Giving "Mr. Mom" a Pass, For the Month

I was in the video store on Saturday, looking for "Home Alone." I wanted to demonstrate to the handful of kids we had sacked out at our house what John Hughes was all about, and "The Breakfast Club," really wasn't age-appropriate. It look me about 15 minutes to find the film; it was stuck in a special display up front with a bunch of other Hughes movies, including "Mr. Mom."

I had no idea that John Hughes wrote that particular screenplay, and -- quite honestly -- it inclined me to view the film that much more charitably. Because, at the end of the day, my problem is not with "Mr. Mom" itself (indeed, the moral of the story is perfectly in line with everything I believe) but with the continued reference, a quarter-century later, to the bumbling-dad clips from the film. I'm also curious to know if anyone has ever seen anything from Hughes talking about his own experiences? (He would have had young kids at the time he wrote "Mr. Mom.")

So, out of respect for John Hughes, who died last week, I'll refrain from bashing "Mr. Mom" for the rest of the month.