What About Bob? - Plot

Plot

Bob Wiley (Bill Murray) is a good-natured man who suffers from multiple phobias. He feels good about the results of an initial session with Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss), a New York psychiatrist with a huge ego, but is immediately left on his own with a copy of Leo’s new book, Baby Steps, when the doctor goes on vacation to Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. Unable to cope, Bob follows Leo to his vacation home, where Bob’s stay in town is facilitated by the Guttmans (Tom Aldredge and Susan Willis), a couple who hold a grudge against Leo because he purchased the home they had been saving to buy.

Leo refuses to treat Bob while on vacation and attempts to avoid any further contact, but Bob gets along fine with the rest of Leo’s family and continues to socialize with them. Leo’s children Anna (Kathryn Erbe) and Sigmund (Charlie Korsmo) find that Bob relates well to their problems, in contrast with their father’s clinical approach, while Bob begins to gain an enjoyment of life from his association with them. Bob goes sailing with Anna and convinces Sigmund to dive into the lake, a fear Leo was unable to help him overcome. Jealous Leo pushes Bob into the lake and Leo’s wife, Fay (Julie Hagerty), insists on inviting Bob to dinner to apologize—although Bob thinks Leo’s slights against him have been accidental. At dinner, Leo’s angry outburst at Bob causes him to choke, and Bob saves his life with the Heimlich maneuver. A thunderstorm then forces Bob to spend the night. Leo wants Bob out of the house by 6:30. But, Bob is still present as Leo is interviewed on Good Morning America to publicize Baby Steps. The interviewer ends up insisting that Bob participate in the interview, and Leo manages to make a fool of himself while Bob speaks glowingly of Leo and the book and steals the limelight.

Outraged, Leo throws a tantrum and then attempts to have Bob committed, but Bob is soon released after befriending the staff of the institution and demonstrating his sanity. Forced to retrieve him, Leo then abandons Bob in the middle of nowhere, but Bob quickly gets a ride back to Leo’s house while a variety of mishaps delay Leo until nightfall. Leo is then surprised by the birthday party that Fay has been secretly planning for him, and he is delighted to see his beloved sister Lily (Fran Brill). But when Bob appears and puts his arm around Lily, Leo becomes completely enraged and attacks him. Bob remains oblivious to Leo’s hostility, and Fay explains that Leo has been acting unacceptably as a result of an inexplicable grudge against Bob, and she reluctantly asks him to leave; Bob sadly agrees. Meanwhile, Leo breaks into a sporting goods store, stealing a rifle and explosives. Bob becomes terrified while walking through the dark woods and is easily kidnapped at gunpoint by Leo, who straps the explosives to Bob and ties him up, calling it "death therapy." Using Leo’s "Baby Steps" approach, Bob manages to free himself; he reunites with Leo and his family out on the vacation home’s dock as the explosives destroy the house. This leaves Leo in a catatonic state.

Some time later, Leo is brought to Lily and Bob’s wedding. Upon their pronouncement as husband and wife, Leo regains his senses and screams, "No!" but the sentiment is lost in the family’s excitement at his recovery. The film ends on a title card:

Bob went back to school and became a psychologist.

He then wrote a huge best seller: Death Therapy.

Leo is suing him for the rights.