Problem Child (1990 film)
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Dennis Dugan |
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| Written by | Scott Alexander Larry Karaszewski |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Miles Goodman |
| Cinematography | Peter Lyons Collister |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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81 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10 million |
| Box office | $72.2 million |
Problem Child is a 1990 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert Simonds. The film stars John Ritter, Amy Yasbeck, Gilbert Gottfried, Jack Warden, Michael Richards, and Michael Oliver.
Ben Healy (John Ritter) is a pleasant but brow-beaten yuppie working for his father "Big Ben" (Jack Warden), a tyrannical sporting goods dealer. Ben would love to have a son, but his obnoxious wife Flo (Amy Yasbeck) has been unable to conceive. Ben approaches less-than-scrupulous adoption agent Igor Peabody (Gilbert Gottfried) with his dilemma, and Igor presents Ben and Flo with a cute 7-year-old boy, Junior (Michael Oliver).
However, Junior is hardly a model child; mean-spirited and incorrigible, the child leaves a path of serious destruction in his wake, and is even pen pals with Martin Beck (Michael Richards), a notorious serial killer. The cat ends up in the hospital, Big Ben ends up falling down the stairs, and the house catches on fire. He messes up a camping trip with the neighbors by urinating in the fire, and manipulating a practical joke played on the kids by their father. He then terrorizes his neighbor's birthday party, after Lucy, the snobby birthday girl, bans him from the magic show. Finally, Junior displays his effective but unethical method for winning in Little League (involves hitting rival players in the crotch with a baseball bat). Ben is having serious doubts about Junior, and takes him back to the orphanage. However, upon hearing he was returned thirty times, he decides to keep him and love him, something no one has ever done. However, distraught that his parents do not love him, Junior drives Ben's car into his father's store, and his bank account is wiped out to pay for the damages. Ben is on the verge of cracking until Beck arrives at the house, and decides to kidnap his faithful correspondent, along with Flo.
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