That's not an easy thing for a 40-something year old director to achieve with just the right tone, but James Orr makes it look effortless. Other seemingly minor elements are also given more weight than they would have from an adult standpoint, and logic, plot progression and even physics are coming from a kid's world, not an adult's. From that perspective, scenes about the Indian Guides (a plot point that may have swayed my view of the film even more, as it brought back memories of my time in the Indian Guides with my dad back in the early 1970s) are just as weighty (both seriously dramatic and funny) as chase scenes with an impending threat of death. All of the genres are entered into from more of a child's or adolescent's perspective, which is appropriate for the material and venue. It's as much a drama as anything else, and has adventure/thriller aspects as well. It's important while watching to not expect Man of the House to be an over-the-top comedy. That's a shame, because this is a very good film, with a good performance from Chase and the rest of the cast. But he's acquired such a reputation over the years for being in sub par stinkers (mostly unjustly deserved, in my opinion) that I think it's a major hurdle for audiences to give his films a fair chance. Regardless of what he's like personally, I think he's genuinely talented, and not just for comedy. Can Jack save his relationship with Sandy, save his job, save his life and become a welcomed stepfather to Ben all at the save time? I feel a bit sorry for Chevy Chase.
To make matters more complicated, Jack routinely helps put away criminals with dangerous connections.
When Jack moves in to Archer's loft, he quickly learns that it's going to be rough going with Ben. She and her son, Ben (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) have been on their own for years, but now she's met an attorney, Jack Sturgess (Chevy Chase), and fallen in love. Sandy Archer (Farrah Fawcett) is a single mom.