Director: Jesse Dylan
Starring: Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall, Mike Ditka
Year: 2005
Kicking & Screaming comes down to whether or not you like Will Ferrell, because there is literally nothing else to hang a hat on in this movie, nothing else to either like or dislike. Ferrell is someone I happen to think is hilarious, so I was covered, but I know that’s not how everyone feels, and with good reason. He’s a big goof, a big galoot, and his comedy is almost always the same, so you know what you’re going to get; it’s just a question of taste I guess, and he can be a lot to swallow.
Phil is the nonathletic son of Buck, a super competitive sporting goods store owner who only cares about one things; winning. Phil never develops as an athlete, so he never gains his father’s approval, but he tries not to let that govern his own parenting; he loves his son with no conditions and tries to always be kind. But when he steps up to coach his kid’s soccer team (against his own dad, nonetheless), the competitive juices start flowing, and playing for fun becomes the last thing that matters.
Again, you know Will Ferrell, you know what he’s like. I think he’s funny, but he doesn’t really do much acting in these movies, it’s all about his style of comedy, and that’s all you get. Really, there’s nothing more at all, no other good characters or supporting stars. Coach Mike Ditka has a part for no reason at all, but that’s just weird, and Ferrell is still left on his own to be comedic. Otherwise, there’s a lesson to be learned about sportsmanship, but who cares, we don’t want to watch a comedy about that, so it’s hard to see what the real point was here. Even Will’s comedy can only take things so far before we get bored and the movie gets crappy, which, I unfortunately think is was for a dominant portion.
My rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