This '80s Kurt Russell Rom-Com Got A Remake That Flopped With 24% On Rotten Tomatoes

Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn are a dynamic cinematic duo, having starred in numerous films together. One of their best known collaborations (even if it wasn't warmly received at the time of its release) is 1987's "Overboard." The movie, which only has a 46% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, follows a carpenter, played by Russell, and a wealthy socialite (Hawn) who suffers from amnesia following an accident. Angry at her for stiffing him out of his money for a job, he then claims to be her husband and brings her back home to work off what she owes.

A man manipulating a woman and having her fall in love with him in the process is ... problematic, even with "Overboard" being based on a true story. After all, the '80s were filled with romantic comedies with troublesome premises. Still, as long as you don't think about it too much, it can still be fun and adorable, with Russell and Hawn having ample chemistry. That goodwill is also probably why the movie received a remake in 2018.

The newer film, also called "Overboard," stars Anna Faris as a working class mother, while Eugenio Derbez plays a wealthy playboy who loses his memory after stiffing Faris' character out of some money, prompting her to pretend to be his wife. Clearly, though, the premise still didn't resonate in a more modern context, as the movie was received even less charitably than the first and currently holds a 24% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Many critics disliked 2018's "Overboard," but the remake actually received a positive review from Karen Han in her review for /Film at the time of its release. She gave it a score of 7 out of 10, explaining that while it's not a cinematic masterpiece, it's a perfectly serviceable comedic outing. "As far as studio rom-coms go, it's a pleasant surprise, and better than it really has any right to be," as Han put it.

One of the surprising voices of dissent with the "Overboard" remake was Goldie Hawn herself. She spoke with Variety about her disdain toward the film in 2023, stating:

"Very rarely does a remake match the actual original film. So, I'm not a fan of remakes, period. I think that people have put their stamp on their movies, and if they're classics, they should be left alone."

With all due respect, 1987's "Overboard" might be stretching the definition of the word "classic" a bit. But audiences did turn out to see the newest version, as it grossed $91 million against only a $12 million budget.

Those numbers make it kind of baffling that many studios have abandoned romantic comedies in the modern era. Or, at the very least, rom-coms have largely been cast aside to the streaming wastelands, making it a rare treat anytime a new one goes to theaters first. The truth of the matter is that these types of films don't have to cost a ton of money, and even with middling reviews, people will show up to see charming people acting charming. Even post-COVID-19 lockdowns, people still want to laugh and see some romance, as the success of "Anyone But You" can attest. There's very much a market for these kinds of movies, and studios shouldn't overlook them any longer.