What About Bob Review

What About Bob
Insecure Bob Wylie comes to an award winning psychiatrist for help. But the shrink has a vacation booked and leaves his new patient with a copy of his book. But Bob discovers the where the doc has gone on his holidays and tracks him down.

by Jo Berry |
Published on
Release Date:

01 Jan 1991

Running Time:

99 minutes

Certificate:

PG

Original Title:

What About Bob

Bob Wylie (Murray) has some problems. In fact, Bob has so many problems he has difficulty leaving his New York apartment for fear of what might happen to him, and has to chant “I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful” out loud to keep himself calm as he walks to an appointment with the latest in a string of psychiatrists — the rich and successful (and bestselling author) Dr. Leo Marvin (Dreyfuss).

All goes well at their initial consultation — but when Dr. Marvin announces he’s going on vacation, Bob decides to go too, pursuing Marvin and his family to the coast and inviting himself into their holiday home. Not only does he invade the family home, but Bill also proves more fun to be around for the two kids Anna (Erbe) and Siggy (Korsmo — “The Kid” from Dick Tracy) and Marvin’s long-suffering wife Fay (Hagerty) than Marvin, who is gearing himself up for an interview on breakfast TV.

From here on in the film bears a marked resemblance to Down And Out In Beverly Hills, with Dreyfuss reprising his role as a straight-laced guy gradually driven crazy by an unwelcome guest, resorting to drastic and hilarious methods to get rid of him.

Murray is wisecracking and funny as usual, clearly having a good time as the phobia-laden guy who cites the reason for his divorce as : “There are some people in the world who like Neil Diamond, and there are some who don’t.”

But what makes the film work is the double act between the two actors, and some great one-liners that pepper the script and cover up the fact there isn’t a great deal of originality in the plot. , and what more could you ask for for the price of a ticket?

Even Murray-phobes will find at least one thing to snicker at.
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