Dickie Roberts: Ex-enfant star

When this movie first came out on tape(&DVD), i rented it the first time for a movie night with a couple of friends, we watched it once...twice...three times (we pulled a all nigher). Next Week-End once...twice...three times, each time finding something new. Take A Break... Next Week-End= once... twice. yup, only got two times that week-end. Then one day when i was supervising a GR.1 Class over the lunch hour At a elementary school one of the kids put his hand up, asked if he could say something. Thinking it would be harmless, i said sure. So, he stands up... and does the WHOLE "Brick Wall, Water Fall, Dick..." So on and so-forth. Then, everyone started doing it. i would recommend it to Anyone.

A silly comedy starring David Spade as a former child star who "hires" a family in order to give himself a real childhood experience so he can nab a new part in a Rob Reiner movie. The premise is as silly as you can get but it does have some fun injokes involving quite a number of former child actors from the 70s and 80s which is great fun for tv nostalgia buffs.. Pleasant enough comedy. GRADE: C

This movie is hilarious from beginning to end. Imagine, a Hollywood movie that shows how RIDICULOUS Hollywood is! Spade is terrific, the 'child star' has beens are wonderful and likable in spoofing their own careers. You've got to respect that.

Mary McCormack is both beautiful and very funny in the 'straight role' of the movie. I'd love to see her do more comedy. Did I mention that she is very easy on the eyes? The dude who plays her husband and Dickie's 'father' is hilarious too. His name escapes me. Not many lines, but stole scenes. A confident Spade seemed to let him do that, the sign of a good comedic actor is that HE doesn't have to get all the good lines.

The kids are endearing. The 'stunts' (ie bike crashes) are phenomenal.

Like Tommy Boy and Joe Dirt, he plays that goofy guy who's missing it on most cylinders, but you can't help rooting for.

That's a guy I want in any comedy I see. The underachieving underdog who figures it out in the end and makes good. Spade is terrific at playing that role - and in Dickie Roberts - he's at his best.

David Spade is one of my fave SNL stars and he's made better movies than the rest of his old pals (It's Pat, Coneheads and Master of Disguise are among the worst films ever made). I especially liked him as the voice of Kuzko in the Emperor's New Groove. Here he plays Dickie Roberts: (former) Child Star, a kid at the top, but a man at the bottom and absolutely desperate for a comeback.

His agent (John Lovitz) cannot find him any work outside of celebrity boxing, his girlfriend has dumped him and Dickie's main source of income is parking cars. You get the picture, he's a completely fallen star.

Rob Reiner has a role that Dickie would love to get his hands on but Rob wont touch him because it requires an actor who knows 'normal', someone who knows how to be an adult, someone who had a proper childhood. Desperate to get the part, Dickie hires an ordinary middle-class family (dedicated mum, workaholic dad, bullied son, wishful daughter) to look after him like proper parents.

Trouble naturally follows. But Dickie's hijinks lessen and his new family's tolerance increases. Yes, they do learn from each other and become better people (yadda yadda) but there is just so much fun and craziness along the way and some genuine character moments.

There are loads of celebrity cameos (Tom Arnold, Corey Feldman, Brendan Fraser, Dustin Diamond) and lots of biting satire and the movie industry but the bulk of the film relies upon Dickie learning family values and having fun with the kids, being a kid. Proof positive that he's still the best (former) SNL star.

The only bad thing I can mention is Adam Sandler's involvement as executive producer, something that seriously tarnishes the film and prevents it from having any real class.

The DVD is in great looking 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound and quite a few extras.

It was a hot day and I decided to hit a movie. "Dickie Roberts" just happened to start at the right time for me. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Great script, perfectly cast (especially the kids) and it was really kinda heartwarming.

If you're a pop culture nut, you'll get a big kick outta seeing all the former child stars in the poker scene and then again at the end (stay for the credits).

Spade completely pulls it off. Lovitz is his usual outstanding (but then again I'm a big Lovitz fan).

Go see it. C'mon, go ahead.