If it weren’t for Bill Murray in the title role, the clichés that abound around this movie would doom it quickly. He plays a crusty old man who becomes the after-school caretaker for a young boy next door. As predictability would have it, their charms rub off on each other and they develop a sweet relationship. Melissa McCarthy tones down her comic broadness to be the sympathetic mom and Jaeden Lieberher (as the son) is fine without being especially captivating. The dialogue isn’t that funny and the “outrageous” adventures aren’t that scandalous, so it’s all up to Murray’s personality to give the movie any special appeal. If you don’t mind the mindless formula and the blatant jab at the heartstrings, you might find yourself tearing up at the end.

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