Overboard (Blu-ray Review)
What were you doing in 1987? I was busy having my 10th birthday and Garry Marshall was busy directing Overboard. Overboard is one of those movies that wouldn’t make it into my top 100 – but I always stop clicking through the channels when I see it on cable. The following plot summary will summarize the whole entire movie without concern for spoilers. I’m assuming that everyone in the universe has already seen this movie if they cared to, or can at least guess what would happen anyway.
Film 
Goldie Hawn plays a wealthy socialite named Joanna Stayton. Joanna and her husband Grant (Edward Herrmann) are living the “good life” aboard their yacht, until their boat needs repairs which leaves them stranded in Elk Cove, Oregon. While in Elk Cove, Joanna hires carpenter Dean Proffitt (Kurt Russell) to remodel her closet. When the job is complete, Joanna refuses to pay Dean because she is unhappy with his choice of wood. Dean demands payment for a job completed, and is pushed overboard. That night Joanna loses her wedding ring, and during the search falls overboard herself. Joanna is taken to the local hospital but has amnesia.
Grant initially heads to retrieve his wife, but after seeing her and the way she treats the hospital staff he leaves. Now thinking that he’s a free man, Grant begins the life of a rich bachelor throwing parties on the yacht, surrounding himself with beautiful women all while supposedly grieving for his missing wife. Widower Dean sees Joanna on the news, and decides to collect Joanna and get his payment while having her tend to his four sons. Thanks to revealing swimwear, Dean is able to provide details about Joanna’s birthmark on her rear and tells her that her name is Annie and she is his wife.
Joanna has likely never lifted a finger for herself and her new life as a homemaker does not come naturally. Dean has her sleep on the couch because of a ficticious back problem. The kids have been lacking a maternal figure for quite some time and Joanna soon adapts to the routine of wife and mother. As she falls in love with Dean and his children, he unexpectedly returns the feelings. Dean is ready to come clean when he is forced to explain the monogrammed panties, but his best friend Billy covers for him.
Dean and Billy have a dream to open a miniature golf course and Joanna suggests the Seven Wonders of the World, as a theme. She has detailed knowledge and assists with the planning to make their dream come true. All this time Joanna’s mother is insistent that her daughter be found and Grant is forced to return to the tiny town of Elk Cove. When reunited with her true family, Joanna’s memory returns and she realizes she has been lied to.
Joanna returns to her yacht but clearly is not the same person because she finally realizes how badly she’s been treating people. Joanna realizes that when she didn’t have any money she was actually happy with Dean and his children and that is the life she really wants. Dean and the boys come to a similar conclusion and they head out to find Joanna with the assistance of a Coast Guard friend. The ending is a forgone conclusion but the fun is the journey to get there. Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have great chemistry together which isn’t that surprising since they are a real life couple. This is a fun movie that still works for me and I’d be happy to see it again in the future.
Video 
Overboard isn’t a particularly stunning film, and the AVC encoded transfer does little to impress. The Blu-ray has some very grainy sequences. The black levels are uneven and the film overall lacks in contrast. It’s certainly an improvement from the VHS copy I used to own, or what I see on cable, but I would have expected more. The exterior shots of the Proffitt house showed the most digital noise.
Audio
Overboard’s audio quality is sufficient, but not superior in anyway. It is presented in DTS-HD-MA 2.0 Surround but I heard nothing from my rear speakers. The dialogue is clear and consistent, and environmental sounds were adequate. The audio faired better than the video, but there was nothing overwhelming about it.
Special Features 
The only extra on here is the movie’s theatrical trailer.
Final Thoughts
My overall rating was significantly brought down by averaging in the special features category. If you’re going to bother releasing your movie on Blu-ray I think you should at least scrounge up a special feature or two. Overboard ends with Dean asking Joanna what he could ever give her that she doesn’t already have. Her answer is “a girl”. This left me thinking, back in the 80s, that we might see a sequel. I am actually glad they didn’t make a sequel because it probably would have sucked. It would have been like Three Men and A Baby – a cute movie with dumb sequels that never should have been made.
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I’ve always enjoyed Overboard