John Pasquin Movies

Following their television series Home Improvement and the features The Santa Clause (1994) and Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), the actor/director team of Tim Allen and John Pasquin collaborate once again on this high-concept comedy. Allen stars as Joe Scheffer, a nice guy video specialist for a Minneapolis pharmaceutical company who's plodding through both his thankless job and an unhappy divorce from his ex-wife Callie (Kelly Lynch). When Joe brings his daughter Natalie (Hayden Panettiere) to the office with him on Take Our Kids to Work Day, he's humiliated in a spat with company bully Mark McKinney (Patrick Warburton) over a parking space. It's the last straw for the mild-mannered Joe, who challenges McKinney to a rematch, hires a has-been action movie star (Jim Belushi) to instruct him in martial arts, and pays a stylist to make over his wardrobe and hair. As Joe's image improves and the big day approaches, he finds his new self-respecting stance has positive effects in both the workplace, as he lands a long-overdue promotion, and in his romantic life, as both Callie and a cute "wellness coordinator" (Julie Bowen) start warming up to him. The levelheaded Natalie, however, seems to prefer the previously non-confrontational dad she already loved. Joe Somebody (2001) is the feature debut of screenwriter John Scott Shepherd, who actually worked as a corporate filmmaker in Minneapolis. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Television sitcom star Tim Allen made his big screen debut with this light, family-friendly holiday comedy. Allen stars as Scott Calvin, the divorced dad of Charlie (Eric Lloyd). Scott is distressed to learn that his ex-wife Laura (Wendy Crewson) and Charlie's psychiatrist stepfather Neal (Judge Reinhold) have informed his son that there is no Santa Claus. While a sullen Charlie visits his dad on Christmas Eve, a noise on the roof brings them outside, where Scott startles the intruder, who tumbles from the roof. It turns out that there is a Santa after all, and Scott has just accidentally killed him. Because of a legal technicality known as "the Santa clause," Scott inherits the jolly old elf's job. As the next year passes, Scott rapidly gains weight, grows a white beard and meets the elf Bernard (David Krumholtz) -- who is the one who really runs the North Pole -- while Charlie regains his Christmas spirit. However, Neal becomes concerned about Scott's sudden change in appearance and insistence that he's Santa, and he forces him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Director John Pasquin previously directed Allen in the TV series Home Improvement and would team with him again for Jungle 2 Jungle (1997). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Superstitious over the fact that his father died at a comparatively young age, Tim (Tim Allen) is reluctant to finish any of the wills he has started to write. Jill (Patricia Richardson) finds out then wrestles with the option of filling in the blanks herself. Meanwhile, an ominous pronouncement from Wilson (Earl Hindman) -- that the letters in "Tim Taylor," when rearranged, spell "mortality" -- leads Tim's son, Mark (Taran Noah Smith), to conclude that his father is not long for this world. On a lighter note, Tool Time offers its first installment of the "Al Borland Fan Club." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The spectacle of Mario and Michael Andretti playing "name the sound" is but one of the highlights of this episode in which Tim's son, Mark (Taran Noah Smith), comes down with chicken pox. So as not to catch the disease, Tim (Tim Allen) moves in with his TV cohort Al (Richard Karn) -- who is bound and determined to make amends for an on-the-air prank he pulled on Tim. The climax finds Tim reluctantly playing matchmaker (after a fashion) for Al and his attractive neighbor, Cynthia (Debra Engle). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The members of Manhattan Transfer guest star in this Yuletide episode of Home Improvement. New "Tool Time" producer Maureen (Vicki Lewis) again runs afoul of Tim (Tim Allen) when she refuses to let him feature the "Barking Dogs" version of Jingle Bells on his program. In related stories, Al (Richard Karn) goes down a chimney dressed as Santa and gets stuck; and Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan) and Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) spend most of the money they've been collecting for the Oak Lane Children's Center, leading to a very special form of punishment from Jill (Patricia Richardson). