Fathers' Day (1997 film)

Plot

Scott, a 17-year-old kid, runs away from home with his girlfriend, Nikki. His mother Collette, visits her ex-boyfriend, lawyer Jack Lawrence, and tells him that Scott is really his son and wants him to find the boy: Jack refuses. Writer Dale Putley is planning suicide when he gets a phone call from Collette, of whom he is another ex-boyfriend, and she tells him the same story. Realizing that his appointment with a client will keep him in town overnight, Jack decides that he will look for Scott. Both men start their search with Russ, Nikki's father. Dale and Jake get little help from Russ, but it does lead to them meeting each other. They mistakenly assume that they each have a different missing son, thinking that "both boys" are mixed up with Nikki. They decide to pursue their cases together.

Jack and Dale visit Nikki's mother, Shirley, and learn that Nikki went on the road to follow rock band Sugar Ray. When she asks the men for pictures of their sons, they finally realize that Collette has told them both the same story about being Scott's father. They call Collette, who confesses that she doesn't know which is the father, but begs them to find Scott then they'll settle the situation. The two agree and they head for Sacramento where they find Scott, drunk, lovestruck and dumped by Nikki. They bring Scott back to their hotel room, and when he wakes the next day, he is not pleased by the news that one of them might be his father and that Nikki is following Sugar Ray. Jack leaves Dale to watch over Scott, but Scott escapes by pouring coffee over Dale's testicles. Dale reaches Jack and they head to Reno, where Sugar Ray's next performance will be.

In Reno, Scott meets up with Nikki and the other devotees following the band. He meets up with two drug dealers that he scammed out of $5,000 that he used to buy a necklace for Nikki. He escapes, only to be accidentally run down by Jack and Dale. Now with a broken arm, Scott demands that his two fathers leave him alone. That night, the three finally start to bond when Scott opens up to Jack and Dale—Nikki is his first love, but his parents disapprove of her, so he ran away. When Scott tells his two fathers about the drug dealers, they decide to help him. They drive to Nikki's hotel, but when Jack and Dale go inside, the drug dealers spot Scott in the car and plan to kidnap and kill him. Scott escapes with Jack's rental car.

When the two fathers emerge from the hotel, Jack assumes that Scott had been lying to them the whole time, calls it quits and decides to go home. Just then, Jack's wife Carrie appears, following Jack (and Dale) because she's been confused and concerned given Jack's odd behavior. He tells her the truth about Scott, and that he could be the father. Dale departs while Jack and Carrie have an argument about Jack's negative feelings for Scott, making her scared of how he'll react with his own child. Jack sees her point, and heads to the Sugar Ray concert, finding that Dale is also there looking for Scott. They find him as he confronts Nikki, who harshly breaks up with him. Heartbroken, Scott is suddenly grabbed by the drug dealers, whom Dale and Jack attack, resulting in a huge fight erupting within the concert crowd.

Freed from jail the next day, Jack, Dale, and Scott head home where Collette and his father Bob embrace with their son. Collette tells Scott the truth that neither Jack nor Dale are his father, but Scott is touched that his parents wanted him home so bad. Before the two men leave, Scott lies to both, separately and privately, that they're the father. Jack figures out that Scott lied, but is rather happy as it has given him a new outlook over having children. Dale, riding in Jack's car, spots a woman having car trouble on her way to the airport. Upon finding out that Virginia is single, takes a shot and decides to take her to her destination by car, much to Jack's annoyance.

Cast

Mel Gibson makes a brief uncredited cameo appearance. Catherine Reitman and Jason Reitman have small roles.

Release

In South Africa, Fathers' Day was released as What's Up Pop's?, a title the distributor decided would be more appropriate for the local market. The name was subsequently changed to What's Up Pops? for DVD release, when they realized the apostrophe had been used incorrectly.

Reception

The film received generally negative reviews from critics and was commercially unsuccessful as well. Fathers' Day holds a 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 59 reviews. Julia Louis-Dreyfus was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress for her work in the film, where she lost to Alicia Silverstone for Batman & Robin.