gunslngrmjo I first saw this as a kid, in the early 80s, so it brings back fond memories to see it again. Clever dialog written by Neil Simon -- it has his signature all over it! A few surprising appearances as well, including Kiefer Sutherland as a baseball player (and he's not even credited on IMDb for this film), Shelley Morrison, who played Rosario the maid on Will & Grace, and David Morse as a cop. Robards plays Max Dugan, a ne'er-do-well absentee father who returns to the scene with a suitcase full of dubiously obtained money. His dying wish is to get to know his teenage grandson and to reacquaint himself with his daughter after 28 years. It's entertaining, well written, well acted. What's not to like?

gnolti The Neil Simon era in film didn't last long (circa 1977-1983) but some of us are old enough to remember when all they had to say in the trailers was "In Neil Simon's XYZ" to lure moviegoers. Many of the pictures were sub-par, but Max Dugan was a good swan song, in part due to Marsha Mason (if there were an Oscar for Best Couple, she and Dreyfuss should have received it for Goodbye Girl) but also simply because it's a neat little movie that's never received its due. Matthew Broderick's first movie. Donald Sutherland got a new haircut. Jason Robards may have been cast as an afterthought to lend cachet, but who else could play the ironic, world-weary, Kierkegaard-and-Wittgenstein-reading jailbird title character? I only have one acquired gripe: that so much of the dialogue is so "sharp" and "witty" that it feels contrived (not that they aren't memorable). This is one of the rare instances when a screenplay may be almost "polished" out of existence. That said, if you don't have a warm spot, you can forget it. This isn't a cinematic masterpiece (and I say that as a Polanski-and-Coppola type); but the story is neat and the performances are genuine, and in a decade when films set in L.A. focused primarily on glitz and bling-bling (which Max Dugan indirectly parodies), it's still refreshing to be made to feel at home among the sunlit bungalows of the city's low-key/low-rent, lower middle class suburbs.

Eric-1226 I always enjoy watching this movie during those (rare) times that it comes on TV. I realize now that this movie makes an ideal holiday film, one that should best be seen around either Christmas/New Year's, or Thanksgiving holiday time. Why? Simply because it has such a strong "family values" theme to it. (Oh, and Max Dugan (Jason Robards) is also very generous with giving splendid gifts to his daughter and grandson (Marsha Mason and Matthew Broderick) in the film).Perhaps a bit corny by today's film standards, I would nevertheless recommend this film to anyone who lived through the 80's - at least to those who were cognizant of everything that was going on around them. It should stimulate a few memories of the zeitgeist of the 80's (like, think "materialism" and "philosophy") - and it's all done without special effects or smoke and filter-lens photography.This film shows Jason Robards in one of his best roles, with that deep, smooth, mellifluous voice of his just hitting all the right notes. Matthew Broderick is fun to watch in this film as well; it's an early peek at his big-screen work before he hit it big as Ferris Bueller in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". Donald Sutherland is interesting as always, and Marsha Mason is excellent as the single mom trying to cope with all the crazy stuff happening to her.If you like this film, I would recommend you rent "Rocket Gibraltar" (1988) starring Burt Lancaster. Another excellent family film that showcases a well-known actor in one of his last film roles.

nomarelis Jason Robards is a really good actor. He made this movie that I'll be writing about " Max Dugan Returns." This movie was written by Neil Simon. This is a movie from the 1983. Most movies from the 80's are boring, but this one wasn't.This is a really funny movie. I thought that the movie was really good. Jason Robards did a really good acting. This movie makes people realize a lot of things in life. like for example believing in your family & close friends, but especially yourself. It also teaches you to accept you family & friends the way that they are not the the way that you want them to be. It aso teaches you to trust in everyone even yourself. I believe that this movie should be about family. This movie bring a family together, that haven't seen each other for lots of years. This movie shows the importance of life as a family. I think that what Max was trying to do was fair. He was trying to help his daughter and his grandson. Jason Robards did a good job as Max. He made me laugh during the movie. In the movie all he does is lie and help his family. I think that helping his daughter was really nice. I really like his acting. Nora was a good mother. The part that I didn't like much was the part when she lied and the part when she was mean to her father.She should not care were the money comes from. On the voting I gave "Max Dugan Retuns" a 9, because the policeman was getting on my nerves. He was acting like if he was married to her.If he really loved her he wouldn't of be so mean to her about her father. This is a really good movie. Jason Robards was born to do this movie. I really liked it. Even if Jason Robards is an actor, and not a musician I'm glad he got a Kennedy Center Honors.