FILMS… Three Men and a Little Lady (1990)

#1990s

 

The return of Mary’s three dads and a lovely lady…

 

The romantic comedy sequel to 3 Men and a Baby with the one from Cheers, the one from Magnum P.I. and the one from Police Academy.

 

Mary

3 Men and a Lady

Three Men and a Little Lady – Trailer, TouchstoneOnDemand and photos © Buena Vista Pictures

 

So it’s back to the 1990s again retro-loving readers with a Realweegiemidget weeper. A reader asked me recently about the ratings that I leave with each review of hulk, weeper and handsqueeze moments. I directed them HERE, but here – in the first of an occasional series describing these – is an example, of a weeper.

It’s a weeper because it’s a sweet love story, the male romantic lead’s speeches get in in tears and it’s a wee gem of a movie.  I forgot about it, until by chance I read about it this morning recognising a line from the movie on social media.

3 Men and a Little Lady (1990) is not a film with Estelle Getty –  Sophia from the TV’s The Golden Girls (1985-92) and the tiny star of Mannequin (1987) – in a hot foursome with three gorgeous actors. However Hollywood writers if you decide to do this storyline put me up for casting as the little lady with the three men being Jon Hamm, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Reynolds. Deadpool (2016) outfit and pop reference compulsory for Mr Reynolds and true love with Mr DiCaprio (this man does need a lucky break), but I digress.

Three Men and a Lady tells the further adventures of the characters of 3 Men and a Baby (1987). The original one was directed by Spock, not Dr Spock – of the parental advice book of yesteryear – but by Star Trek‘s Leonard Nimoy. The three men being played by the original cast 1980s heart-throbs – for your mums now possibly grannies – are Tom Selleck (Peter), Ted Danson (Jack) and Steve Guttenberg (Michael).

Mary the baby is now a precocious 5-year-old and is played by Robin Weisman. Her mother Sylvia is still played by the lovely Nancy Travis, as she was in the original film. The film starts with a wee montage bringing us up to date with the storyline showing the five characters as Mary grows up as in the prequel they all lived happily ever after together.

Sylvia is now a successful actress and in love with her terribly suave and terribly English producer, Edward. Edward is played to hammed-up English perfection by Christopher Cazenove (Ben Carrington in Dynasty (1981-89)). He is madly in love with her and wants to marry her and move her and Mary to Merrie Olde England. He also wants to ship Mary off to boarding school once he and Sylvia are married, the dastardly scoundrel. Sylvia also English, likes the idea of going back to England.

Sylvia is havering as Mary loves her three other dads, the biological one from Cheers (1982-93),  Jack (Ted Danson) -, the Magnum P.I. (1980-88) one, Peter (Tom Selleck) – and the one who starred in the Police Academy Film Series 1-4 (1984- 87), Michael (Steve Guttenberg).  I will refer to them as these to make it easier for me and you the reader to remember them!

Sylvia gives in to Edward Ben Carrington and decides to marry him to bring Mary a normal stable life with just one daddy. As she declares this to the men in a family meeting she beseeches to the three men to be happy for her and Mary.

Only the Magnum PI one is upset, saying it’s not good for her and tells her of Edward’s evil plan to send Mary away to boarding school.  They fall out as she does not believe him, but their mutual attraction is evident. However, he speaks with the Police Academy one about his real reason – he’s madly in love with her and didn’t want to disrupt the household by telling her so.

After Sylvia and Mary leave for Merry England he confesses all to the biological one from Cheers and gets his approval to tell her. Then he and the Police Academy dad head to England or Tropeland English style to stop the wedding in a race against time, to declare true love and foil Edward’s intentions.

I do love this movie, and yes I also squeezed hands with my beloved as he endured watched it. I cry at the romance of it all, especially the Magnum PI one whose voice appears to crack with romantic emotion as he talks about his love for Sylvia. I sob as his character gets consent from the bio dad that he won’t be treading on his toes to claim her heart. I also handsqueezed Darlin Husband like crazy at the delays and setbacks as he and the one from Police Academy get try to the church in England in their race to get to the wedding.

The stereotypical England of butlers, hideous boarding schools, luscious green countrywide, and bumbling vicars is more a sweet endearing, homage to the world’s idea of England – and indeed mine for years as a Scottish girl – than a hulk moment. With a cast of British treasures – Sylvia’s mother is played by Sheila Hancock and the sex-starved headmistress Miss Lomax, a screen stealing, Fiona Shaw.

Shaw vamps it up in her role as she makes a pass with the Magnum PI one, with her double entendre script only adults would understand. Danson and Guttenberg are great supporting acts in this film, but Selleck shines in his knight in shining armour romantic role saving his princess  – and her daughter – from a dastardly fate.

 

Weeper Rating:  😦😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦😦 😦  /10

Handsqueeze Rating:            /10

Hulk Rating: ‎    ‎/10

 

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My Favourite Movie Threesome Blogathon 2017, No 40 and the Always a Bridesmaid 2019 No 74

This film was reviewed for the My Favourite Movie Threesome Blogathon run by Movie, Movie, Blog, Blog. It was also added to Hollywood Genes’ Always A Bridesmaid Film Blogathon. Other reviews with this cast include Christopher Cazenove in Dynasty and The Lady and the Highwayman. Tom Selleck in Magnum PI.  Steve Guttenberg is featured in my Surrender review and in the Police Academy movies. Ted Danson stars in Loch Ness.

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