Dutch - John Hughes' Other Thanksgiving Movie

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, as it is for most people.  After all, it is one of the "big three" holidays at the end of the year.  At the very least, Thanksgiving is undoubtedly one of the more nostalgic holidays throughout the year.  When we were kids, we were relegated to the kid's table as the adults talked and reconnected around a table of good food and fellowship.  Today, as adults, we look back fondly on those simpler times when we didn't have to do any of the cooking or partake in adult conversation about adult topics like politics, work, money, or sports.  

As kids, we just had to be kids. We played, we napped, we snacked.  We watched our shows and movies in "the other room" while the adults watched football or the evening news.    

When people think of Thanksgiving movies, I'm willing to bet most people immediately think of "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles."  

Rightfully so, the Thanksgiving classic written, produced, and directed by 80s and 90s filmmaking legend John Hughes stars Steve Martin and John Candy on a three-day odyssey of misadventures as they try to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving.  

That's a great movie, but today, I'd like to bring to your attention another Thanksgiving movie created by John Hughes.  Most people haven't heard of it, and that's a shame.  It's the 1991 film "Dutch."

Released during the summer of 1991, "Dutch" stars Ed O'Neil as Dutch Dooley, a rough-around-the-edges working man dating a socialite divorcee named Natalie (JoBeth Williams).  He offers to drive her insufferable son, Doyle (Ethan Embry), from his private school in Atlanta to his mother's home in Chicago for Thanksgiving.  Doyle is not interested in his mother's new boyfriend, mainly because of Dutch's humble, "lowly" working-class roots.  The two embark on a journey filled with mishaps and personal growth.

John Hughes began his career in 1970 as the author of humorous stories and essays in the National Lampoon magazine.  Moving to Hollywood to write and direct, he was responsible for some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s and 90s.  He directed such films as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, She's Having a Baby, and Uncle Buck.  He also wrote the films National Lampoon's Vacation, Mr. Mom, Pretty in Pink, The Great Outdoors, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, Beethoven, and Dutch.

Man, what a list of classics!

Most of Hughes' work was set in his hometown, Chicago.  He had a cast of big-name actors that he liked to work with, including Molly Ringwald, Matthew Broderick, Anthony Michael Hall, Chevy Chase, John Candy, and Macaulay Culkin.  Hughes also helped launch the careers of several actors, including Michael Keaton, Bill Paxton, and the previously mentioned Macaulay Culkin and Anthony Michael Hall.  

"Dutch" was released as "Driving Me Crazy" outside the United States.  

Written by John Hughes and directed by Peter Faiman, the film stars Ed O'Neill (Married with Children), Ethan Embry (Can't Hardly Wait), JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist), Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore), and E.G. Daily (Pee-Wee's Big Adventure).  Ethan Embry was initially billed as Ethan Randall.

The film begins as Dutch Dooley (Ed O'Neill) attends a ritzy dinner party with his new girlfriend, Natalie Standish (JoBeth Williams.)  He stands out like a sore thumb, telling off-color jokes in a cheap suit as he mingles among his girlfriend's wealthy friends.  Dutch meets Natalie's extremely wealthy ex-husband at the party, the snobbish Reed Standish (Christopher McDonald).  Reed tells Natalie he will have to break his Thanksgiving plans with their son, Doyle (Ethan Embry), for an unexpected business trip to London.  He demands that Natalie be the one to tell Doyle so he doesn't have to be the one to disappoint his son.

Days later, Natalie calls Doyle at his private school near Atlanta, Georgia, and he is none too pleased to hear from his mother.  She asks him to come home for Thanksgiving, but Doyle blames her for the divorce and rudely refuses the offer.  Seeing an opportunity to get to know Doyle (and score points with Natalie), Dutch offers to go down to George to bring Doyle home for Thanksgiving.  

When Dutch arrives at Doyle's dorm room, it's empty, and he begins looking around.  When Doyle returns to his room, he is surprised by the unknown man in his room and physically attacks him.  He at first goes after Dutch with a golf club before shooting him in the groin with a BB gun.  Soon, Dutch overpowers the younger Doyle and gains control of the BB gun.  This leads to a running gag throughout the film, where Dutch continuously promises to get revenge with the BB gun. 

He explains to Doyle why he is there and asks him to come to the car so they can return to Chicago.  Dutch quickly discovers that Doyle is very much like his father, Reed: a selfish, elitist, downright unbearable jerk.  Ultimately, Dutch overpowers the boy and hog-ties him to a hockey stick before carrying him to the car to start the drive back to Chicago.

The two endure several incidents as Dutch tries to break down Doyle's tough exterior.  After a fun fireworks scene, Doyle throws a lit cigar into Dutch's lap.  An irate Dutch tosses him out of the car and forces Doyle to walk several miles to the motel to the motel by himself. 

Doyle will later get even by parking Dutch's car in the middle of an ice-covered highway next to the motel, where it is hit and destroyed by a truck.  Dutch panics, thinking Doyle is injured, or worse, but soon grows angry to find out Doyle is unharmed and caused the accident on purpose.  He pays off the truck driver and promises to teach Doyle a lesson.  

