Father Figures was not high on my list of films I wanted to see while on my Christmas vacation. It snowed here in NC last night, so I didn't want to travel far to see a movie today. Father Figures is the only film that was playing at the theater closest to my house that I have not yet seen. I'm not a fan of Owen Wilson, although he has done some decent films I have liked. But this film was packed with stars, so I thought it might be half good. It was. Half good.
Peter Reynolds (Ed Helms) and his brother Kyle (Owen Wilson) are twins. But they could not be more different. Kyle lives in Hawaii, has a smoking hot fiance and made a million dollars for appearing as the beach bum on a bottle of barbecue sauce. His happy go-lucky "connected-to-the-universe" approach to life is a direct contrast to the stiff worldview of his brother. Peter looks at assholes all day. He is a proctologist. He chose the profession because his father died of colon cancer when the boys were babies. Or so he thought. It turns out that mom (Glenn Close) lived a bohemian lifestyle in the 70s. She suggests that the boys' father might be Terry Bradshaw, sending the duo on a road trip to find their father.
The revelation sends the boys on a journey to find their father. When it turns out that Terry Bradshaw is not their father, the boys launch Operation Who's Your Daddy. The journey leads the boys to New England, where they explore the options that include a failed investment banker (JK Simmons), a legendary detective (Jack McGee) and a veterinarian (Christopher Walken). In the end, nothing is as it seems. The boys end up back home only to discover the truth. The universe kept the boys together and they actually like each other. And everyone lives happily ever after.
Father Figures is part road-trip movie, part finding-yourself adventure. The story meanders around on an inane course that feels ridiculous at times. The hijinks and shenanigans become so contrived that the film feels boring. The writing and dialogue just wasn't good. The characters were okay. A bit over the top. But the two main characters received adequate attention. The development was okay. But they never connected. The idea is that the opposites affect each other, tempering each character to a more normal "middle." But the cartoonish treatment made them seem unbelievable, which didn't help matters any. The situation comedy was funny at times. But the overall story lacked meat. The twist at the end was nice, the best part of the film really. But by then, it was too late. The film was sloppy and weak.
This film was filled with actors I love. I am a huge fan of JK Simmons. Terry Bradshaw is awesome. Ving Rhames, Glenn Close and Christopher Walken are all excellent. I am lukewarm on Wilson and ambivalent towards Helms. But the cast looked exceptional. Unfortunately, all the stars were cast in one-dimensional roles that were only briefly explored to keep the film moving (as slow as it felt at times). None of these actors really had a chance to shine. Bradshaw was probably best. Just being Bradshaw. A star studded cast could not save this film.
Father Figures is a 113 minute film, although it could have been shorter. The MPAA gave this film an R Rating for language and adult situations, although there wasn't any nudity. There is a bit of violence, but all of it tame. It is mostly the dialogue, which finds a way to add sexual content as frequently as possible, that earns this film the rating it received. With a better script, it could have been PG-13 and actually been funnier.
While neither Wilson nor Helm are among my favorite actors in this film, they did seem to have a good chemistry together. Their characters received the most attention from the writers, giving them a modicum of interest. But this film just didn't do it for me. While there were some decent laugh lines, the film was mostly not funny. It was just a contrived mess of potty talk dialogue and meandering story lines. The plot was forgettable, although with a nice twist at the end. Unfortunately, there was not enough here to merit a recommendation. I wouldn't even recommend it on video. I will be a bit generous and leave it at 5/10. After all, it was half good.
