. Great movie
Rating: - Sweet, Sappy, Feel Good Movie
I'm a sucker for cute kids. I've loved Opie forever! In this movie he's at his cutest! It's nothing like the TV version was. This is Shirley Jones first non-singing movie and she's great with Glenn Ford. It's a great movie to watch with your kids. Eddie isn't like some of the snotty kids you see in movies today. He isn't overly sweet or sensitive. He's just lost his mother and trying to come to grips with both that and the fact he doesn't like not having a woman in the house. He's not afraid to talk to his dad about it, either. His directions on how to tell a "good" woman from a "bad" one kill me every time I watch it. I'm tired of the smart-aleck, know-it-alls you get in today's cinema. Sometimes I just would like to see a kid be a kid. And this movie grants my wish BIGTIME!!
Rating:  - Minnelli's Surprising Mix of Melodrama and Domestic Comedy With an Impressive Turn by Ron Howard
I used to love the early 1970's TV series which took its premise from this 1963 movie, so it was with some trepidation that I finally saw the original film directed by Vincente Minnelli. For such a family-oriented vehicle, his sometimes excessive filmmaking style shows up in subtle ways throughout the picture, and that's what primarily makes it interesting viewing now. The film starts out as an amusing domestic comedy, periodically hints toward deeper issues of grief and single parenthood, and then dives headlong into melodrama in the last half-hour. The result is pure Minnelli.
The other memorable aspect is eight-year old Ron Howard, sixth-billed and then known as Ronny, who delivers the central performance of Eddie without resorting to precociousness. More than his adult co-stars, he brings all the elements of the film together on an emotional level that resonates. Written by Tom Gay, the plot focuses on Eddie's attempts to reinvigorate the love life of his recently widowed father Tom. The likely candidate appears to be the pretty, recently divorced nurse next door, Elizabeth, but Tom and she start off on the wrong foot despite the fact that Eddie adores her. Efforts get refocused on Dolly, a vacuous, curvaceous girl they meet at the arcade, but Tom redirects her to womanizing disc jockey Norman. Tom then meets socialite Rita, whose glaring lack of a maternal instinct alienates Eddie to the point of running away.
All ends inevitably but not before some startling scenes like Eddie traumatized by the sight of his dead fish and Tom careening recklessly in his car to find Eddie (it looks like a similarly hair-raising scene on an Italian hillside road in Minnelli's "Two Weeks in Another Town"). In fact, the climactic argument between Tom and Elizabeth is surprisingly vitriolic for a family picture. Not the most charismatic of actors, Glenn Ford is solid as Tom, while a non-singing Shirley Jones plays Elizabeth with dexterity. The other performances are a bit more on the pat side - Stella Stevens lovably dim as Dolly, Jerry Van Dyke his recognizably unctuous self as Norman and Dina Merrill all slithery glamour as Rita. There are no extras with the 2004 DVD.
Rating: - Lazily entertaining
With so many movies and television shows being blood-splattered and cluttered with fantasy gore, it's nice to relax and watch a movie that doesn't make you cringe at either mayhem or profanity.
Usual, predictable plot for this type offering. Introduction to principals, conflict and resolution of same. You want rocket science, this is not your fare.
Nice, easy, comfortable movie an entire family can enjoy.
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