Uncle Buck

Buck Russell, a lovable but slovenly bachelor, suddenly becomes the temporary caretaker of his nephew and nieces after a family emergency. His freewheeling attitude soon causes tension with his older niece Tia, loyal girlfriend Chanice, and just about everyone else who crosses his path.

Uncle Buck landed in mixed-review territory on release, with critics split on whether John Candy's natural warmth is enough to carry a John Hughes comedy that felt, to some, meaner and more uncomfortable than his usual work. Audiences have warmed to it considerably more than the original critics did, and the gap between those two reactions is the film's most telling characteristic.