RV (2006)

RV wasn't as bad as I expected (given what I'd inferred from the trailers and the buzz). In fact, it was OK. Sure, it has a few tired cliches (sight gags, potty humor, and adversity-pulls-embattled-family-together scenes) but these are nearly balanced by the charming quirkiness of the trailer park family that cannot be escaped (for good or for ill). Our story begins as Robin Williams' abusive beverage-magnate boss forces him to cancel his family's greatly anticipated trip to Hawaii in order to make an iffy pitch to a prospective buyout in Colorado. Hawaii was to be his family's last hurrah before the daughter enrolls at Stanford and his dotty (even doting) wife has even promised him some one-on-one time together ("good naps"). Determined to keep his job but not disappoint (much less tell) his family, he talks them into taking an RV road trip to Colorado (so he can try to write his proposal in the wee hours and send it to his boss). I can definitely empathize with his struggles to find privacy, power, a perch for his laptop, a phone line, and a cellular signal in the hinterlands. His challenges are legion but the absolute worst is the toilet system blowout. (At least Patrick Warburton wasn't in this movie to say "Eww! Your mouth was open!" -- though I think it was.) Nevertheless, just like when movie couples who antagonize each other magically fall in love when a romantic song rises to the fore, this family's tensions inexplicably give way to affection and warmth as we approach the feel-good ending. Because it's ultimately about family and family values, most families will enjoy this family movie. 3 stars.