Mum's Monday: Overboard (1987)

WARNING SPOILERS

When this film begins we see, an obnoxious Joanna Stayton (Goldie Hawn). This is a little forced and seems out of Goldie Hawn’s comfort acting zone. Which is good to see, I wouldn’t want being obnoxious to come naturally, so we can forgive the beginning. However, it works for the film and allow for the, no nonsense carpenter Dean Proffitt (Kurt Russell), to voice his opinion of her to her face. Although if you didn’t ask for cedar you get oak. I thought it looked nice.

Once Joanna had fallen overboard and is in the hospital, we find out that her amnesia can work for her husband as well as Dean the carpenter. Dean’s reason not a crazy one, just a little revengeful.

One of the funny parts, is when Joanna now called Annie (Because Dean told her that was her name), is landed with 4 boys, she faints. I think anyone would.

The film is also very good in being realistic, just because Annie has amnesia, it doesn’t stop her dreaming of her past life, before she lost her memory or the flashbacks, but still nothing sparks a recall.

It is fun to watch Annie getting creative with the chores, she certainly throws herself into them and then she is done, and they have broken her, from there, only recovers from her ordeal by being dunked in a water butt full of water.

Soon after this she finds fun, this is a turning point in the film and in Annie’s life. The fun soon ends and maternal instinct shows through, it has to when school work, discipline and poison oak gets in the way.

The school scene is cleverly scripted, as to not to give the game away, it is ‘Edge of your seat stuff’, as some words out of place could disrupt Dean’s deceit.

One of the upsides of amnesia, we see Annie really let her hair down, with some new experiences.

It had to end though, and Joanna’s memory is back. Once back on board the yacht, there is a great speech, including the words ‘A spell of entirely new prospective’. Just this line sums up the whole film, brilliantly thought out.

Another funny part, is when Joanna turns the yacht around and her mum rolls out of bed, when it tips at an angle, or when she does something else to the yacht resulting in her mum, this time slipping off the end of the bed. Showing you can have the most luxurious yacht but you are still at the mercy of the unstable water you are travelling on.

After the truth comes out, this film has a heart-warming and well thought-out clever ending, to work out she, now has Dean, 4 boys and her money, Dean is wandering what he could add to her life, until she points out the gender that is missing.

This film also proves; it is never too early to write a Christmas list; just not sure a child should have a car.