Really special

I'll tell you why I think so: This film starts off very broad, almost like a cartoon. The characters played by Danny DeVito and Kathy Bates, have funny names and look funny and there are a lot of jokes and slapstick hi jinks. At this point, you could say the film was just your typical Hollywood low comedy, no better then an Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider comedy. But as you keep watching, something happens: the characters start to seem very endearing and you start seeing them as more human. About 2/3 of the way through the film becomes, not exactly serious as there are still funny bits but it has an unexpected emotional undertow that actually brought tears to my eyes both times I watched it. I don't want to give away the ending but it makes the film something more then a broad comedy for me. Maybe it's the potency of the theme - acceptance and sacrificing one's own happiness for another, but the ending really works and the ultimate resolution leaves me with a big smile on my face. DeVito has a line where he says that he and Bates are smarter then they look..I would say that about this film - it's better then it seems on a casual viewing.