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Bad taste and laughs run amok in Sandler’s ‘That’s My Boy’
THAT’S MY BOY (Rated R)
The mere mention of Adam Sandler’s involvement in another raunchy comedy will send some smug, high-brow film critics into paroxysms of utter despair and contempt.
For that reason alone, it’s a guilty pleasure to see the Brooklyn-born comic gleefully poke the snooty type right in the eye. “That’s My Boy” does the trick, in spades.
The film is rated R for the following reasons: crude sexual content throughout, nudity, pervasive language and some drug use. That’s the least of this film’s offenses.
Hide the women and children from the multiplex. This Adam Sandler production is clearly intended for a male audience that revels in juvenile humor and stunted emotional development.
“That’s My Boy” is a comic variation of the Mary Kay Letourneau story, the middle-school teacher who gained national notoriety for a torrid affair with her 13-year-old pupil, resulting in not one, but two, offspring.
The outrageous film story begins when Sandler’s young teen Donny Berger meets the girl of his dreams. Only trouble is she’s his smoking hot teacher, Mary McGarricle (Eva Amurri Martino).
While serving detention for Ms. McGarricle, Donny picks up lessons that are not on the curriculum. It all goes bad during a very embarrassing moment at the school assembly.
The teacher is sent to the women’s state prison for statutory rape, leaving Donny to raise their love child after he turns 18 years old.
Not surprisingly, Donny was not prepared to be a dad; his parenting skills were nonexistent. For starters, he named his son Han Solo Berger and had a large tattoo of the New Kids on the Block etched on his back.
Because the young Donny was involved in a scandalous affair, he became a minor celebrity who enjoyed a period of tabloid fame for being seduced by a sexpot teacher. For a short time, he cashed in on the infamy of this scandal with a reality TV show.
Now, 30 years later, Donny is an obnoxious, blustering alcoholic loser from the wrong side of Boston. Wearing his hair in the style of an 80s boy band member, Donny is hardly ever without a can of Budweiser in hand.
Meanwhile, Han Solo, who left home and changed his name years ago, is now successful Wall Street executive and hedge fund manager Todd Peterson (Andy Samberg).
Remaining the perpetual slacker, Donny is in big trouble, owing tens of thousands to the IRS. He figures that getting in touch with his son is the only way to get the money he needs to stay out of jail.
Todd, who suffers from anxiety, is about to be married to the lovely Jamie (Leighton Meester), who comes from a snooty rich family living in a seaside mansion.
The desperate Donny shows up for the wedding weekend, introducing himself as an old friend of Todd and bringing the bride-to-be a totally inappropriate wedding gift.
Donny’s scheme is to arrange a father-son reunion with the mother (Susan Sarandon) at the correctional facility, where a big payday awaits with a filmed interview on a tabloid TV news program.
For the time being, the self-absorbed Donny, misguided in his attempts to reconnect with his estranged offspring, turns the weekend of wedding festivities upside down.
To liven up things, Donny enlists the help of his old pal Vanilla Ice (playing himself) so that a dull bachelor party evening is not ruined by Jamie’s uptight family.
Donny gets the bachelor group to visit Classy Rick’s Bacon and Legs strip club, where the featured stripper is very overweight black dancer Champale (comedienne Luenell).
Sandler affectionately populates the film with a group of interesting characters. New York Jets coach Rex Ryan appears, improbably, as an extreme New England Patriots fan who advises Donny on financial matters. James Caan is a belligerent priest.
Tony Orlando (yes, the singer) plays Todd’s slimy boss. Singer/actress Ciara plays Champale’s daughter Brie. Even former child star Todd Bridges makes an appearance as Vanilla Ice’s colleague at a fast food joint.
The odd thing about Adam Sandler is that even when he plays the most outrageous, juvenile loser, he manages to retain a certain measure of sweet-natured personality.
As for “That’s My Boy,” this offensive, over-the-top comedy is filled with unrelenting raunchiness, gross-out humor and bad taste. Still, there are plenty of laughs in this film, if you let yourself go.
FILM BOOK UPDATE
Once in a while, an interesting film book comes to my attention, thanks to the efforts of a vigilant publicist.
Those who love horror films, the cheesier and sleazier variety, will probably get a kick out of “The Slasher Movie Book.”
This book, by J.A. Kerswell, chronicles the glory days of the horror subgenre that brought murder, mayhem and corn-syrup blood to the big screen.
Greatly illustrated with stills and colorful posters, “The Slasher Movie Book” provides an unmatched exploration of the early foreign influences of the slasher genre.
The book serves as a guide to classic cult hits “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” as well as more obscure flicks such as “Savage Water” and “Bloodbeat.”
Filled with trivia and interesting facts, the best feature of this book is the graphic retro poster art. Horror aficionados will love this artful tribute.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
