What About Bob?

What about Bob? casts Bill Murray as the title character, a deeply-neurotic nutcase who follows his new shrink (Richard Dreyfuss’ Leo Marvin) to his vacation home and proceeds to make his life a living hell. It’s a pretty straight-forward premise that’s employed to consistently erratic effect by filmmaker Frank Oz, as the movie suffers from a lurching momentum that remains a concern from start to finish – with this vibe certainly perpetuated by Tom Schulman’s often episodic screenplay (eg Bob goes sailing, Leo films a spot for a morning talk show, etc). There’s little doubt, then, that What about Bob?‘s very mild success is due almost entirely to the efforts of its two stars, as both Murray and Dreyfuss transcend the occasionally stale material to deliver work that remains a consistent highlight – with the obvious chemistry between bob and Leo only heightening the decidedly watchable atmosphere. (And as typically entertaining as Murray is here, Dreyfuss’ progressively unhinged performance remains the movie’s most entertaining and engaging element.) By the time the almost laughably abrupt conclusion rolls around, What about Bob? has unquestionably confirmed its place as an affable endeavor that isn’t quite the comedy classic one might’ve anticipated.

**1/2 out of ****