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John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt, Ricky Jay, Debra Monk ... see more see more... , Griffin Dunne , Adam Scott , Patrick Fischler , Wallace Langham , Steve Zahn , Tom Hanks , Regis Philbin , Kelly Ripa , Jon Stewart , Martha Stewart , David Blaine , Tom Arnold , George Takei , Matthew Gray Gubler , Casey Wilson

A young man on his way up hitches his wagon to a middle-aged star on his way down in a comedy from writer and director Sean McGinly. Troy Gable (Colin Hanks) is a guy in his early twenties who has dro... read more read more...pped out of law school and is pondering his next move. Troy has an interest in working in the entertainment business, and when he learns that a "celebrity performer" is looking for a personal assistant, Troy thinks he's found the ideal entry-level position. Troy soon discovers he's landed a job as a glorified gofer for Buck Howard (John Malkovich), a once-famous mentalist who appeared on The Tonight Show 61 times during Johnny Carson's reign as host. However, Howard hasn't been doing much lately, and he's hired Troy and new publicist Valerie (Emily Blunt) as he grooms himself for a comeback. While Troy is fascinated with Howard's creaky but still effective act, his boss has enough personal quirks and absurd demands to give anyone second thoughts about working with him for long. One thing that keeps Troy on the road with Buck is Valerie, who wastes no time in showing her sexual interest in him; however, Valerie is also the only one who harbors no illusions about Howard's prospects for a return to fame, and she isn't afraid to tell him about it. The Great Buck Howard also features Tom Hanks as Troy's father; as it happens, he's also Colin Hanks' real life dad. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

47% liked it

31,308 ratings

Critics

72% liked it

92 critics

PG, 1 hr. 27 min.

Directed by: Sean McGinly

Release Date: March 20, 2009

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DVD Release Date: July 21, 2009

Stats: 851 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (851)

  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    March 17, 2012
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    Get ready for the comeback of a lifetime.

    Very good movie. More than what I expected! Nicely done, this film is funny and likable. A modern story about life dreams, the fierce entertainment industry, and the sadness that hides behind a bad temperamental person. Every well-known ... read moreactor that appears in this film,even if they play short cameo roles, plays an important part. A truly heart warming movie in a bit of an old fashioned way. Go watch it!

    When a law school dropout answers an advertisement to be a personal assistant he unknowingly signs on to work for a belligerent has-been magician struggling to resurrect his career. This leads to a journey across the country staging the comeback of a lifetime.
  • blkbomb
    July 28, 2011
    blkbomb
    Buck Howard: I love this town! 

    "Greatness is a state of mind"

    I love this movie. Although, there were a few things wrong with it, such as Colin Hanks in the lead role(he's not his dad), the movie succeeds as a short charming comedy. The story or movie for that matter is nothin... read moreg spectacular. It's actually quite average. But a great performance from John Malkovich and a solid supporting cast make for a great movie. 

    A movie that features both Malkovich and Emily Blunt will never be completely horrible. If not for their presence alone, there is always something to take away from a movie with one of them in it. Malkovich is in my top 5 favorite actors and right now Emily Blunt is probably my favorite movie star to watch. The rest of the supporting cast such as Steve Zahn and a little role from Tom Hanks are great as well. There is also an endless supply of cameos. 

    The movie is purely a fun movie that comes off as a sweet and touching little film in the end. The movie never tries to hard to make us laugh and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people don't laugh once throughout the entire movie. Obviously from the rest of the reviews, it seems I'm in the minority in liking and laughing at this one. I'm fine with others not liking this. Much like Charlyne Yi's Paper Heart, it has a small target audience. But that audience is out there.
  • lewiskendell
    February 9, 2011
    lewiskendell
    "But I had learned from Buck that when you do the thing you love, somehow, magically, you find the money."

    The Great Buck Howard is a slightly above average movie with an excellent cast. John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt, Tom Hanks, Steve Zahn, and others all contribute t... read moreo this "slightly based on a true story" movie about a traveling mentalist and a young man searching for what he wants to do in his life.

