A comedy that’s short on laughs, but ripe with warmth.
The script for Father Figures made slight waves within the industry due to it being such a hot property, sought after by a number of studios and selling in a record-breaking 36 hours. The understandably high expectations soon became questionable due to the numerous production delays and re-shoots, during which time a supporting character was re-cast and the film’s release date was shifted a number of times. Written by Justin Malen, whose previous effort, the extremely fun Office Christmas Party, Father Figures wasted no time in attracting a hugely name cast and spared no expense in terms of production values. It doesn’t take much venturing into Father Figures however, before one begins to wonder what element within it made the script so tempting to studios, and a bit more time to discover just what that was.
The two main characters of Father Figures are Peter and Kyle Reynolds (Ed Helms and Owen Wilson); two fraternal twins who are different in every way possible. Peter is a divorced single dad unhappy with his life while the more easygoing Kyle lives off the royalties from the use of his image on a popular line of barbecue sauce. Despite having grown up without a father, the two enjoy a loving relationship with their mother Helen (Glenn Close) When their Helen lets it slip that their father is not dead, but actually alive, the two set off on a cross-country road trip to find him from an assortment of possibilities.
The biggest strike against Father Figures is the infantile level of humor which was always destined to land with a big thud, no matter what. The script clings to obvious recurring tactics, such as having older people spout out slightly obscene dialogue like Helen’s matronly friend who tries to set up the straight Peter with her gay son. “He’s got such a tight butt,” she says with a motherly tone. The main joke which Father Figures refuses to let go of no matter what, is having each of the potential fathers raving about how great Helen was sexually. Featuring lines such as “maybe dad” Terry Bradshaw proudly stating: “His mother and I used to have unprotected sex all the time,” the ongoing fixation of Helen’s sexual prowess gets old EXTREMELY fast. Other jokes feel so random and slapped together, not really fitting in to the story’s more or less straightforward tone. There’s the scene of a child suddenly peeing on Kyle’s leg in a men’s room while his own father, from the next stall over tells him to pee on his son to teach him a lesson and the appearance of the front desk clerk at the hotel the duo checks into who only speaks in whispers. Additional moments, which also includes a nurse obsessed with threesomes a large pair of cat testicles, do nothing but drag the whole experience down.
Because of all the instantly tiresome jokes, it comes with the greatest surprise when Father Figures manages to unearth its truly sensitive side. Throughout the course of the Peter and Kyle’s road trip, the brothers find themselves unexpectedly discovering each other, indulging the many “what ifs” they’ve struggled with over the course of their lives. One scene has them dealing with their issues as they lash out at each other (unleashing heaps of bitterness and resentment in the process) while remaining totally unaware that their car is parked on a railroad track. The moment when Peter thinks Kyle has died after not seeing him exit the car when the train hits, is as emotional as can be, even inducing misty eyes when seeing the former’s face when he realizes his brother made it out alive. “A little while ago, I thought I lost you forever,” Peter tells Kyle in the aftermath of the accident. “It was the worst feeling I had ever felt.” It’s at this moment that the pair realize how much they mean to each other and always have. “You know how you were always asking mom about dad,” asks Kyle “I was never that curious. I think it’s because I had you.” Maybe it’s attributed to the lame humor, but the affection Father Figures has for its main characters is completely pure and real.
Wilson and Helms are comedy pros, but even they can’t make the flat, crude jokes come to life; and the development of their characters suffers in the process. What they do manage to do is sell the more sentimental elements of the script with an unwavering earnestness that makes it all work. Essentially bookending the film, Close manages to escape her early comedic scenes more or less intact and helps to inject some extra emotional weight into the movie’s final moments. The same can’t be said for Katt Williams as a hitchhiker and June Squibb as the duo’s potential grandmother, whose appearances come off as more head scratching than entertaining. As the perspective fathers, Bradshaw, Ving Rhames, J.K. Simmons and Christopher Walken are all thoroughly wasted in their brief appearances, trying hard to make sense out of the lackluster jokes they’ve been given to no avail.
The original title of Father Figures was Bastards, a much more original title, which despite being humorously offensive, helped to represent Peter and Kyle’s feelings of isolation which must’ve plagued them at various points throughout their lives. As a comedy, Father Figures couldn’t hit the audience with a worthwhile joke, no matter how hard it tries. Still, the movie makes one of the most earnest and touching comments on the spirit of family, as well as the bond and the love that transcends everything else. “We’re not losers,” the brothers state. “We’re survivors.” Sure, the inclusion of genuine comedy would have lifted Father Figures even higher. Yet there’s something so rich about this tale of two boys who went to find their father, but found themselves instead. It’s a lame conceit, but one which this film more or less makes work.
The Package
Apart from a gag reel, over 20 minutes of equally eye-rolling deleted scenes accompany the release.
The Lowdown
Father Figures is a laugh-free comedy with a solid amount of heart.
Father Figures is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
