THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD
A charming comedy about finding your place in the world.
Should You Watch It?
THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD is a small gem: a funny comedy, heartfelt drama, touching character study, and gentle satire of fame and fortune. Its best gift is the bond that grows between Troy, a young writer, and Buck, his quirky, sometimes irascible boss. The excellent cast fills the film with likeable characters whose flaws feel realistic.
The film is also not entirely clean. It implies that Troy sleeps with the female PR agent hired for Buck’s publicity stunt. It includes light homosexual references, foul language, alcohol use, and the suggestion that Buck’s mentalist powers may be real. Those concerns merit discernment, especially for younger viewers.
If your family is choosing for teenagers and adults who can handle those elements, this charming, heartwarming comedy is worth the trip.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESTroy Gable leaves law school against his father’s objections and heads to Hollywood to write. To earn a living, he answers an advertisement for a celebrity’s personal assistant.
That celebrity is Buck Howard, a has-been mentalist who once appeared 61 times on THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JOHNNY CARSON but now performs in rundown auditoriums in smaller towns. As Troy travels with Buck, he grows fond of his irascible boss and begins to see the man behind the act.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is an especially strong film in its category. THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD is very funny, charming, entertaining, and insightful. It works as comedy, drama, character study, and gentle satire.
The cast is excellent, and the characters are generally likeable without being unrealistically perfect. The movie’s strongest element is the heartwarming bond of good will between Troy and Buck. Their relationship gives the film its emotional center as both men come to terms with their place in the world.
The Worldview
The film presents a light, mixed, pagan worldview about a has-been mentalist and his new assistant. It has strong moral and some redemptive content, including positive scenes of forgiveness and expressions of caring between people who do not always get along.
The movie exalts loyalty, compassion, forgiveness, and the good will that can grow between flawed people. Troy and Buck both face questions about fame, fortune, ambition, and personal identity. The film’s moral vision is strongest when it shows people learning to care for one another despite their differences.
At the same time, it leaves open the possibility that some of Buck’s mentalist powers are real. It also includes romantic elements, implied sexual content, and light homosexual references. The film’s central longing—to come to terms with one’s place in the world—aligns with the value of humility and faithful stewardship, though it does not root that identity explicitly in God. Scripture says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light mixed, but insightful and heartwarming, pagan worldview about a has-been mentalist and his new assistant, with strong moral and some redemptive content, including a couple positive scenes of forgiveness and some expressions of caring between people who don’t always get along, some Romantic elements, plus celebrity’s assistant keeps denying possibly unfounded rumors that his boss being homosexual, with assistant replying he’s never seen his boss romantically involved with anyone, but movie leaves the question in doubt; seven obscenities and five light profanities; light violence such as man gets really angry and hypnotized people fall asleep to floor and man collapses from exhaustion; light implied sexual content includes man (after kissing woman) wakes up in bed the next morning and woman is gone from pillow which has an impression that she probably slept there, clothed hypnotized people believe they are naked and one woman is clearly an exhibitionist because she dances on the stage and waves her arms about, plus light homosexual references when people wonder verbally if a man is homosexual; alcohol use and light drunkenness; no smoking; and, woman intrudes on man’s show procedures out of her own selfish desires, and movie implies some of man’s mentalist powers may be real in some way.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Troy leaves law school to pursue writing despite his father’s objections. How can you tell the difference between wise calling and simply chasing a dream?
Proverbs 3:5–6 · Colossians 3:23–24Troy and Buck develop caring and good will despite their flaws. What helps people move from irritation to forgiveness?
Ephesians 4:32 · Colossians 3:12–13Buck’s career has declined, but he still has gifts and a purpose. Where does your worth come from when your achievements or reputation change?
Psalm 139:13–14 · Ephesians 2:10The film leaves questions about Buck’s mentalist powers. How should Christians respond when entertainment presents unexplained or possibly supernatural abilities?
1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 · Philippians 4:8The Final Word
This is a funny, warm, insightful comedy about forgiveness, friendship, and finding your place in the world. Its implied sex, language, references, alcohol use, and spiritual ambiguity call for discernment. For teenagers and adults, WORTH THE TRIP — TEENS AND ADULTS.
