Grandma's Boy (2006)

Sick Product of a Sick System

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

OK, I'll admit that I have a weakness for any movie with dwarfs or monkeys. Grandma's Boy sucked me in with the still frame depicting a chimp, so I was hooked and in for the duration. Unfortunately, the bit with the chimp was a brief cameo at the end, and I paid the price in suffering through the balance of the film first.Billed as a "cult classic" on Hulu, I can only wonder what cult would willing to inflict this stinker on their members more than once. Full of coarse language, sex jokes, and non stop stoner humor, Grandma's Boy is hardly the laugh every three minutes some think it is. The scripting is predictable, the acting strained, and the characterizations unbelievable.The premise has promise with two divergent generations under the same roof, but it's wasted with overt attempts at humor that you can see coming a mile away. Nothing subtle here, unfortunately.The only bright spots for me were David Spade's cameo as a waiter in a vegan restaurant, and Shirley Jones as a horribly miscast over-the-hill cougar. I could believe their performances, even when surrounded by the poor performances of their accomplices.There are plenty of true comedic cult classics to enjoy, such as Blazing Saddles, Airplane!, Young Frankenstein, Where's Poppa?, Ghost Town, etc., but Grandma's Boy ain't one of them.

Alex (Allen Covert) is a middle-aged bachelor video game tester living with his roommate Josh. They're thrown out after Josh waste their rent money on hookers. Alex tries to live with his marijuana dealer Dante but Dante is getting a lion. His co-worker Jeff still lives with his parents and Alex has an unfortunate incident with his mom. Alex is forced to stay with his grandma (Doris Roberts) and her two friends Grace (Shirley Jones) and Bea (Shirley Knight). Samantha (Linda Cardellini) is the new executive brought in to launch the latest game.Allen Covert is not a funny performer. Even if you're inclined towards slacker weed humor, Allen doesn't have the charisma to be the lead. The humor is OK for what it is. It has some funny moments but the laughs are limited (unless you're baked).

Grandma's Boy (2006): Dir: Nicholaus Goossen / Cast: Allen Covert, Linda Cardellini, Peter Dante, Doris Roberts, Joel Moore: Disappointing comedy about the seemingly innocent as video game tester Allen Covert is forced to move in with his grandmother and her two elderly roommates. Simple plot dissolves into bathroom humour including footage of an elderly woman having sex with a young male. Directed by Nicholaus Goossen with characters who are all morons. The guy who dresses like a character from The Matrix is a complete idiot. Covert is unable to elevate this comic travesty above sewer level and for his first starring role, this is not very promising. Linda Cardellini as a new employee overseeing the deadline release of games is a complete fake. Never once does she convincingly sell the performance. She is more or less a romantic prop with no regards to a decent relationship. Peter Dante plays a friend of Covert's who exports exotic animals to protect his drug stash. In his own movie that might have worked to great comic appeal but here it is just a sideshow. Doris Roberts plays grandma who will eventually turn out to be hip and cool playing video games. Joel Moore plays the most idiotic antagonist dreamt up in a screenplay in a while. Technically well made comedy but with too much stupidity for an hour plus time period for anyone (including grandma) to have to sit through. Score: 3 / 10

When his roommate spends the rent money on Filipino hookers, Alex, a 35 year old video game tester has to find a new place to live. After embarrassing himself in front of his best friend's mother, Alex is forced to move in with his grandmother. Trying to save face with his younger co-workers, Alex says that he is living with three hot women who keep him up all night....And there's a sub plot about him making a game, and the local geek taking the credit for it......Its a Happy Madison movie, so you know what to expect from the start, and you get what you expect, immature characters, stoners, driving monkeys, and random characters.And its hilarious, from beginning to end, and Covert proves that he can hold a film, as well as being endearing, and genuinely funny.Its not for all tastes, and there are people who would probably balk at the idea that someone likes this, but all the characters are great, there are some laugh out loud set pieces, and even though the writers have included the old movie clichés (hot new woman working at the same place, nerd stealing a great idea) they fit well into the film.Its throwaway stuff, but hilarious nevertheless.Treat your inner immature self...