The most obvious example comes when Chanise phones Buck and Tia answers. She tells Chanise that Buck isn't home, that he's out with another woman. It's a lie, of course, and makes for a very painful moment — and it just about does in any sympathy we might have had for Tia up to that point. Then the very next scene is broad slapstick as Buck does laundry in the microwave. But it's impossible to laugh because we're still angry about the phone call.

By way of contrast, "Parenthood" handles such transitions much better. For that matter, so does "Planes, Trains & Automobiles."

Most of the performances are good, especially those of Candy, who can be both very funny and charmingly sentimental, and Amy Madigan, who seems an odd choice to play Candy's girlfriend but somehow makes it work in her own tough-character way. In truth, however, she doesn't really have much to do.

Culkin and Hoffman as the young ones are funny and seem like real kids. But Kelly as Tia is just too morose, and writer-director Hughes requires her to be such a brat, that I found it virtually impossible to warm up to her. Cast against type, Underwood is effective, but is he supposed to be a cartoon or really dangerous — Hughes can't seem to decide.

During the inevitable cozy ending, when everyone gets together and makes up, it's just too cloying, given all that has gone before.

There's also a bit too much profanity and vulgarity for this picture to truly qualify as a "family film." Particularly inappropriate is a moment where Buck's voice on Chanise's telephone answering machine refers to nicknames for various parts of her body.

"Uncle Buck" is rated PG for considerable profanity, some vulgarity a brief sexual encounter and comic violence.