The acting in "Man on Fire" was quite good and much of the film impressed me. However, occasionally the writing disappointed....and a rewrite would have helped the movie rremendously because there is a lot to like in the picture.
The story begins with Earl Carleton (Bing Crosby) learning that his ex-wife was trying to regain custody of their son...at least partial custody. However, Earl is very bitter over the divorce and he won't budge...and insists that the ex-wife never have custody, though he would allow occasional visits. As for the son, he's 10 and in agreement with dad...and doesn't want to live with his mother and her new husband. What's next? Well, a LOT!
Any film that shows how ugly divorce and custody cases can be is a good thing, as hopefully it can prevent the real nastiness that often occurs in such cases. Unfortunately, towards the end of the move, it really didn't seem to know WHAT point it was trying to make...and it wasn't very convincing either. Worse, there's a tacked on relationship that simply doesn't make any sense. Inger Stevens' character professes her love for Carleton...but no real groundwork was set in order to make this the least bit convincing. Why would a pretty and much younger woman suddenly announce she's in love with an old grouch like Carleton? Had they dated or spent a lot time together, then perhaps it wouldl have made sense. Regardless, the film is very flawed but still interesting and worth seeing.
The story begins with Earl Carleton (Bing Crosby) learning that his ex-wife was trying to regain custody of their son...at least partial custody. However, Earl is very bitter over the divorce and he won't budge...and insists that the ex-wife never have custody, though he would allow occasional visits. As for the son, he's 10 and in agreement with dad...and doesn't want to live with his mother and her new husband. What's next? Well, a LOT!
Any film that shows how ugly divorce and custody cases can be is a good thing, as hopefully it can prevent the real nastiness that often occurs in such cases. Unfortunately, towards the end of the move, it really didn't seem to know WHAT point it was trying to make...and it wasn't very convincing either. Worse, there's a tacked on relationship that simply doesn't make any sense. Inger Stevens' character professes her love for Carleton...but no real groundwork was set in order to make this the least bit convincing. Why would a pretty and much younger woman suddenly announce she's in love with an old grouch like Carleton? Had they dated or spent a lot time together, then perhaps it wouldl have made sense. Regardless, the film is very flawed but still interesting and worth seeing.