Without a car, the two hitch a ride with two prostitutes headed north for the holidays.  After driving all night, the four stop at a truck stop for gas and breakfast.  Allowing Dutch and Doyle to go inside to get a table, the girls stay behind to fill the car's tank with gas.  When they're finished, instead of heading inside to join Dutch and Doyle, the girls take off with the boy's luggage - and money!  

The two are alone again, stranded at the gas station.

Doyle calls his father for help, only to find that Reed had lied about his trip to London.  Instead, his father was at home with a new girlfriend and simply did not want Doyle around.  Stunned by this betrayal and upset Dutch had accused him of being weak and "hating his mother," Doyle slowly starts to regret his poor attitude.  When Dutch wants to give up and call Natalie for financial assistance in getting home, Doyle refuses any help from his mother and insists on returning to Chicago on their own.

They sneak onto the back of a semi-truck and hitch a ride.  When the truck drops the trailer in a lot, the two are found and assaulted by security guards.  With Dutch getting the worst of the beating, Doyle brandishes his BB gun and begins feigning insanity.  This frightens the security guards enough that the two manage to escape.  

Entering a nearby restaurant, the bloodied and dirty pair ask to use the restroom.  They encounter a rude waitress who takes them for homeless vagrants and demands they leave.  A concerned married couple takes them to a homeless shelter in Hammond, Indiana, for the night so they can have a meal and a place to sleep.  

Without any other options, the tired and hungry Dutch and Doyle agree to go inside. Doyle grows fond of a young girl and her family at the shelter, and as he gets to know them, he realizes just how fortunate he is.  He also realizes that his father has manipulated him into neglecting his mother.

The next morning, Thanksgiving Day, the family from the shelter drives Dutch and Doyle to Natalie's home in their broken-down old jalopy.  While driving, they pass a large construction site with a sign, "Dooley Construction," suggesting to Doyle (and the viewer) that Dutch is much wealthier than the image he presents.  

When they arrive at Doyle's house, Dutch promises the husband a job and steady paycheck at one of his worksites as a thank-you for getting them home.

Meanwhile, Reed knows Doyle found out about his deception and is at the house waiting for them.  Reed demands that Doyle come home with him, but Doyle decides to stay with his mother.  In anger, Reed evicts Natalie from the house and promises to ruin her financially.

Dutch follows Reed to his car to have a chat.  When Reed gets rude, Dutch hits him in the forehead with his pinky ring.  Dutch demands that Reed show more respect to Natalie and become a better father for Doyle, to which the nearly unconscious Reed agrees.  

As Natalie, Doyle, and Dutch sit down for their Thanksgiving meal, Dutch asks Doyle to get his coat.  He says it contains a very special gift for Natalie, and Doyle happily walks off to get it, thinking it could be an engagement ring.  When the boy turns his back, Dutch pulls out the BB gun and finally gets his long-promised revenge as the credits roll and the film ends.

Despite its cult following today, the film was poorly received by critics.  It currently holds a 17% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 23 critical reviews.  Audience scoring site CinemaSCore gives the film an average grade of "B+," showing once again that critics often don't have the same tastes as the viewing audience.

The film finished its opening weekend at number 10 at the box office.  Considered a "bomb," it only made $4.5 million in ticket sales compared to its $17 million budget.  In all fairness, when it debuted, the film was up against some stiff competition.  The only other film to premier the same weekend was "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey," which finished 2nd.  

"Terminator 2:  Judgement Day" was the top movie that week, followed by "Bill and Ted," "101 Dalmations" (ReRelease of 1961 Animated), "Boyz n the Hood," "Regarding Henry," "Robin Hood:  Prince of Thieves," "Point Break," "Naked Gun 2 1/2," and "City Slickers."  

Following its home video release, the film rapidly grew its fan following.  It was released on DVD in 2005 and Blu-ray in 2012.

Until recently, these original 2005 DVDs were hard to come by, and sales of used copies on eBay were only available.  Due to scarcity, some copies cost as much as $150!  

In 2022, the DVDs were reproduced and sold in stores like Walmart and Amazon, making them much more affordable for eager viewers.

When I revisit "Dutch" each year, I can't help but think about the film's timeless appeal.  Sure, the clothes, the cars, and the attitudes 'scream' 1990s, but the themes of family, understanding, and male bonding remain timeless.  The chemistry of the leads and John Hughes' signature comedy create an entertaining and heartwarming story.  

Although not frequently cited as much as most of John Hughes' other works, its impact can be profound.  The perfect mix of comedy, drama, and a dash of holiday spirit creates a film that invites multiple viewings, not just for laughs and lighthearted moments but also for the movie's reminders of the complexities of our lives and relationships.  

As one critic commented about the film, "The journey is as important as the destination."  As we approach Thanksgiving, a time to be thankful for what we have, especially our family, let's try to remember that the people we "travel our journey" with can change our lives in the best of ways.