Two Dads, One Toy, No Prisoners.|Nov. 21, 1996|United States|89 Min.|PG
Genre: Adventure;Comedy;Family
Description: Howard Langston, a workaholic mattress salesman from Minneapolis, deeply loves his wife, Liz, and their nine-year-old son, Jamie. However, his demanding job leaves little time for his family, often putting him in a negative light compared to his neighbor, Ted Maltin, a divorced man who harbors unspoken feelings for Liz. After missing Jamie’s karate class graduation, Howard decides to make it up to his son by fulfilling his Christmas wish—a Turbo-Man action figure, a popular TV superhero. Though Liz had reminded him to buy the toy weeks earlier, Howard had forgotten.
On Christmas Eve, Howard sets out to purchase the Turbo-Man figure, only to discover it’s sold out everywhere. In the process, he crosses paths with Myron Larabee, a postal worker and fellow father with the same mission. The two develop a rivalry as they desperately search for the toy. In a bid to secure a Turbo-Man figure, Howard attempts to buy from a counterfeit toy brand, which leads to a chaotic warehouse brawl. The police intervene, but Howard narrowly avoids arrest by pretending to be an undercover officer.
Exhausted and out of fuel, Howard stops at Mickey’s Diner to call home and confess his failure. Jamie answers, repeatedly reminding his father of his promise to be home in time for the Holiday Wintertainment Parade. Frustrated, Howard snaps at his son, only to feel immense guilt and depression afterward when Jamie scolds him for breaking his promises.
At the diner, Howard encounters Myron again. The two share their struggles over coffee, and Myron reveals his lingering resentment toward his own father for failing to get him a Johnny Seven OMA toy one Christmas. Suddenly, a radio station announces a contest for a Turbo-Man doll. Howard and Myron rush to participate, but their rivalry escalates into a fight that damages the diner’s phone. The duo races to the radio station on foot, only to learn the contest prize is a Turbo-Man gift certificate, not the actual toy. As the police close in, Howard and Myron manage to escape after Myron threatens the officers with what appears to be a fake letter bomb.
Cast director: Brian Levant
Cast actor: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Robert Conrad, Martin Mull, Jake Lloyd, Jim Belushi, E.J. De la Pena, Laraine Newman
Original name: Jingle All the Way