    The movie is at various times sentimental, sad, and amusing. It's something that's worth a watch if you're a fan of Colin Hanks or John Malkovich, as both of them give good performances. Malkovich is an old-school entertainer who has been around for years and relives a shadow of his former glory by performing for small cities and towns across the country. Hanks is a somewhat aimless young man who just dropped out of law school and works as a road manager for Howard. Emily Blunt gets third billing as a love interest/plot device, but she also gives a fine performance.

    I found myself enjoying The Great Buck Howard, though it's not an amazing movie by any means. It's a pleasant (if slightly bland) way to spend a couple of hours, though, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested.
  • paulsandberg
    November 21, 2010
    paulsandberg
    Using my great mental abilities (debatable for sure), I sense a paper thin plot, fleshed out by a totally unnecessary plot device (provided by Emily Blunt as Hanks Jr's love interest) that hampers a typically wonderous performance by Malkovich.

    As a kind of "inside" story abo... read moreut show business, the film works on a certain level, and the sweet ending, with its message about levels of sucess with a nod towards all those B type towns where B type talent ends up is a very nice sumnation and, for a change, a nice use of voice over narration (though I didn't much care for all the voice overs in the rest of the film).

    Hanks is passable as the neer do well who quits law school and gets a job serving as "road manager" to Buck Howard - a charactor inspired by The Amazing Kreskin.

    I did find it amusing that Hanks ultra famous Daddy appears as Hanks.... wait for it.... Daddy.

    The film is shot in a very matter of fact way - no artsy shots, just an earnest telling of a story (except for one nice touch when Buck descends a glass and mirrored stairway at a hotel to perform his "greatest feat").

    In all, I found this passably entertaining, but very obvious in its intent, and just a bit too fast and loose with the whole Blunt/Hanks quasi love/friendship thing.

    Should you see this film - check your magic 8 ball - mine says "check back later".

    As an aside - consider the time and place - early 60's. ESP was just becomming an en vogue thing - I actually had a box "game" called something like "develope your ESP, as guided by.... The Amazing Kreskin". What you got in the box was a brief booklet alegedly penned by Kreskin saying that everyone had a degree of ESP and could hone those skills with practice. So the box included those funny flash cards with shapes on them. Talk about exploitation!
  • DrZeek
    August 31, 2010
    DrZeek
    Buck Howard: I love this town!

    This is a very simple movie, but a likable one. Things are generally very simple when you have Collin Hanks involved and that's pretty much the case here. This is an enjoyable and nice little film about a young guy trying to find his way and an ol... read moreder magician trying to keep his show going.

    Hanks plays Troy Gable, a guy who has decided to ditch his father's (Tom Hanks, Hey!) goal for him to become a lawyer, and instead takes a job as an assistant for "The Great Buck Howard," played by John Malkovich. Buck is an old fashioned magician, who's greatest claim to fame was having been on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson 61 times. Now, Buck still travels the country, performing the same act, which is both very cheesy but also an old kind of show that has a lot of variety and some seemingly genuine magic, as his signature trick involves finding the money he is to be paid that night, which is hidden somewhere in the audience.

    The film is basically about Troy's travels with Buck, who is of course an eccentric character, made even better by the fact that it's Malkovich barely containing his rage, as usual, but still in a nice guy role. The two have their quarrels, but also meet others along the way including Steve Zahn as a big fan of his. There are also supporting parts from Emily Blunt as a media consultant and love interest for Hanks, Ricky Jay as Buck's agent, and even a small part for my boy Adam Scott.

    The movie is PG and only lasts about 85 minutes. It has a nice charm to it and is largely inoffensive to anyone. It's a fun watch and Malkovich is very good here.

