Rated PG
Directed by Jesse Dylan (American Wedding)
Starring Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall and Mike Ditka as . . . Mike Ditka
Kicking and Screaming is Happy Gilmore meets The Bad News Bears.
Will Ferrell was hilarious. Nothing intellectual . . . just the typical goofy “Ferrellesque” antics that have elevated his popularity to the “box office draw” he’s become in the last few years. Whether getting hit in the head with a ball or screaming when he grabs something hot, somehow Farrell does it. I found myself laughing . . . and I had to ask myself why. I couldn’t explain it to myself—he just pulls it off.
Kicking & Screaming stars Will Ferrell as Phil Weston, an average Joe who all his life has had to put up with his overly competitive father, Buck (Duvall). When Phil decides to coach his 10-year-old son’s soccer team, he goes head-to-head for the league championship against Buck, who coaches his own young son on the preeminent team of the league. Old scores come into play as Phil and Buck find themselves going to extreme measures to win the championship trophy.
This film is good family fun. It’s entertaining, it delivers non-stop laughs, and has some decent soccer play.
One of my favorite characters was Mike Ditka playing none other than . . . Mike Ditka. He’s a great addition to the script, delivering some pretty funny moments.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Overall the film was very clean. Conservative audiences will have only two small concerns: 1. Phil’s dad Buck owns a sports store. And in his commercials, he plays with soccer balls, baseballs and basketballs . . . finally saying the slogan, “We’ve got balls.” Once he even gestures the phrase. 2. And some people won’t like the fact that one of the kid’s has “two moms.”
But I brought my kid to the screening, and only cringed during the “we’ve got balls” line. The rest of the film was harmless. The worst cussword was “Hell” and the message of the film was positive. So I vote “yes” on this one for the family.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
