Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Before going on vacation, self-involved psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin has the misfortune of taking on a new patient: Bob Wiley. An exemplar of neediness and a compendium of phobias, Bob follows Marvin to his family's country house. Dr. Marvin tries to get him to leave; the trouble is, everyone loves Bob. As his oblivious patient makes himself at home, Dr. Marvin loses his professional composure and, before long, may be ready for the loony bin himself.
What About Bob? is elevated almost entirely by its two lead performances: Bill Murray's lovably maddening Bob and Richard Dreyfuss's increasingly unhinged Dr. Marvin make a dynamite comedic pairing, earning a genuine 4 for Acting. The premise is a solid comic farce with good escalation, though it doesn't break new ground — above average but not exceptional. Cinematography is functional at best, a straightforward studio comedy with little visual ambition. The ending wraps things up in a broadly satisfying but somewhat abrupt and predictable fashion. Novelty sits in the middle — the 'patient-stalks-therapist' premise has a distinct comedic voice largely thanks to Murray, but the film is still working within well-worn farce territory.