Movie Information
Release Date: November 22, 2013
Director: Ken Scott
Writer: Ken Scott, Martin Petit
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, Cobie Smulders, Andrezej Blumenfeld, Simon Delaney, Bobby Moynihan, Dave Patten Adam Chanler-Berat, Britt Robertson, Jack Reynor, Amos VanderPoel, Matthew Daddario, Jessica Williams, Leslie Ann Glossner, Derrick Arthur, Jay Leno, Bill Maher.
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 115 minutes
Studio: Dream Works
Genre: Comedy Drama
What do you do when you find out you’re the father of 533 children? If you answer is cry until your eyes fall out, dance in the middle of the busiest highway blindfolded, or drink a gallon of bleach, I wouldn’t blame you. David Wozniak choose neither, so he has my respect. Though he is the text book definition of an underachiever. Only doing what’s necessary to get by in life pissing it all away. He can’t even deliver dry cleaning in a timely manner, let alone be a father figure. So his life is turned around when 142 of his children are suing to find out who their biological father is. I didn’t get a chance to see the original titled ‘STARBUCK’ released in 2011, so my take is fresh. Gladly enough, it’s a fun time that you can at least discuss with friends.
I never thought donating sperm could be considered a job. In some ways that could be considered one of the best jobs ever lol. Though you may be too tired for the ride home. Yet David is a master at it, maybe even a Jedi, until it comes to haunt him 20 years later. He isn’t an interesting character at all at first, and honestly no one is. We have a man on screen that I don’t care about or his surrounding counterparts. I was constantly introduced to characters not knowing their relation, having to play the guessing game. His girlfriend could’ve been his sister, best friend a stranger, and/or brothers his co-workers. I found myself lost asking who, what, when, and why. On top of not caring about the main character I was ready to go only 30 minutes in. I will get to the portion of enjoyment in a moment but I want to remind you that David is lazy’s best friend. So once he finds out he’s the father of an absurd amount of children, it’s confusing that he changed his behavior with no motivation, reason, or fallout.
I’m glad he did because it showcased how great of a guy he really is. We’re blessed with a montage of David being a guardian angel to strangers with no obligation. Confrontations are around every corner, so he must be strategic with every action. You can imagine walking up to a complete stranger saying, “Hey guess what…I’m your father!” could be quite difficult. I went from not caring in the slightest to loving him in the end. He doesn’t deserve all the love. His best friend Brett (Chris Pratt) has his comedic chops as well. I’m so confident that a good amount of the comedy was his own idea on set whether it dealt with the dialogue or his own personal physique. He’s David’s anchor to keep him locked down to reality even though it doesn’t seem to work at times. I can honestly say I’d be disappointed if I never saw these two work together again. I’m not trying to over hype their relationship, it just worked well and I appreciate it. While we’re still getting to know who David is, he’s also a family man. Also, seeing that he made multiple visits to the fertility clinic wasn’t for his own personal gain and/or physical pleasure. He’s genuinely a nice guy that simply doesn’t think things through. Of course which is unfortunate b/c it can really hurt the loved ones around you.
There’s a few heart felt moments that deal with suspended animation and/or catatonic patients, that are in my opinion extremely touching. This is from a character that grew (without any real motivation) from nothing, to someone I wouldn’t mind shaking hands with. It isn’t a must see, but a casual movie goer would be pleased, and I could easily watch it again. It left a smile on myself and stuck with me on the ride home. If the first act ironed out all it’s weaknesses I would be proud to bring it into the collection. Though it’s nothing close to me running to stores every Tuesday when released for home video.