Directed by: Rod Daniel
Starring: Dudley Moore, Kirk Cameron, Sean Astin, Patrick O'Neal, Margaret Colin
Like Father, Like Son was the worst of the "body switching" movies the 1980's provided us. Big (1988) starring Tom Hanks was not technically a body switcher movie, but it was the best example of how to handle such an extraordinary situation intelligently. As a twelve-year-old boy, he makes a wish after putting a quarter in a machine and wakes up the next morning as a grown man with the twelve-year old boy's mind still intact. The movie did not go for quick, stupid slapstick payoffs. It plumbed the situation for all of its depth, sweetness, and intelligence. Big is everything Like Father, Like Son is not. The actors all try their hardest in dead end scenes and comic situations that lead nowhere.
It is painful to watch intelligent actors forced to act stupid due to an unimaginative screenplay. Dr. Jack Hammond (Moore) accidentally ingests a Native American potion and, after looking at his son Chris (Cameron), their minds switch, so Jack's mind is in Chris' body and vice-versa. Both are scared and know what's happening, but through contrived reasons are not able to simply have Chris take the potion and reverse the process. Fair enough. The movie proceeds with each knowing what's going on. So how do they handle it? Chris goes to school while Jack goes to work at the hospital, both completely screwing up each other reputations while pretending to be themselves. Only Chris' friend Trigger (Astin) knows what happened and tries to track down the creator of the potion. His job in the interim is to shake his head at how bad Chris/Jack is messing up at school.
Jack/Chris, meanwhile, pretends to be a doctor and gets on the wrong side of his boss, Dr. Armbruster (O'Neal), who is looking to hire a new chief-of-staff. Chris/Jack runs a track meet and passes out before crossing the finish line. I don't understand this sequence. Even though Chris has Jack's consciousness inside him, he still has Chris' body and energy. So how does he suddenly fail to be in shape? It doesn't matter. The goal in scene after scene is to go for a cheap laugh. Why would two seemingly smart people allow each other to go out into the world without at least a debriefing as to their work or school issues? Isn't the objective damage control at this point? How would you feel if you found out your son found a way to completely ruin your chances for a work promotion? Or if your father found a way to piss of the school bully who is now looking to kick your ass? The screenplay doesn't allow them to think. It thrusts them into painfully unfunny situations that never seem to end. Scenes unravel without a payoff.
It is difficult to fault the actors. Dudley Moore showed us in 10, Micki and Maude, Unfaithfully Yours, and Foul Play that he is an energetic comic actor capable of completely engaging our sympathies. This was Kirk Cameron's feature film debut and his agent probably figured this would be a great starring vehicle for him. The actors give their all, but they are hamstrung. The movie is all concept and no execution. The filmmakers may have assumed the concept would carry the day. In the movie's final scene, after all is made right again between Chris and Jack, the school bully accidentally ingests the potion and trades consciousness with Dr. Armbruster. The villains get their comeuppance, but thank goodness there was no sequel.
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