‘RV’ is better than you think

In the interest of complete disclosure, I will state that when the film “RV” opened, I had no desire to see it. However, a friend had recently described it as “hysterical,” so I selected it when given a list of films to choose for reviewing.

I won’t say that it’s excellent, or even anything closely resembling a classic comedy of cinematic importance, but keep it within its limited confines of cute and predictable family fare, and you won’t leave the theater feeling cheated. Bob Munro (Robin Williams) is a stressed-out corporate executive with a supportive wife, Jamie (Cheryl Hines), two angst-ridden teenage kids, Cassie and Carl (Joanna Levesque and Josh Hutcherson), and an overbearing boss, Todd (Will Arnett). When Todd demands a major presentation for a corporate client, Bob must cancel the family vacation to Hawaii and make alternate plans to secretly attend a meeting in Colorado ? without telling his family the real reason for the change. His cover story is that the RV trip is a chance for them to regain the family closeness they’ve lost by spending quality time together.

The film actually does a good job of blending the slapstick elements required to make it a fun road trip with poignant moments of how the family still cares about each other, despite their disparate interests and busy schedules. Williams is good at portraying a caring but overworked father and husband, and a suck-up employee, while being given the latitude to do the broad humor that has made him famous. With Williams, you’re never sure what is scripted and what is improvised. The character of Cassie is also conceived very well. She could have been a forever grumpy 15-year-old with a continuously bad attitude, but her complaints and sarcastic comments never quite reach the tipping point that could potentially make her unlikable. Levesque does a good job as a typically moody adolescent hovering between childhood and adulthood who is not sure when she hates or needs her parents.

The Gornicke Family they meet early in their travels provides both a good contrast in values and very amusing foils. Because they have Southern accents, make their permanent residence a bus and home-school their kids, the Munros instantly brand them as backwoods illiterates. But the honesty and simplicity with which they live is exactly what the Munro family lacks. Parents Travis and MaryJo are nicely played by Jeff Daniels and Kristin Chenoweth, who prevent their characters from coming off as dumb hillbillies.

It’s not a film to be analyzed in detail.

Forgive Bob for lying to his family and appreciate his sincerity when he pleads to his boss, “I’m running out of time with my kids.” Don’t ask how he gets the RV stuck on a rock ? just enjoy his attempts to get it off and back on the road.

And if the film pulls out of theaters before you can catch up with it, don’t feel as though you’re missing something important. On this particular road, there will be another rest stop ? in this case it’s the video store, and that should be sufficient.