Thank You John Hughes: Mr. Mom

John Hughes, celebrated writer/director of many important movies of my youth, recently passed away. Here, I pay a little tribute.

So this was one that I didn't know was part of the Hughes oeuvre. It wasn't focused on teens, it wasn't about high school...but it was kind of about a misfit trying to fit in to his new world, which is often central to Hughes' plotlines.

This movie took an unimaginable premise -- that a MAN would actually stay home with his CHILDREN while the wife was the main breadwinner for the fam. I mean, can you imagine this? So progressive for the early 80's.

I remember watching this at home when I was younger (my parents must have watched it)...but I also remember watching it about 10 times during my freshman year of high school. For some reason, the substitute we always had for our Christian Sexuality class (yes, I realize that can sound strange, that they were teaching us this...but it was perhaps the most comprehensive sex education class we could have had, way moreso than any that I have heard my friends speak of. anyway...) felt that Mr. Mom was the perfect movie for us to watch every time he subbed. We didn't really care much...the guys in the class did whatever it was that guys do, while the girls drooled over Mr. Magnini.

So now when I watch Mr. Mom, I think not of the theme of fitting in, or of kids adjusting to changes, or the vacuum eating Kenny's woobie, but of our substitute teacher. Who, in a way, as a full time substitute, also had to try to fit in...right?