The Absent-Minded Professor Synopsis & Summary

Synopsis

One of Disney's most entertaining forays into live-action, this hit family comedy stars Fred MacMurray as a college professor so forgetful that he missed his own wedding twice. He creates an extremely resilient flying rubber, dubbed "Flubber," and manages to make his old Model-T bounce all the way to Washington, DC, where it is mistaken for a UFO, as well as helping the college basketball team win the big game with Flubber-powered sneakers. MacMurray is a lot of fun in the title role, ably supported by a cast including Tommy Kirk, Keenan Wynn and Leon Ames, although the central romance between MacMurray and huffy bride-to-be Nancy Olson gets a bit annoying in its repetitiveness. In all, however, this is one of the best children's films of the '60s, and is highly recommended. A sequel, Son of Flubber, followed, with a remake simply titled Flubber appearing in 1997. - Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Movie Info

Theatrical Release Date:
03/16/1961
DVD Release Date:
01/14/2003
Rating:
G
Run Time:
97 min.
Distributor(s):
Buena Vista
Production Co.:
Buena Vista
Director(s):
Genre(s):
Themes:
Nothing Goes Right, Eccentric Families, Experiments Gone Awry, Unlikely Heroes, Inventors
Tone:
Affectionate, Fanciful, Goofy, Heartwarming, Madcap, Quirky, Silly
Keywords:
antigravity, argument, basketball, car, formula, inventor, professor, secrets, sports, wedding
Language:
English
Status:
DVD