Buck Russell is the protagonist and title character of the 1989 film Uncle Buck
He was played by the late John Candy in the film and Kevin Meaney in the television series that followed.
Role in The Movie[]
Buck lived in downtown Chicago. He enjoyed drinking and smoking, and betting on rigged horse races. His brother Bob and sister in law Cindy lived in the suburbs with their children Tia, Miles, and Maizy - having moved there from Indianapolis. Tia is highly resentful that they moved away from Indianapolis. Even though they only lived a few miles apart Buck rarely seen the family, as upper middle class suburbanites they kept Buck at arms length.
One night Cindy's father had a heart attack. With no one else available Bob and Cindy asked Buck to come out and watch their children.
Buck came out and immediately endeared himself to both Miles and Maizy. Tia however was still not happy and over the next few days engaged in a battle of the wills, especially when Buck met her boyfriend Bug and quickly determined that Bug was only interested in Tia for sex. Tia would later change her mind about Buck when Bug left her for another girl more willing to have sex with him, realizing that he was right. Buck was grateful for the chance to get to know his niece again.
While Bob and Cindy were away Buck dealt with several comedic situations, such as taking the kids bowling, dealing with a drunk Pooter the Clown, dressing down a school official because of her arrogant attitude over Maizy, and microwaving laundry when the washing machine quick working.
Bob and Cindy came home after her father recovered. With encouragement from Buck Tia hugged her mother when she came in the door, and Cindy promised things would be different going forward. Buck meanwhile leaned on the pot rack in the kitchen and brought the whole thing down. Leaving to head back to his apartment, Buck told Tia that next time she was downtown that he'd like to meet her for coffee.