    Buck Howard: That's distilled water. I'm not an iron.
  • LWOODS04
    December 13, 2009
    LWOODS04
    Colin Hanks, John Malkovich, Tom Hanks, Emily Blunt, Adam Scott
    A young man, much to the chagrin of his father, becomes the new assistant to an illusionist in decline..
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Good but not great. I really like Colin Hanks... read more. He was really good in this movie. Loved seeing him and his father Tom Hanks work together. Would love to see them in another film, but something more of drama maybe. Emily Blunt was good. Liked her character. Just OK for me. Nothing to special besides the performamces. Would watch it just for that.
  • allan913
    August 9, 2009
    allan913
    I love this guy and i love this movie even more. A wickedly hilarious and very smart comedy that delivers plenty of great laughs and smarts, John Malkovich is absolutely brillliant, giving a wonderful and very funny performance. Colin Hanks is fantastic. This is a great film. So ... read moremany great laughs that you have to see it twice.
  • 366weirdmovies
    May 14, 2009
    366weirdmovies
    John Malkovich as a once popular mentalist (based on the Amazing Creskin) playing half-filled venues on the downside of his career. Pleasant enough comedy/drama full of familiar faces (Tom Hanks and a large number of cameo appearances by George Takei, Jay Leno, and so on).
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    May 6, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Get ready for the comeback of a lifetime."

    A young man, much to the chagrin of his father, becomes the new assistant to an illusionist in decline.

    REVIEW

    John Malkovich is the heart of T... read morehe Great Buck Howard, and he's the principal reason for seeing this slight but very enjoyable film. An entertainer whose "mentalist" act has grown stale, Buck Howard is playing to half-filled houses in small cities, far out of the show-biz mainstream. Desperate to revive the fame he enjoyed when he was a fixture on The Tonight Show -- "that's 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson'", as he constantly reminds everyone -- Buck concocts a new "effect" that he hopes will get him some new fans, a shot with Jay Leno, and perhaps a booking in Vegas.

    Buck's comeback story is told through the observances of Troy Gable (Colin Hanks), a young man looking for a calling, who in the meantime takes a job as Buck's traveling road manager/valet/whipping boy. Troy is both fascinated and repelled by Buck's temperamental behavior and his "cheesy" act.

    The movie is entirely conventional, including Troy's liaison with Buck's publicity agent (Emily Blunt), but Malkovich's take on "Buck" make this worth a look or two.
  • fb720603734
    April 4, 2009
    fb720603734
    A film at war with itself. Is it a satire? Is it a feel-good movie? Does it have a lesson to teach or to learn? I have no idea. I enjoyed moments, but wanted to kill myself over the number of times they milked a strong handshake joke. Three times folks! THREE! Hear me! T... read moreHREE is comedy! Not 35 times!!!! Despite its many many flaws, including another extremely bland Colin Hanks performance, I enjoyed John Malkovich and Emily Blunt and certain well-observed moments about a has-been/never was who puffs himself up with too much importance. But please, take the dolly away from Sean McGinly. You don't have to push in on an actor EVERY single time they are registering something "significant". Just let the moment happen for crissakes!!!!!

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Critic Reviews

Jonathan F. Richards
April 9, 2009
Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com

This is not a rare movie, but it does have a warm red center. It's likable, and its appeal grows as it recovers from a shaky start and finds its footing. Full Review

Roger Moore
April 8, 2009
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

A pleasant enough comedy in the My Favorite Year mold. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
April 3, 2009
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

A modest snapshot of a performer. Full Review

Rafer Guzman
April 2, 2009
Rafer Guzman, Newsday

The film feels painfully thin. Full Review

Colin Covert
March 27, 2009
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Buck Howard is Malkovich's show. When's he's off the screen, the film sputters, but while he's on-camera, it's magical. Full Review

Peter Rainer
March 23, 2009
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

The movie, which was written and directed by Sean McGinly, is consistently good as long as it centers on Buck and his seriocomic travails. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
March 20, 2009
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

Just as in Burn After Reading, the craftsman's pursuit of character, warts and vulnerability intact, is adamant. He makes it hard to pass up this Buck. Full Review

Tom Long
March 20, 2009
Tom Long, Detroit News

Malkovich keeps Buck an enigma -- part fool, part unheralded genius -- and if the film moves in expected ways it also hits some subtle grace notes. Full Review

Betsy Sharkey
March 20, 2009
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

What Malkovich really needs are actors opposite him with a few more tricks up their sleeve. Full Review

Lou Lumenick
March 20, 2009
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

The film is a small-scale charmer that provides a tailor-made role for Malkovich, who is always fun to watch. Full Review

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