What About Bob? (1991)

Director:

Frank Oz

Writers (WGA):

Alvin Sargent (story) &
Laura Ziskin (story) ...

Release Date:

17 May 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Bob's a special kind of friend. The kind that drives you crazy!

Plot:

A successful psychiatrist loses his mind after one of his most dependent patients, a highly manipulative obsessive-compulsive, tracks him down during his family vacation.

Plot Keywords:

Vacation | Patient | Psychiatrist | Book | Phobia

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Bill Murray	...	Bob 'Bobby' Wiley
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Dr. Leo Marvin
Julie Hagerty	...	Fay Marvin
Charlie Korsmo	...	Sigmund 'Siggy' Marvin
Kathryn Erbe	...	Anna Marvin
Tom Aldredge	...	Mr. Guttman
Susan Willis	...	Mrs. Guttman
Roger Bowen	...	Phil
Fran Brill	...	Lily Marvin
Brian Reddy	...	Carswell Fensterwald, M.D.
Doris Belack	...	Dr. Catherine Tomsky
Melinda Mullins	...	Marie Grady
Marcella Lowery	...	Betty, Switchboard Operator
Margot Welch	...	Gwen, Switchboard Operator
Barbara Andres	...	Claire, Dr. Marvin's Secretary

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

8254 Scruggs Road, Moneta, Virginia, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Woody Allen was suggested for the role of Leo Marvin.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: After Dr. Marvin throws Bob out of the car, he drives away. The boom is reflected in the windshield.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bob Wiley: I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful... I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful... I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Reel Thing (2008)

Soundtrack:

Singin' in the Rain

better than anyone might expect

Bill Murray really does his best when playing outright wacky characters like the one in "What About Bob?". In this case, he's a mentally unstable psychiatric patient who follows his psychiatrist (Richard Dreyfuss) on vacation and practically takes over. In a way, the whole movie's sort of silly, but it shows how the psychiatrist is basically a pompous dweeb and Bob is the world's most lovable person, if not quite all there. It's really neat towards the end, how the psychiatrist starts losing his mind in frustration. All in all, it shows that Frank Oz is quite capable as a director, and that Murray and Dreyfuss are two of the greatest actors of our era. Also starring Julie Hagerty, Charlie Korsmo and Roger Bowen in his final role.