When Bob (Garrett M. Brown) and Cindy Russell (Elaine Bromka) have to leave town for a family emergency, they are left with no alternative but to call in Bob's brother, Buck (John Candy), to baby-sit. A jobless, lifelong bachelor with a heart of gold, Buck hardly seems the ideal baby-sitter. Charged with caring for his smart-mouthed teenage niece, Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly), and her two outspoken younger siblings, Maisy (Gaby Hoffman) and Miles (Macaulay Culkin), Buck finds himself learning how to survive in suburbia and parent at the same time. At first Buck doesn't even know how many times a day to feed the dog, much less the kids. He battles the washing machine and sends Miles to school with an utterly inedible bag lunch. But little by little Buck begins to take his responsibility seriously, putting the needs of his nieces and nephew before his own, earning their love and respect. With any luck, his newfound familial instincts will help him win back his estranged girlfriend, Chanice (Amy Madigan), who is tired of his refusal to commit to marriage. Directed by John Hughes (SIXTEEN CANDLES, THE BREAKFAST CLUB), this film was shot in various Illinois locations.

John Candy stars as the gruff but warmhearted Uncle Buck, a ne'er-do-well lug forced into the role of baby-sitter while the parents of his three young nieces and nephews are away attending to a sick family member. Unused to domestic duties, Buck has his hands full looking after sassy teenager Tia and her rambunctious younger siblings, Maizy and Miles. Between battles with uncooperative household appliances, Buck tries to prevent Tia from engaging in sexual activity with her horny boyfriend Bug while, at the same time, attempting to win back his own estranged lady love.

Theatrical release date: August 16, 1989.

Filmed in Chicago, Skokie, Wilmette, Evanston, and Northbrook, Illinois.

Estimated budget: $15 million.

DVD Features:


Region 1
Keep Case
Letterbox - 1.85
Single Layer
Audio:
Dolby Digital - 3.0 - English
Dolby Digital - 3.0 - Spanish
Dolby Digital - 3.0 - French
Additional Release Material
Interactive Menus
Scene Access

John Candy: Canadian Actor/Comedian
Amy Madigan: American Actress
Jean Kelly: Actress/"Uncle Buck"
Macaulay Culkin: American actor, HOME ALONE, PARTY MONSTER
Gaby Hoffmann: American actor, UNCLE BUCK/VOLCANO

John Hughes: American Director/Writer/Producer

"...Uncle Buck is a breath of fresh air....The cast is good...[but it's Candy who] gives the film what heft it has..."
"...Culkin's wide-eyed takes...are almost as funny as Candy's delicious slow burns..."
"...[Hughes] can be surprisingly daring in introducing bits and pieces of tense domestic turmoil into his comedies, and this one is no exception..."