Man of the House Movie Review:


Don’t you hate it when the only good parts of a movie have been shown in the preview? “Man of the House” is the latest film to commit this cinematic sin. After viewing the preview, we know that Tommy Lee Jones plays a Texas Ranger who moves in with a group of cheerleaders to protect them and that Cedric the Entertainer performs his trademark dance moves. The mere thought of Tommy Lee Jones and Cedric the Entertainer together in an action comedy was enough to pique my curiosity. Throw in a few cheerleading routines and I’m hooked completely. Sadly, the movie gave me little else to cheer about.

Jeers not cheers for the stereotypical depiction of cheerleaders here – a feisty Latina (Paula Garcés), a dumb blonde (Kelli Garner), a street-smart Italian (Vanessa Ferlito), a rhythmic African-American (Christina Milian), a pushy WASP (Monica Keena). They love to show off their gorgeous bodies by wearing skimpy clothing – refusing to cover up until Jones’ character installs a special air conditioning system. Hints of deeper character development emerge only when one girl (Garner) develops a crush on Jones and another (Ferlito) demonstrates hidden intellectual potential. But, sadly, these “Man of the House” cheerleaders bear no resemblance to my favorite “Bring It On” pepsters.

I’m also disappointed that scenes between Jones (“Men in Black”) and Cedric the Entertainer (“Serving Sara”) are few and far between. That’s too bad, because it’s fun to watch them play off each other -- Jones with his sarcastic, dry delivery and Cedric with his amusing effervescence. I wish Cedric, who portrays an ex-con turned minister, and his gospel choir received more camera time in “Man of the House.” Whenever they appear, things liven up considerably.

Another cast member deserving additional screen time is Anne Archer (“Clear and Present Danger”). Her sensitive portrayal of Jones’ love interest, an English Literature professor, rings true – and it’s a treat to see this lovely lady back on the big screen. She and Jones make an appealing couple, one I’d like to see again, but in a mature romantic comedy.

Directed by Stephen Herek (Rock Star) from a screenplay and story by five (!!!) writers, “Man of the House” fails to deliver much exciting action or laugh-out-loud comedy. Although both Tommy Lee Jones and Cedric the Entertainer have earned considerable credit with me because of past performances, I hope they choose their projects more wisely in the future.



Betty Jo Tucker

Despite a strong cast and a potentially engaging premise, the few moments of sharp humour in this film just aren't quite enough to make it work. The filmmakers keep making the most hackneyed jokes and approaching the material from the most sexist angles. It really wears you down.

Texas Ranger Roland Sharp (Jones) is assigned to protect a group of five cheerleaders who witnessed a brutal killing. But they refuse to take the situation seriously, and draw Sharp into university life, including a budding romance with their literature professor (Archer) and Important Life Lessons about how to deal with his 17-year-old daughter (Woodward). Meanwhile, the bad guy (Van Holt) is closing in on them.

The plot is the basic connect-the-dots thing, without a single surprise. So it's up to the cast to inject some life into the film. And they certainly try! The cheerleaders-in-peril gang are quite funny--charming, endearing, smart and tough, with Milian as their sassy leader, Garner as the airhead bimbo, Keena as the brainy blonde, Garcés missing her (unseen) boyfriend and Ferlito as the rebel. These are the worst kind of stereotypes, but the cast underplay them as much as they can, and it works. Comic relief is provided by Cedric's ex-con/ex-cheerleader minister. And at the centre of the storm Jones plays it just a bit too straight--grimacing and growling through most scenes, even though the film's high points are the moments when he smiles and cracks a joke.

Herek knows his way around an irreverent comedy (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Rock Star), and the problem is that this film is simply not irreverent enough. The comedy is played for the most obvious laughs--bland, cliched, unoriginal--while the rest is an uneven mix of grisly violence, voyeuristic camera work and silly set pieces (the requisite makeover, a preposterous skating sequence). Who's it aimed at anyway? So when a rare zinger leaps out and makes us laugh, we realise what an enjoyable film this should have been.

Rich Cline

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