Max Dugan Returns is a 1983 American comedy drama film written by Neil Simon and directed by Herbert Ross.

In Venice, California, 15-year-old Michael McPhee awakens his mother, Nora, a widowed high school English schoolteacher, who has fallen asleep grading test papers.

She notifies police detective Brian Costello, who offers to drive her to work; upon arrival, she informs her students that they will have to redo the test they took earlier.

However, they find a new Mercedes-Benz sedan in their driveway; she tells Max to return the car, and demands he explain his presence to Michael.

After finding a diamond necklace on her dressing table, Nora softens her attitude toward her father's largesse, until Michael informs her of Max's latest alias.

After she and Michael return to a complete remodel of their house and a Great Dane named Plato, courtesy of Max, Nora succumbs to her father's generosity.

Instead, Max, fearing police might charge Nora as his accomplice, departs the next morning, informing her and Michael via videocassette that he plans to spend his remaining days on a beach in Brazil with part of the money, donating the rest to them.

Additionally, Kiefer Sutherland (in his film debut) briefly appears as Bill, Mike's school friend.

Former professional baseball player Charley Lau appears as himself having been hired by Robards' character Dugan to coach Broderick's Michael to hit better for his high school team.

[2]Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote "Simon's original screenplay is fast and buoyant, and Herbert Ross's direction shows off the abundant jokes to their best possible advantage.

"[3] Variety described the film as "a consistently happy comedic fable which should please romanticists drawn again to another teaming of Neil Simon, Marsha Mason and Herbert Ross.

Having created living and breathing comic characters, he starts to suffocate them inside an increasingly mechanized plot.