Film Review- "That's My Boy" 2012

“That's My Boy”

Directed by- Sean Anders

Running Time- 114 min.

Rated- R

So many of Adam Sandler's movies are the same. They are all about an irresponsible smart aleck with incredible sexual prowess who gets some fantasy, that he doesn't deserve, fulfilled.

This time Sandler plays Donny Berger, who, as a 12-year old, was sexually taken advantage of by his 22-year-old teacher Mary McGarricle played by Eva Amurri Martino. The affair results in them getting caught, Mary going to jail, her getting pregnant with Donny's child, and Donny becoming a national celebrity for fulfilling every boy's fantasy of getting to have sex with his hot teacher. He sells the rights to his story which makes him rich and someone makes a movie based on the story.

With Mary imprisoned, Donny gets custody of their child, who he names Han Solo Berger after the “Star Wars” character. But Donny's celebrity fades. He squanders his money and he loses contact with his son who resents him for being a bad dad and for not protecting him from the media spotlight.

Cut to the present day and Han has changed his name to Todd Peterson, played by Andy Sandberg, and is about to be married to Jamie, a young pretty woman, played by Leighton Meester. Donny meantime is in trouble with the IRS and needs $43,000 or else he is going to jail for non-payment of back taxes. He tries to borrow the money from everyone he knows, even asking Vanilla Ice, played by himself, an old friend before Donny had sex with Ice's mother. Donny tries to get the money from a television producer Randal Morgan, played by Dan Patrick, who is showing up in a lot of Sandler movie's lately. Donny tries to get Randall to pay him for another television appearance. When Randall hears that Donny's son is getting married, he offers Donny $50,000 if he can get his son to visit Mary in jail for a televised reunion. So Donny busts back into Todd's life the weekend of Todd's wedding to try to trick him into going to the jail with him.

Turns out Todd's future family doesn't know about his past and when Donny arrives he tells everyone he is his old friend and keeps the fact that Donny is his father a secret. The family takes to Donny and his hedonistic ways more than they do Todd's clean cut wholesomeness. It is frustrating to watch Todd be met with criticism and scorn while trying to be a good person while instead everyone likes everything Donny says and does regardless of how offensive and rude.

There is also a scene where everyone suddenly would rather play baseball instead of enjoying the rest of a formal catered affair at the house of Steve Spirou, Todd's boss, who is on the brink of giving a partnership to Todd, just because Donny suggests they take off their ties and go hit some baseballs around. The scene made me want to punch the screen because everyone other than Todd, including a two-year-old boy, who could barely walk, made plays like a major league ballplayer. When the ball finally does get hit to Todd, it hits him the throat and nearly crushes his Adams apple a moment that, instead of compassion, is met with more ridicule from everyone especially Jamie his fiance. Comedies make the mistake that these moments are funny because they are embarrassing. But for anyone who empathizes with the main character they are infuriating.

Sandler's talent comes from making rude characters likable and underneath Donny's exterior is a father who regrets all the bad things he did and realizes he really wants to reconnect with his son. He manages to take Todd and all his groomsmen out for a wild and crazy bachelor party where Donny and Todd manage to have a lot of fun even when they breaking the law. Donny even makes up with Vanilla Ice, who joins them for even more craziness after the others head home.

Everything seems to be going fine till Donny realizes Jamie is not right for Todd and he can't get Todd to believe him because Todd finds out Donny was only using him to get $50,000 to stay out of jail. But in true Sandler movie fashion Donny manages to set everything right and stay out of jail somehow validating his character's life. The answer apparently is it is better to be more like Donny than like Todd and when Todd acts accordingly he works out all his life's problems.

Forgetting about the moral landmines of calling pedophilia acceptable behavior for women and the joke the movie makes about incest (you'll find out how), this movie has a terrible message. I can't stand movies where the annoying a***hole turns out to be right and the good guy just has to be more like him in order to have a better life.

As in all of Adam Sandler's movies, there are a lot of laughs, but most come from banal, profane or embarrassing moments that lead me to label this movie the same way I label most of Sandler's comedies- stupid funny.

Review Grade- C-