0721  -  MOVIE SHOW


Synopsis:  When the family learns that Kelly’s birthday is soon approaching, they concoct a plan. 
The family will offer to take her out to a movie (knowing that she already has a date) and when she 
declines, they never have to remember getting her a present again.  When the plan backfires and 
she accepts they’re offer, the family is stuck going to the movie theater where Bud tries to attract 
a date, Al beats up other patrons, and Kelly is upset to see that her date is with another girl in 
an aisle behind her.


Thoughts:  What is there to say is that this one would have to fall somewhere in my top 10 list. 
Many of some of the best jokes from MWC are compiled into this one episode; scheming (the 
aforementioned birthday plan), Bud’s dating techniques, Kelly’s wit and wisdom (and lack thereof), 
humiliation (Kelly ruining the rendezvous for Marcy and Jefferson and again Bud’s dating 
techniques), violence (Al beating up the guys in the theater), among others.  The story doesn’t 
feel forced like MANY later episodes did and gives just about every member of the cast to get in 
some good moments.  Not to mention the best of the "alternate" endings to the show with the family 
reading the credits to the show while still in the theater.  

	The plot of the family having to spend time at the theater isn’t too different from the 
way that other episodes have played out in the past and there are some parallels.  The 
voiceovers done here were done in "Kids! Wadaya Gonna Do?" with Al, Peg, Marcy and Jefferson 
watching videotapes, except they’re funnier here.  One in particular is Al’s. "How long is 
this movie?!  He loves her; she loves him I can’t take it!!  I’m gonna run amok and start 
dismembering everyone!! (looks at Peg and puts arm around her) and I’m gonna start with her!!"  
In "We’ll Follow the Sun", Al drags the family on a planned drive through the country and end 
up in the gridlock from hell, the story focuses around what happens to them while they wait 
for a traffic opening, similar to this episode here, except that we’re in a movie theater.  

	Another is the theme of Al beating people up, usually Kelly’s dates.  In the episode he 
not only goes after Kelly’s date, but some schmoe from right behind the aisle who tells Al and 
the rest of the family to shut up while they criticize the movie.  With a quick hop over the seats, 
Al lays into him, and for good measure, takes his bucket of popcorn and tells the family “Gave 
me his popcorn.”  This episode doesn’t have anything truly new that hasn’t already been done 
however.  Many of MWC’s jokes weren’t broken, but MOVIE SHOW doesn’t try to fix them, it just does 
them better.

        It was also a good measure of continuity to see that Marcy didn’t lose her love of role-playing 
with Steve and has gotten Jefferson into the act also in one the episode’s highlights.  
Another would be Al getting lost in the theater and after seeing hooters in the new movie he 
wandered into, attracts all of the other men to his theater, after shouting to Peg what he’s seeing.

	The episode also has what I felt was one of the better constructed plots of the show 
(the movie scam and working it in with Kelly’s plight over a cheating boyfriend) and it’s 
executed flawlessly.  While some people may object to actually seeing the family getting 
along in this episode instead of being at each others throats, it could have done CONSIDERABLY 
worse.  

Rating:  10 shoes out of 10.  Like I said, this is one of my top 10’s.  It makes me laugh every time 
I see it.


Quotable Quotes:

Al:  "Bud, are you thinking what I’m thinking?"
Bud:  "Luscious Hooters?"
Al (looking perplexed) "No, but I don’t know why I wasn’t!"

Al:  "Bud, are you thinking what I’m thinking?"
Bud:  "Kelly’s a sucker?"
Al (looking somewhat giddy) "No, I’m thinking of luscious hooters!  I’ve moved on!"

Kelly:  "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?"
Al:  "Women."

Al:  (Looking at movie screen) "Booby, I see a booby!"
Peg:  "That’s a forehead with a zit on it Al!"

Kelly: (to herself while nibbling on the end of her long hair) "I like the way my hair tastes today."

Al (after beating up Kelly’s ex date) "And that’s why TV will never replace the movie going experience!"

*** By the way, this review was constructed from memory of the show, I apologize if some 
of the quotes are a little off, when I get the chance to see the episode again, I may be able to 
correct some of what might be wrong