Three Fugitives (1989, Movie)

Three Fugitives is a comedy from 1989, starring Martin Short and Nick Nolte. Nick Nolte's character, Lucas, is a ex-bank robber who gets released from prison. On the day of his release, he finds himself in the middle of a hold-up by Martin Short's character, Ned Perry, and is taken hostage. The two of them spend the rest of the movie on the lam, along with Ned's young (and troubled) daughter, Meg.

This was a movie I loved as a kid. I was often drawn to movies that focused on father-daughter relationships, especially ones where a comedian plays the father. For some reason during the 1980's and even into the early 90's, single fathers and their daughter(s) seemed to be popular subject matter, not only in movies (Curly Sue, Three Men & A Baby), but in TV shows as well (Full House, Punky Brewster). For some reason, one father-one daughter didn't seem to be enough for the trend, and often times female characters found themselves with multiple father figures. I'm not sure how this trend started, but Three Fugitives seemed to follow suit. Lucas ends up helping Ned along the way, because Meg takes a shine to him, and he develops a soft spot for her. Even though Ned is a loving father and would do anything for Meg (like rob a bank), for some reason, Lucas becomes a surrogate father to her as well.

When I recently watched this movie again for the first time in years, I had to wonder what exactly made me love it as a kid. That's not to say I didn't like it, but it doesn't seem like a very kiddy movie either. It's touted as a comedy, and it starts off promising enough with the bank robbery scene, where Martin Short plays his normally goofy self. But the rest of the film wasn't very comedic, IMO, and I found this a little disappointing during my rewatch. I'm a huge fan of Martin Short, I think he's hilarious, and I don't think his talents were utilized very well here. I didn't like how he took a backseat to Nick Nolte's character, both as the leading character and even as the father to his own daughter in the film.

Towards the end (minor spoilers ahead!), it seemed as if the filmmakers were trying to return the movie to a comedy by featuring a plot point where Martin Short has to dress in drag so they can get out of the country undetected. This part was amusing, but became very over the top and almost forced. Also, as a kid, I can see why the shenanigans would seem funny, but as an adult it seemed kind of out of place. I feel like as a kid I probably saw the movie for its very literal parts (the action-adventure style, the almost slapstick comedy), but following the actual plot as an adult just didn't quite work for me in the same way.

Before I rewatched this, had someone asked me what I thought of it, I would've quickly responded with, "I always loved that movie!" But unfortunately this isn't one that has held up well over time. Too serious (almost downright sad at times) to make this a truly enjoyable comedy, and yet to slapstick-y to be enjoyed for its drama. A bit of a mixed bag, and definitely one where Nostalgia muddied my recollection.

On the plus side, the score is actually very beautiful and has a strong 80's feel to it. Probably the biggest highlight of the film.