Rebuilding Rob

This is a movie that I’ve wanted to review since I started this blog. For some reason I never got around to it.

Paul Reiser, Matthew Modine and Randy Quaid star Donny, Dave and Vic respectively – three divorced dads navigating their way through all the ups and downs of their new normal. Donny is still in love with his ex. Dave has too many girlfriends and comes off as emotionally detached. Vic is angry as his ex-on-laws have made him out to be the bad guy.

I’m pretty sure McDonald’s must have bank-rolled this movie as the fast food chain playa a significant part in the story. The dads meet their exes at McDonald’s at the beginning and end of the weekends to exchange their kids. There is a subplot an elderly McDonald’s employee who befriends and ultimately mentors the would-be boyfriend of Donny’s daughter, Emma – ( Eliza Dushku).

I like this movie because it shows the experience of the divorced dad – and it’s pretty accurate. We see the awkwardness of “the kid exchange”. Each of the dads are also trying to navigate their way through the dating world.

Although Matthew Modine gets top billing in the credits, Paul Riser’s Donny is definitely the lynchpin of the movie. His story, and that of his children, is the one which the entire movie rotates. We see the impact that the divorce has on his children. It’s disorienting to them, going from house-to-house, very much still mourning the demise of their family unit.

The movie’s ending is a little bit cheesy with all the plot ends being tied up happily. Critics have said that the movie is schmaltzy in general; however I enjoyed it just because the divorced dad storyline was, and continues to be a new concept.

Perhaps the biggest flaw of Bye Bye Love is that the movie has too many plots running. All the stories interconnect; but at times it is a lot to keep up with. There is an ancillary sun-plot involving Walter (Ed Flanders I’m his final role) and Max (Johnny Witworth) . Max is a potential boyfriend to Emma. He and the elderly Max work together at the aforementioned McDonalds. The two bond as Max needs a place to live and Walter needs someone to look after. Considering the total lack of stories about seniors in Hollywood, this is a story worth telling; but it feels cramped in this already loaded movie. Keep in mind, Love was released nearly 25 year before Pixar’s Up. At the time, even a sub-plot dealing with the issues faced by the elderly was almost unheard of.

I stumbled upon this movie years ago, probably on cable; originally never having any intention of seeing it. I never could imagined it would be a precursor to what my own life would become.

FINAL TAKE: I was pleasantly surprised by Bye Bye Love. Looking back in it today, it’s a bit dated; feeling very much like it came out of 1995. It’s not something I’d go out of my way to watch, but also not the worst way to spend a couple hours on a weekend afternoon.

Sadly, as of this writing, Bye Bye Love is not currently available for streaming.

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. All of your views, likes, follows are greatly appreciated! Be sure to follow me on social media as well. Check out some of my most recent posts:

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The article “Rob Reviews: Bye Bye Love” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.