"Baby Steps" its way to HILARIOUS!!!!

jbartelone

What About Bob? is a wonderful comedy! I am really surprised that its storyline concept has not been done before. In this movie, a prominent psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin, (played by Richard Dreyfus) is gradually and consistently annoyed and disturbed by a VERY pesky, and determined patient! Bob Wiley, (played by Bill Murray.) The chemistry between the two actors is wonderful!

The story involves the good doctor Marvin getting ready to go on vacation. But he has one last VERY neurotic patient to see, Bob Wiley. Bob is paranoid and neurotic about public places, touching things, has hot-sweats, fainting spells.....everything imaginable! He feels Dr. Marvin can help him! But UHHH OH!!! Dr. Marvin explains that he's going away on vacation for several weeks. To help him, he gives Bob his new self-help best-selling book, Baby Steps, detailing how to work out your problems in small, easily manageable stages. But that's not good enough for Bob! While he tries to use Baby Steps to overcome some phobias of getting on an elevator and a bus in public, he CAN'T be without his doctor, no matter what!

Bob fakes his own suicide to get Dr. Marvin's answering service to give him his private number up at the lake. Armed with "Baby Steps" he manages to get up to the lake and see Dr, Marvin. But Dr. Marvin "doesn't see patients on vacation.......EVER!" However, Bob won't leave Dr. Marvin alone! Not only that, he begins to charm and love Dr. Marvin's own family who responds lovingly to Bob! Soon Bob is "helping the family" and they love him, and this is making poor Dr. Marvin.......INSANE! In one of the best scenes, Dr. Marvin's book Baby Steps is nationally accepted to be discussed by him on a TV talk show. The show wants to do a segment with Dr. Marvin at his lake home. But one hilarious problem is: What About Bob? Will he go away and stay away for the interview?

Yea right! Bob has now become a "permanent" patient in Dr. Marvin's life! I love this movie because of the great interactions between Richard Dreyfus and Bill Murray. Equally effective is Julie Hagarty, the zany stewardess from the Airplane movies as his wife. The film is almost perfect. The only downfall, is that it gets a little silly toward the end. But this should not detract from a solid comedy film. It is VERY, VERY funny!

score 9/10

jbartelone 23 July 2007

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1699183/