Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962)

Roger Hobbs, a St. Louis-based banker, pens a soul-baring letter to his beloved wife, Peggy, reflecting on their recent month-long vacation. This letter, destined to be unsealed only after his demise, reveals his true sentiments about the not-so-idyllic holiday. Mr. Hobbs envisioned a romantic getaway for two, but Peggy had a different dream - a bustling family vacation at a beach-side house in central California, a generous offering from their friends. The vacation soon becomes a grand family reunion, swarming with their offspring and their respective broods. Hobbs finds himself wrestling with the uncomfortable realization that he barely knows his children and their spouses and fears they no longer require his presence. Among them are Susan Carver, a proponent of the latest permissive parenting theories, and Janie Grant, married to a college professor who views life through an academic lens. Then there's fourteen-year-old Katey, who battles with adolescent insecurities heightened by her new braces, and preteen Danny, whose universe revolves around the television screen. To make matters worse, the promised paradise morphs into a dilapidated trap, with antiquated plumbing and a disgruntled cook named Brenda. Hobbs also finds his tranquility challenged by unexpected visitors, the peculiar Turners, and a mysterious group of boys who respond only to the name "Joe". Amidst the chaos, Hobbs navigates family crises from impending divorces to loyalty tests, and in the process, stumbles upon the true essence of his relationship with his children and Peggy. Despite the trials and tribulations of what was meant to be a peaceful vacation, Hobbs remains stoic, dispensing paternal wisdom, and learning that sometimes, life's most profound lessons are found in the most unexpected places.

Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation is a comedy movie featuring James Stewart.

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