Retrospective Film Review

Clifford (1994) • 30 Years Later — childish comedy flop deserves reevaluation

A bratty 10-year-old boy is obsessed with visiting a dinosaur-themed amusement park. His uptight uncle takes the wily tyke in for a week, and barely lives to regret it.

“You don’t know the first thing about Hitler — Clifford!” One of many acerbic outbursts from Charles Grodin, this could’ve been an apt tagline for the unassuming comedy. Critics were aghast, with a bewildered Roger Ebert saying:

“What we have here is a suitable case for deep cinematic analysis. I’d love to hear a symposium of veteran producers, marketing guys and exhibitors discuss this film. It’s not bad in any usual way. It’s bad in a new way all its own.”

Unusual to quote another review before even introducing the plot, but this ‘greatest worst film ever’ buzz precedes any discussion of Clifford. 30 years of interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and celebrity endorsements have ensured the film’s legendary aura hasn’t faltered, although the “deep…