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Max Dugan Returns

Play trailer Poster for Max Dugan Returns PG,  1983,  1h 38m,  Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 67% 12 Reviews Tomatometer 67% 1,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
67% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Aging con artist Max Dugan (Jason Robards) never spent much time with his family, but when he learns that he is fatally ill, he chooses to visit his daughter, Nora (Marsha Mason). Now an adult with a son of her own, Nora hasn't seen much of her father since she was a young child. Her son, Michael (Matthew Broderick), who has never met Max, takes an immediate liking to his grandfather; however, Nora's new boyfriend, Brian (Donald Sutherland), a police officer, is suspicious of the old man.

Critics Reviews

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Variety Staff Variety Mar 26, 2009
A consistently happy comedic fable which should please romanticists drawn to a teaming of Neil Simon, Marsha Mason and Herbert Ross. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Oct 23, 2004
2.5/4
Simon's gift also is his downfall. He's so good at writing lightweight dialogue that it all begins to sound the same. Go to Full Review
Janet Maslin New York Times Aug 30, 2004
3.5/5
There are certainly some questionable ingredients to the story, but you're not likely to notice them while the film is under way. You're likely to be laughing. Go to Full Review
Richard Freedman Newark Star-Ledger Jan 14, 2026
2/4
The charm of this Neil Simon fable wears very thin though repetition. Go to Full Review
Diego Galán El Pais (Spain) Sep 4, 2019
Max Dugan Returns could have become an interesting story, but it is limited to being a sketch, a simple starting point. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Renee Schonfeld Common Sense Media Dec 30, 2010
4/5
Comic, clever, and satisfying fairy tale of redemption. Go to Full Review
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Max Dugan Returns

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Herbert Ross

Director

Marsha Mason

Nora McPhee

Jason Robards

Max Dugan

Donald Sutherland

Brian Costello

Matthew Broderick

Michael McPhee

Dody Goodman

Mrs. Litke

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Max Dugan Returns

Max Dugan Returns (1983) Max Dugan Returns (1983) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Aging con artist Max Dugan (Jason Robards) never spent much time with his family, but when he learns that he is fatally ill, he chooses to visit his daughter, Nora (Marsha Mason). Now an adult with a son of her own, Nora hasn't seen much of her father since she was a young child. Her son, Michael (Matthew Broderick), who has never met Max, takes an immediate liking to his grandfather; however, Nora's new boyfriend, Brian (Donald Sutherland), a police officer, is suspicious of the old man.
Director
Herbert Ross
Producer
Neil Simon, Herbert Ross
Screenwriter
Neil Simon
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 25, 1983, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 11, 2010
Runtime
1h 38m
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