March 12, 2009
DVD Review: Role Models
Guy Comedy with a Heart
What, you thought I only saw rom-coms? Nah, I'll watch anything that makes me laugh, and that includes stupid guy comedies. At least that's what I thought I was getting with "Role Models." Instead, I got surprisingly smart movie with a healthy sense of irony. Whatever happened to the unreflective guy comedies of yore?
Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott) travel from school to school, encouraging kids to stay off drugs and peddling an energy drink called Minotaur. The pair is a classic odd couple: cynical Danny hates his job and can't believe what has become of his life, while happy-go-lucky Wheeler wouldn't give it up for anything.
Danny's downward spiral of self-loathing causes his girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks), a public defender, to break up with him. This makes Danny go berserk and pick a fight with a tow truck driver, landing both himself and Wheeler with public service in lieu of jail time.
Enter Sturdy Wings, a mentoring program headed by the slightly bizarre Gayle Sweeney (Jane Lynch). Danny gets stuck with Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a dreamy role-playing geek, while Wheeler has Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson), a foul-mouthed brat who has managed to drive away every other mentor.
Surely you can guess what happens next. You know, grudging personal growth and the kids not being so bad after all, yadda yadda yadda. But props to the movie for avoiding high school football clichés; in the end, Augie's triumph comes on his own terms, as a very sweet encouragement to (in Danny's words) "do what makes you happy." Wheeler, on the other hand, screws up enough to really jeopardize his relationship with Ronnie and must make things right. And the movie's conclusion involves Paul Rudd (who just seems exude alt-preppy naturally from his pores) in KISS makeup and Ren-fair attire--so surreal, you've just got to see it.
I have to admit, the DVD release came at a good time for me. I sympathized entirely with 35-year-old Danny's bitter, what-have-I-done-with-my-life angst. Paul Rudd has elevated snark (and snark-repentant) into an art form, so Danny's interactions with the chipper Wheeler and surprisingly canny Augie are quite fun to watch. In the category of Thinking Girl's Favorite Eye Candy, Rudd is a strong competitor, and that doesn't hurt either.
