If you grew up in the 90s, you remember the posters. They were everywhere. A middle-aged, slightly bewildered Chevy Chase and a pint-sized, bowl-cut-sporting Jonathan Taylor Thomas (or JTT, as the Tiger Beat fans called him). The movie was Man of the House.
Released in 1995, it felt like a collision of two totally different worlds. You had Chase, the king of 80s deadpan cynicism, and Thomas, the reigning prince of teen heartthrobs. Honestly, on paper, it shouldn’t have worked. Chase was coming off a string of brutal box office misses and a talk show that famously imploded after five weeks. JTT was the voice of Simba and the smartest kid on Home Improvement.
But looking back now, especially with the 2026 release of the raw new documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, that weird little Disney movie hits different.
Why the Chevy Chase and Jonathan Taylor Thomas dynamic was a unicorn
Most people forget that Man of the House was JTT’s big-screen debut. He wasn't just a TV kid anymore. He was a brand. And Chevy? Well, Chevy was Chevy. By the mid-90s, the industry was starting to get a little tired of his "difficult" reputation.
The plot was classic Disney formula: Ben Archer (Thomas) is a kid who’s had his mom (the legendary Farrah Fawcett) all to himself for seven years. Enter Jack (Chase), a well-meaning but hopelessly klutzy lawyer who wants to marry Ben's mom. To "bond," they join a mock-Native American scouting group called the Indian Guides.
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Cue the slapstick. Cue the bees. Lots of bees.
The chemistry nobody expected
What’s wild is that the movie actually lets Chevy Chase be... nice?
Usually, Chevy is at his best when he’s playing a smug jerk—think Caddyshack or Fletch. But in this movie, he’s playing a guy who’s genuinely trying. He’s vulnerable. He’s the "straight man" to a 12-year-old’s pranks. Critics at the time, like Owen Gleiberman, were pretty harsh. They called it lethargic. They said Chase looked like he was reading off a teleprompter in the next room.
But if you watch it today, there’s a strange, sweet friction between the two leads. JTT plays Ben with a level of bratty intensity that feels real for a kid who’s scared of losing his mother. He wasn't just "cute." He was kind of a nightmare. And Chevy took the hits—literally and figuratively.
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- Box Office Reality: Despite the critics' lashing, the movie wasn't a flop. It pulled in over $40 million.
- The JTT Factor: Most of that cash came from the fact that JTT was a global phenomenon. Disney knew exactly what they were doing by pairing an old-school legend with the "it" kid of the moment.
- Behind the Scenes: Reports from the set (and the recent documentary) suggest it wasn't all sunshine. Chevy is Chevy, after all. But JTT was a pro. He had a work ethic that even the seasoned vets respected.
The Indian Guides controversy and the 90s lens
You can't talk about Chevy Chase and Jonathan Taylor Thomas in Man of the House without mentioning the "Indian Guides" subplot. In 2026, the whole concept feels like a massive cringe-fest. The face paint, the "tribal" names (Chase’s character was "Squatting Dog," which... yikes), and the stereotypical rituals haven't aged well.
The movie tries to play it as a wholesome father-son bonding thing, but it’s definitely a time capsule of what Disney thought was okay in 1995. It’s a recurring theme in the new Zenovich documentary—how Chevy’s era of comedy often stepped on toes without a second thought.
Yet, for a certain generation, these scenes are core memories. The "tomahawk" throwing, the campouts, and George Wendt (Cheers) showing up as a rival dad. It was a specific kind of 90s suburban fever dream.
Where are they now?
It’s crazy to think about the diverging paths these two took after that film.
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Chevy Chase went through a massive career rollercoaster. He had the Community resurgence, followed by the well-documented fallout with Dan Harmon. Now, in 2026, he’s mostly doing retrospectives and appearing in documentaries that try to figure out if he’s a misunderstood genius or just the "rudest man in Hollywood" (as some interviewers have called him).
Jonathan Taylor Thomas, on the other hand, basically pulled a vanishing act. He walked away from the peak of his fame to go to Harvard and Columbia. He chose a normal life. Aside from a few cameos and a stint on the SAG-AFTRA board, he stayed out of the "neurotic and weird" bubble of the industry. He’s the rare child star who actually seems... okay?
Actionable insights for the 90s nostalgia seeker
If you’re planning a rewatch of the Chevy Chase and Jonathan Taylor Thomas classic, or just want to dive deeper into that era, here’s how to do it right:
- Watch the Documentary First: Check out I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not on Max (formerly HBO Max). It gives a lot of context to why he was so "checked out" during his mid-90s film run.
- Look for the Easter Eggs: In Man of the House, there’s a scene where JTT is reading a magazine. Look at the back cover—it’s an ad for The Lion King. A nice little meta-nod to his role as young Simba.
- Compare the Performances: Watch Chevy in Funny Farm (1988) and then watch him in Man of the House. You can see the shift from "active comedian" to "soulful, tired dad." It’s actually a more nuanced transition than people give him credit for.
- Skip the 2005 Reboot: Don’t confuse this with the Tommy Lee Jones movie of the same name. That one involves cheerleaders and Texas Rangers. It’s a totally different vibe and way less nostalgic.
Ultimately, the pairing of Chevy Chase and Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a product of a very specific moment in Hollywood. It was the passing of the torch from the SNL old guard to the new "teen idol" era. It wasn't high art, and it definitely isn't politically correct by today's standards. But for 96 minutes in 1995, it was exactly what family cinema looked like.
To truly understand the legacy of this duo, track down the original VHS or stream the 4K restoration. Pay attention to the scenes where they aren't talking—just Chevy trying to figure out how to be a father and JTT trying to figure out if he can trust a stranger. That's where the real movie is.
Next Steps for the 90s Buff:
- Stream it: Man of the House is currently available on Disney+.
- Read up: Look for the archived Entertainment Weekly interviews from February 1995 for some classic JTT press-tour quotes.
- Watch the Doc: Tune into the Chevy Chase documentary for the unfiltered story of his 90s "decline" and eventual cult status.