Movie: Overboard

This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.

There's Something in the Water

Plot Overview

An Oregon Sheriff Patrol discovers a bum in a bathrobe on the beach (“Rough night, pal?”) and brings him to Elk Cove General Hospital where Dr. Fletcher (Garry Chalk) diagnoses him as suffering from total amnesia. He recalls they had a similar instance of amnesia in a “pretty young woman back in the '80s.” That makes this “Overboard” (2018) a sequel to “Overboard” (1987), tied together by theme and location.

I live in Eugene, Oregon named after its pioneer founder Eugene Skinner whose wife made him change its name from the original “Skinner's Mud­hole.” We're not beyond renaming our towns, and I can see a heard of Elk standing in a wood­land grove tagging a town Elk Grove, later renamed to Elk Cove to suit its sea­side location. In that case one need but rearrange the letters of ELK GROVE to get GREK LOVE and find the theme of the movie. In both “Overboard” (2018) and “Overboard” (1987) is recounted a Greek love story in which a woman named Catalina fell in love with a man of a lower class named Artura. Their class differences kept them apart but they were eventually reunited by sea. That's essentially where both these OB's try to go.

The sexes get switched in this second go around. Leonardo (Eugenio Derbez) is son of the third richest man in the world who owns the world's largest building supply company. Leo's yacht Birthday Present has engine trouble (a faulty siphon valve) and must pull into Oak Cove for repairs. While there they commission a local company to have their carpet professionally cleaned. Cute widow mom Kate Sullivan (Anna Faris) is up for the job, but sparks fly between her and Leo leaving an unresolved financial matter between them. Kate oppor­tun­istic­ally decides to remedy it when she discovers he's in the hospital and doesn't know who he is. She convinces him to come home with her and take up his “husbandly” obligation to go to work and to help around the house while she studies for her nurse's exam in a month. At that time she plans to release him, but by then they've grown on each other.

Ideology

Leo had stiffed her on the cleaning payment and trashed her machine as well. He is up for (Eph. 4:28) “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” He grows (“Little by little the bird builds its nest”) to like his new life, (Eccl. 5:12) “The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.” He has gone from, “I've got a lot of nothing to do”, to “I may not have put us in the lap of luxury, but I'm a provider.” Kate appreciates that, “He cooked, he cleaned, he worked two jobs, he kept me laughing.”

Production Values

This oddball comedy, “” was directed by Rob Greenberg. It was written by Leslie Dixon (story) and Bob Fisher (screenplay). It stars Anna Faris, Eugenio Derbez, John Hannah, and Mel Rodriguez. Eugenio Derbez did well as the lead, and Anna Faris played her part well, too. The quirkiness of the plot was a bit challenging to get on top of, but it was easy to follow. There were authentic Hispanic actors cast in the Hispanic roles.

MPAA rated it PG–13 for suggestive material, partial nudity and some language. It was filmed in Steveston, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The script was finessed to pull off a repeat of the original but with the sex roles reversed. The rich family back­ground had to be changed some and the sleeping arrangements modified as well, but it was for the most part a carbon copy. The first one focused more on the new “mom's” learning to relate to her “children”, and the second on the working “dad” acclimating him­self to everyman's experience in the workplace. Here the Hispanic culture helped him to man up. The man's high school cut-up buddy in the first one helped explain his risk taking. In the second one it was a woman boss at Village Pizza whom Kate hadn't known quite so long, Kate having moved there from Portland with her kids.

Review Conclusion w/ Christian Recommendation

Derivative is what it is. Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn used their star power to sell us the concept the first time, so here we almost believe that movie romances go this way. With­out their trail­blazing we'd never be comfortable with this remake. I loved the first one and was satisfied with the second. Use your own viewing discretion.

Movie Ratings

Action Factor: Weak action scenes. Suitability for Children: Suitable for children 13+ years with guidance. Special effects: Average special effects. Video Occasion: Good Date Movie. Suspense: A few suspenseful moments. Overall product rating: Four stars out of five.