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Inasmuch as Home Improvement had closed out its first season as the nation's fifth highest-rated TV program, neither its producers nor the ABC network saw the need to make anything but superficial changes for the series' second season on the air. ABC moved the program from its Tuesday night slot to an even better Wednesday-night berth, while one of the recurring characters, long-suffering "Tool Time" assistant Al Borland (Richard Karn), was promoted to "series regular" status. Otherwise, things remained pretty much the same as they'd been during season one. Protagonist Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) was still a fount of wisdom and expertise on his Detroit-based "do it yourself" cable TV series, "Tool Time" but a momument to ineptitude and insensitivity in his own home. Tim's wife, Jill (Patricia Richardson), now employed at a Detroit magazine, continued in her efforts to force culture and class upon her husband, all the while struggling to prevent him from "repairing" the household appliances. The Taylors' three sons -- eleven-year-old Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), ten-year-old Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), and seven-year-old Mark (Taran Noah Smith) -- persisted in causing trouble for themselves and their parents, though it was clear that there was a lot of love and mutual respect in the family's household. Of the remaining characters, ubiquitous neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman) continued to dispense advice and philosophy to Tim and his brood -- and also continued to remain a somewhat shadowy figure, never showing his face to anyone. Buxom "tool girl" Lisa (Pamela Anderson) was still a fixture of Tim's TV series, seldom saying much but certainly making a big impression whenever she wriggled into camera range. And in a new development, Maureen Binford (Vicki Lewis), ditzy daughter of "Tool Time"'s primary sponsor, became the series' producer, saddling Tim with all manners of idiotic format changes to boost his ratings. Moving from fifth to third place in the real-life ratings, Home Improvement was the second most popular sitcom of 1992-1993, beaten out only by another ABC offering, Roseanne. And for the second year in a row, an Emmy award was bestowed upon the series' director of photography, Donald A. Morgan. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season two of Home Improvement begins as Jill (Patricia Richardson) prepares a surprise romantic dinner for husband Tim (Tim Allen). Hoping to tip Tim off to her amorous intentions without making an overt statement, Jill calls up her hubby at Big Mike's. The phone call is pleasant enough but fails to get the proper results. Arriving home two hours late (he'd been tied up with a crucial peanut-rolling contest), Tim is confronted by a furious Jill, who complains that he is completely incapable of picking up her "signals." A few flippant comments later, Jill delivers a powerful signal that Tim could not possibly miss -- or could he? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Al (Richard Karn) gets nervous about asking Greta Post (Jennifer Nash) on a date. Tim (Tim Allen) offers advice on "sensitivity," but Al botches the message and rambles incoherently about "hair on the chest." Back at home, Jill (Patricia Richardson) finds her old diary, and Tim is dying of curiosity. Equally curious is the behavior of son Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), who transforms into an entirely different person whenever he is in proximity of his girlfriend, Jennifer (Jessica Wesson). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Taylor boys gear up to do battle against their classroom tormentors, the McGurn Brothers. All that needs to be settled is the "choice of weapons" -- and what a choice it is. Meanwhile, a male-only barbecue becomes increasingly (and distressingly) coed as Tim's pals are forced to bring their significant others, and Jill (Patricia Richardson) tries to play matchmaker for Dave (Tony Carreiro) and Karen (Betsy Randle). This is one of the few episodes in which Tim (Tim Allen) does not solicit advice from Wilson (Earl Hindman) -- but Jill does. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Tim (Tim Allen) ogles a girl on his "Tool Time" telecast, incurring the wrath of wife Jill (Patricia Richardson) and the remonstrations of Jill's feminist friend, Karen (Betsy Randle). Assuring the ladies that he'll never again stare at a beautiful woman, Tim finds his will power strained to the breaking point when a gorgeous creature approaches him for an autograph at a restaurant. And back at home, Randy (Zachery Ty Bryan) broods over his flagging football skills. Debbie Dunning, later a Home Improvement regular in the role of Heidi the Tool Girl, is here seen as Kiki. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jill (Patricia Richardson) has announced that she is tired of getting birthday presents that she has to plug in, so Tim (Tim Allen) tries to accommodate Jill by presenting her with a lifetime membership to a health club. Alas, before long Jill has exercised so much that she can no longer stand it...and it looks like Tim has struck out again. Meanwhile, Mark (Taran Noah Smith) is forced to pay a "brother tax" when Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan) spend all the money they'd saved for their mom's present on a vintage baseball card. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jill (Patricia Richardson) has never liked Tim's (Tim Allen)immature college chum Stu Cutler (Christopher McDonald) and refuses to allow him in the Taylor house. But Jill didn't say that Stu couldn't show up for the weekly "Tool Time" taping, nor did she precisely say that Tim couldn't at least try to bring Stu home. True to form, Stu shows up at Tim and Jill's, roundly insults his hosts, and shows off his college-honed "talents" -- to wit, belching loudly -- to the kids. This episode was originally titled "Hasta La Vista, Neighbor." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi