Let's just say that Vince Vaughn's
attempts to shed his obnoxious hustler persona, finely cultivated over nearly
two decades of similarly-toned comedies, have been less than successful. He's
simply not that interesting of a leading man minus the slickster attitude, and
far too often falls back on old habits when they aren't really called for in
order to save forgettable flicks (remember The Dilemma? No?). Nobody
pays to see the softer side of Vince Vaughn, but that's all they're going to
get in the warm and cuddly Delivery Man, a moderately affecting heart
tugger about the joys of parenthood and the need for stricter regulations on
sperm banks. Okay, that last one probably wasn't part of the original intent.
As far as unnecessary remakes go, Delivery
Man ranks right up near the top, though. The film is essentially a
word-for-word port of the charming Canadian comedy Starbuck, not totally
surprising considering Ken Scott wrote and directed both movies. Vaughn steps
into the role previously occupied by Patrick Huard, playing lovable loser David
Wozniak, a meat delivery guy with a pregnant girlfriend (Cobie Smulders) who
doesn't think he's father material. She's probably right; David can't even
deliver meat properly which causes grief with his family who own the business.
Plus he's got enough debt that certain people are threatening to drown him in a
bath tub.
Years earlier, a penniless David
donated sperm repeatedly at a facility clinic under the anonymous guise of
'Starbuck'(the name of an extremely fertile real-life bull), and unbeknownst to
him those donations were used to father 533 kiddies. Now 20 years later, 142 of
those children want to meet their daddy, and launch a very public lawsuit to
learn Starbuck's identity. Shocked by the prospect of being a one-time father,
much less the father of over 500 kids, David initially resists the idea. But
when he's presented with a folder detailing the location and status of his
children, he embarks on a "My Name is Earl" campaign to enter
their lives and help them in any way he can. All of this against the judgment
of his clueless lawyer buddy Brett (Chris Pratt), who hilariously struggles to
care for his four toddler-aged kids. “They know they're too old to get an
abortion" he quips at one point.
The film embraces the hopeful
possibilities of parenthood by presenting David with a rainbow coalition of
kids; some of whom are more successful than others. One is an NBA player,
another is bartender with a dream of being an actor, and a daughter has a drug
addiction which David ignores just to win her trust. Yeah, kind of a mixed
message on that score. These encounters with his diverse and super-friendly
progeny aren't especially deep, but as David begins to unite them (anonymously,
of course) around their kinship the film makes a heartfelt message about
accepting your family for who they are. Sentimentality is slathered on pretty
thick throughout, especially during a retreat attended by hundreds of David's
spawn, turns into what looks like a Woodstock reunion. They might as well be
singing Cumbaya around the campfire. The film's most poignant moment is also
the most understated as David encounters a mentally handicapped son living in a
home (played by Sebastian Rene, who played the same role in Starbuck).
Of course, David learns all sorts of
snuggly life lessons along the way (prepare for group hugs galore), just enough
to make Delivery Man seem more powerful than it actually is. Vaughn is
less natural than original star Patrick Huard in portraying David's
evolution from single schlub to responsible patriarch. The biggest laughs are
reserved for Pratt in his funniest supporting turn yet. In his character we see
the harsh reality of parenting, which is screaming babies and bruises and lack
of sleep. David's kids are all grown up by the time he chooses to deal with
them, and they're arguably better off than he is. If this is meant to be a pro-life
message movie (as some will undoubtedly take it), David makes for an odd choice
of spokesman.
Despite a
few missteps and the feeling it doesn't really need to exist, Delivery Man is a sweet, endearing film that always has its heart in the right place.
