The trailer for Role Models looked funny enough: Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott play two deadbeats who are court-ordered to partake in a Big Brother-esque program. Despite this B-movie premise, the film turned out to be an uproariously pleasant surprise — cut out of the same mold as loser comedy legends like Billy Madison and Old School.
Danny (Rudd) and Wheeler (Scott) are two spokesmen for Minotaur energy drink, busy lecturing public school kids about replacing any thoughts of drugs with thoughts of chugging their caffeinated beverage. Despite working in such close quarters, the two are complete opposites. Danny is miserable, Wheeler an optimist. Danny’s uptight, Wheeler’s a free spirit. Danny’s been with the same girl for seven years, while Wheeler’s a raging bachelor. We’ve seen these characters before — Knocked Up and American Pie, anyone? — but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Both Rudd and Scott keep it simple, embracing, but not exaggerating their roles as hardened cynic and lovable schlub. Much of the movie’s ultimate success hinges on the relationship between these two men — a relationship that develops from mere co-workers to lifelong best friends.
But another key component of the film is the relationships between the “bigs” and their “littles.” Remember, Danny and Scott don’t sign up for the mentoring program out of the goodness in their hearts — it’s either complete 150 hours of community service or spend 30 days in the slammer, a sentence delivered after the duo crashes the Minotaur truck in front of a middle school. That’s what leads them to Sturdy Wings, a center started by egocentric ex-addict Gayle Sweeney (played with incredibly hilarity by Jane Lynch). Sweeney matches Wheeler up with Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson), a foul-mouthed 10-year-old notorious for never keeping a mentor longer than a day. Danny is paired with Augie (Christopher “McLovin” Mintz-Plasse), a shy, socially awkward teenager obsessed with live-action medieval roleplay.
It’s no surprise that after only a few hours into their allotted time, Danny contemplates whether a month in prison would be the easy way out. But while Wheeler is also having trouble relating to his little brother, he convinces his cohort that staying committed to Sturdy Wings is a much better alternative than a month-long prison stint. By way of an eventful camping trip, jaunts to the beach and good old-fashioned conversation, the two glorified underachievers find that relating to these kids transforms from hell-on-Earth into a fulfilling — and at some times outrageous — way to avoid the clink. Fittingly, the film culminates in a medieval battle royale, in which our heroes fight to the bitter death in costumes resembling the four members of Kiss.
While Mintz-Plasse builds upon his Superbad fame by playing Augie with nasally conviction and the pure shock value of Thompson’s lines gets you laughing every time, neither of the two are the standouts of this film. Instead, Role Models is exemplary of an all-star cast — a movie with no one single scene-stealer, one where the chemistry between the actors is breezy and relaxed. In addition to the two newcomers and the seasoned team of Rudd, Scott and Lynch, the film also features a colorful mix of supporting characters. Elizabeth Banks (Zach and Miri Make A Porno) is smart, sexy and understated as Danny’s long-time girlfriend. A.D. Miles stars as a Sturdy Wings five-year veteran, maddening in his eager passion for helping kids. And even director David Wain makes a brief appearance as “that guy” — the one who sits around the campfire attempting to play Kumbaya on acoustic guitar but only knows about 2.5 chords.
Wain — most famous for directing Wet Hot American Summer in 2001 as well as last year’s cult black comedy The Ten — certainly managed a large, talented cast with ease. The finished product, which clocks in at a timely 1:35, is nearly perfect. Let’s hope the film not only emerges as a sleeper hit of the fall but also serves as a good model for the future slacker comedies to come.
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