User Reviews

I decided I owed my wife one and watched, not one, but two movies on Hallmark with her. This movie was OK, slightly below average for this type. It was also odd in that the father was something of a screw-up (I seem to remember 4 stupid things he did). Also, although I often complain about too-clever writing that makes the rest of us feel like dullards (forgetting that professional writers may have spent weeks coming up with the witty banter), this movie had everyone in it with almost no witty lines. They were so ordinary, they could have been my family! The last time I saw attractive leads who had no witty lines and sort-of-ordinary lives was in "Dante's Peak". Still, I came away with a slightly positive feeling about the film.

While the movie is nicely done, the several themes that are visited here have been hashed out in many a film. A father, a widower with 2 children, loses his job and sees the trials and tribulations of being a father.

Romance blossoms with his son's 3rd grade teacher. Notice how Miss Jensen is so unprofessional. When his daughter says that she missed having her in the 3rd grade and instead had someone she didn't like, Jensen added that everyone had a bad opinion of that teacher. Unfortunately, this is what goes on in today's schools. The back stabbing is beyond belief.

Who would give up that gorgeous home for an easier job in Cleveland? All of a sudden, Cleveland seems to be making it on television shows. Ask Bette White for starters.

By the film's end, Dad and Miss Jensen are more than a definite item, the kids are happy to remain in their home, and the unemployed dad doesn't seem to be a big issue. That's where the film goes seriously wrong. This issue is played down.

Really a **1/2 star film but I added the extra 1/2* since those clichés are interesting and often used.

Once upon a time I was a big DJE fan. And he didn't do bad in this, exactly. I'm sorry to say the story just wasn't very good in my opinion. It felt more like a collection of scenes than any kind of real story. And what kind of ending was that? Did they realize he still didn't have a job? They played up the bad economy side of things but then made it seem as if giving up a job was no big deal in the end. And he must have had quite the load saved away as well as severance to not have a single money issue through all of this. Did you SEE that house? I just didn't buy the story at all. It seemed very random and disjointed.

Given what they had to work with the actors did well enough in delivering lines that didn't sound like they were reading them but that's about all I can say for this one. And I had really looked forward to it before it aired.

Some may say I'm being unduly harsh but trust me, I like a lot of pretty lame stuff and even I couldn't justify this one.

"Dad's Home" is a gentle family movie made for television. The writing is simple but decent, as are the main themes engaged here. The film has much in common with another film about an unemployed widower with two children, that being "We Bought a Zoo," starring Matt Damon. Here the family stays closer to home to discover their new lives with just a single dad to guide them. As with "We Bought a Zoo," a family working through grief is a main, albeit understated theme.

David James Elliott carries the film, exhibiting a natural warmth in the main role, and is always handsomely upbeat throughout. Even when destroying a bag of groceries, shrinking clothing in the dryer or burning dinner on the oven, dad's bewilderment at facing domestic chores never destroys the character's innate optimism, which is only occasionally daunted by the memory of his late wife. The actor's choices are always positive and upbeat, especially when informing his children they'll be making a new life in Cleveland. Here, differing from "We Bought a Zoo," the choice is to remain at home in California, to keep the family intact and hopeful. There is no doubt that Dad will be able to find another job close to home. And his romance with the schoolteacher will be allowed to blossom. Of course, with the big bucks that came with the pressures of his old job in the ad game, we tacitly know that dad has invested wisely and can afford to keep up his home and family without uprooting them. His choice in turning down the Cleveland job reinforces his love of his children, which he exhibited consistently throughout the film, loving the kids unconditionally even when they were at their worst. The decision winds up being the only choice this character could have made.

Were the title not already used for a former television family series, this TV movie could easily have been called, "Father Knows Best." I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

The movie was very weird and upsetting at times. Even with a wife he couldn't even do laundry or bake a chicken! How can you bake so bad the chicken smoking in an oven. Thats would take at least an extra 40mins to happen! Just didn't make sense.

Also, he didn't even check his fast little daughter sneaking around with boys at only 12 years old! I don't care if her mom pass she talking to him too crazy and he has nothing real to say! Basically horrible parenting!

Also, the couple didn't have any connection or moments and it seemed like it was just added when the whole movie focused on how the children was dealing with there mothers death!

So the teacher just left her whole class to talk to that 1 student who got in a fight? Come on now! Other than having a relationship with a student parent right after his wife dies kinda sketchy and super unprofessional! Since she was particularly interested in this one student she must of met the mom at some point.

Also, the principal at the school talking to this grown man like he a whole child. If everyone was so allergic to stuff they should have made it their responsibility to give parents notices instead of expecting this to remember one part in a probably long school packet! Again didn't make sense!

Moral of the story it was stupid and I couldn't get into it. Felt like I should have went to bed instead of starting another movie! I watch romance movies all the time and this was even cliché it was more so confusing and forced.