Herek’s a big man on campus again

Director Stephen Herek certainly isn’t a household name like Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg or George Lucas.

But over the last 19 years, his features have grossed a combined total of more than $1 billion. His latest film is “Man of the House,” which opens Friday. The fish-out-of-water comedy finds tough-guy Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones (“The Fugitive”) playing a no-nonsense Texas Ranger assigned to protect the only witnesses to the killing of an informant -- a group of bubbly University of Texas Longhorns cheerleaders.

Jones’ Roland Sharp soon finds himself going undercover -- and moving in with the five frilly coeds.

“Man of the House” marks something of a homecoming for the 46-year-old Herek. The comedy, which also stars Cedric the Entertainer, was shot on location in Austin at his alma mater -- he graduated from the University of Texas film school.

Herek’s first on-screen credit was as assistant editor on 1982’s “Androids.” Four years later, he wrote and directed the cult sci-fi thriller “Critters” with Dee Wallace Stone, which spawned two sequels. “Critters 3” marked Leonardo DiCaprio’s film debut.

Herek’s next film, the 1989 youth comedy “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, was an even bigger success. Joining forces with Walt Disney in 1992, he directed four popular movies: the family hockey comedy “The Mighty Ducks,” the 1993 hip remake of the Dumas swashbuckler “The Three Musketeers,” the sentimental 1995 drama “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” for which Richard Dreyfuss received an Oscar nomination, and the live-action 1996 version of the classic Disney animated film “101 Dalmatians.”

But all filmmakers have their ups and downs; Herek is no exception. His last three films -- 1998’s “Holy Man,” 2001’s “Rock Star” and 2002’s “Life or Something Like It” -- were critical and commercial duds.

What are the prospects for “Man of the House”? It’s too soon to tell. But Herek has a proven track record with comedies, and Jones proved in the “Men in Black” blockbusters that he could more than hold his own.

And besides, who doesn’t love to see a tough guy prove he’s really an old softie at heart?

*

-- Susan King