Kicking and Screaming (2005, VHS)

Athletics have always been a part of the life of Phil Weston. Although Phil (Will Ferrell) was never a particularly gifted athlete, he participated in athletics because of his father, Buck (Robert Duvall), a fierce competitor, owner of a growing chain of sporting goods shops, and soccer coach. The only good thing that came from his days as an athlete is that he met his wife, Barbara (Kate Walsh). The competition between Phil and Buck didn't end, however, when Phil's dubious athletic career ended. When Phil opened a sports pill shop of his own, Buck always insisted his son would never make it last. When the divorced Buck married Janice (Musetta Vander), they had a son, Bucky (Josh Hutcherson) on the same day Phil and Barbara became parents to Sam (Dylan McLaughlin). The boys learned soccer, and became teammates on Buck's team. While Bucky started, Sam rode the bench, and was traded to the worst team in the league. The team is so bad, its coach resigns.

In "Kicking & Screaming," Phil becomes the coach, and finds out the players are a laughingstock. They play with the ball, but not for its intended purpose. Phil vows to the soccer parents that he will make this team a winner. Buck laughs and makes a personal bet with Phil involving the outcome of the post-season, which Buck's teams almost always win. In order to win the bet, Phil enlists the aid of Mike Ditka (yes, that Mike Ditka), a neighbor of Buck's who finds the elder Weston quite irritating. Assistant Coach Ditka puts the team through workouts, and teaches Phil to appreciate a good cup of coffee. Ditka even introduces Phil to a couple of Italian immigrant kids named Massimo (Alessandro Ruggiero) and Gian Piero (Francesco Liotti), who get to play on the team on the condition that it doesn't interfere with their apprenticeship in their uncle's butcher shop. The boys put the team on a winning streak because nobody has a plan for containing the boys. However, Phil becomes obsessed with success, which threatens many things, including his relationship with Sam, whom he relegates to the bench.

As I watched "Kicking & Screaming," I saw the movie unfold exactly as I thought it would. The script comes from the team of Steve Rudnick and Leo Benvenuti, whose other work for the big screen are "Space Jam" and the "Santa Clause" movies. They compensate for their predictability with a slew of funny moments. For example, I enjoyed the TV ad for Buck's stores, where he's dressed like a king and his employees proclaim "He's got balls!" Also, I liked the scene where the team comes directly from the butcher shop to the game without stopping to clean themselves, which causes panic in their opponents. The direction by Jesse Dylan, whose previous effort was "American Wedding," is nicely paced, but undistinguished.

The three performers who dominate this comedy are Ferrell, Duvall, and Ditka. Ferrell is comically over the top as Phil, who's so focused on proving that he's not like his father, he loses his focus on how much like Buck he has become. Phil also develops a serious coffee habit, as the employees of a coffee house see how crazy a caffeine habit makes him. Duvall makes the most of a rare comic opportunity as Buck. He was, is, and always will be a jock at heart. Since he knows Phil as an athlete, Buck assumes that Phil will fare no better as a coach, and uses his cockiness to get under Phil's skin. He even gets into a dispute with Ditka over the coach's leaf blowing habits. Ditka has fun playing a fictional version of his demanding self. He even wears his Super Bowl ring and Bears sweater as a form of motivation. He not only whips the team into shape, but he whips Phil into shape as a coach. Even he comes to think he may have trained Phil too well.

"Kicking & Screaming" is an often-told, but enjoyable, take on the underdog sports team. This team is no Bad News Bears, but they're much more engaging than the Ladybugs. The movie is a comic look at a man who's so intent on proving something to his father, he often forgets about the more important aspects of doing things for others. In the process, he becomes the sort of sports parent who makes things miserable for everybody. This picture shows that winning isn't everything. Winning means so much less when the wins don't come with respect and dignity. "Kicking & Screaming" is a film for both adults and children. While Phil Weston sometimes takes his methods to extremes, he still learns how to make his team play as a team. While nobody wants to be a perpetual loser, Phil remembers that the most important thing for his young team is to be involved and to have fun in the process.