My Father, The Hero

Depardieu, who reprises his role from the 1991 French film MON PERE, CE HEROS, plays Andre, the errant Dad. When he arrives at the home of his ex-wife (Lauren Hutton) to pick up his daughter Nicole (Katherine Heigl), he is surprised to find that she has changed since their last visit. She is growing up fast and is resentful at being treated like Daddy's little girl. From their arrival at the resort, Nicole seems intent on having a bad time. Then she meets Ben (Dalton James), a handsome young resort employee. Wanting to impress him, she claims she is 16. She says that Andre is her lover, but he pretends to be her father to avoid legal entanglements.

The story spreads and the other resort guests treat Andre with contempt and disgust, thinking him a child molester. He cannot fathom why he is getting the cold shoulder, nor why his rousing rendition of "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" clears the room on amateur night. When her lies get out of hand, Nicole confesses to Andre. He is shocked and upset, but empathizes with his daughter's desire to land a boyfriend. Feeling guilty for not having been around during much of Nicole's childhood, he agrees to go along with her charade. By this time, Nicole has also convinced Ben that Andre is an international spy, and that he is dying of a rare disease. Andre plays his part, but the plot backfires. Ben realizes that Nicole truly loves Andre, and steps aside.

The ruse is exposed when Andre nearly drowns and an anxious Nicole calls him "Daddy." Ben is angry at being deceived and refuses to speak to her. Andre steps in, helping Nicole to compose a love letter and feeding her lines a la Cyrano as she pleads with Ben from beneath his window. The young couple is reunited, and the experience makes commitment-shy Andre realize that he wants to settle down with his girlfriend Isabelle (Emma Thompson, in a brief cameo).

Despite an engaging performance by Depardieu as the good-hearted Papa and a smattering of genuinely funny gags, MY FATHER, THE HERO is a dud. Its core problem is its unprepossessing young lead. Nicole is scripted as a shallow, one-dimensional brat, whose cruel lies and machinations are supposed to be pardoned due to the pressures of adolescence and young love. Heigl displays little emotional range, scowling petulantly throughout most of the picture. She fails to win audience support; consequently, her victory at film's end is a hollow one.

Dalton James is adequate as the young hunk, and Faith Prince shines as a marriage-minded resort guest with her sights set on Andre. Two fine actresses, Lauren Hutton and Emma Thompson, are wasted in too-brief appearances. The supporting cast is inhabited by stock caricatures--boorish vacationers, a geeky college kid, and muscle-bound surfers. MY FATHER, THE HERO was filmed at Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas; its real star is the picturesque tropical scenery. (Adult situations, profanity.) leave a comment