Drillbit Taylor
Rated PG-13 for crude sexual references throughout, strong bullying, language, drug references and partial nudity.
reviewed by Christopher Lyon
Producer/director/writer Judd Apatow has had a hot streak in the last few years. With help from guys like actor/writer Seth Rogen, his team has been kicking out one successful (and raunchy!) R-rated comedy after another. But can they make their magic work in one more tale of down-to-earth freaks and geeks overcoming uncoolness to win the day? Will the PG-13 rated "Drillbit Taylor" (produced by Apatow and written by Rogen) be another slacker hero's journey to comedy gold (only without the f-words)? Eh.
The Story
It's a timeless tale. Three freshmen geeks on high school Day 1. Wade (Nate Hartley) is tall, skinny, and croaky-voiced. Best friend Ryan (Troy Gentile) is short and fat and talks like he wandered off the set of "The Sopranos." Emmit (David Dorman) is flighty, tiny, and wears braces. Naturally, they fall right into the crosshairs of a ruthless bully named Filkins (Alex Frost).
Unable to stop he and his friend from constantly humiliating them, the trio post an online ad for a bodyguard. The only one they can afford is Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson). Though posing as a special-forces trained security expert, he's really a homeless guy looking to put together enough cash to go to Canada.
The scam works until his "training" gives the three kids enough confidence to stop running from Filkins -- only to get beat down hard. Taylor feels guilty and goes undercover at the high school as a substitute teacher (Dr. Illbit) in order to better protect the boys. Now he must juggle the affections of a flirty English teacher (Leslie Mann) and the urgings of his fellow bums to loot Wade's wealthy parents, all while keeping Filkins from dismantling his geek employers.
The Verdict
[NOTE: Hey, we're trying something new with this section for a while. Instead of the traditional balanced take of our critic, we're intentionally going bipolar. Some people love every movie they see. Some (usually critics) can find something to hate in any film. We're going to let those two types break down the movie for you. Tell us what you think.]
Fanboy says: An instantly quotable classic full of all the spirit and a little less of the smut usually found in a coming-of-age comedy attached to Judd Apatow and/or Seth Rogan! The geeks actually look like they could be in high school instead of 25-year-olds pretending to be 14. They might not be as polished, but how could you not love that scene where they keep hitting each other to see what its like. Hilarious! Owen Wilson cracks me up. And the final showdown at the end of the film is awesome. Very satisfying. Geeks and losers unite!
Cranky Critic says: I knew this mess was in trouble when I started rooting for the bully. I haven't hit anyone in the face since I was in second grade, but I kind of wanted to hit the three kids in this film. They're just so pathetic. Please. The rule is that movie geeks are supposed to be a little lovable to earn some sympathy so you want to cheer for them when they overcome all the odds to become heroes in the end. But these geeks are just annoying. They don't seem to really even like each other, and I don't blame them. And they've got zero chemistry with Owen Wilson, who keeps glancing around like he's looking for Ben Stiller to jump out of the bushes so they can start having a good time.
For a movie like this to work, it either has to be completely outrageous beyond any hint of reality or rooted in real characters and relationships and, you know, feelings. "Drillbit Taylor" never commits either way. It just hangs in the lukewarm middle range, making it's attempts at funny blah and it's attempts at real feelings kind of icky.
Other critics/content: Most "real" critics are failing "Drillbit." It earns it's PG-13 rating with lots of harsh language (including Jesus' name used for swearing), lots of hitting and fighting (most of it comic), and some crude and icky sexual dialogue from the mouths of awkward 9th graders.
Worldview
How should you deal with bullies -- irrational, hurtful people who won't leave you alone no matter what you do? The film's worldview has everything to do with the need for confidence. Drillbit's a bum because he doesn't think he can do anything worthwhile with his life, especially after one really bad choice years before. The geeky 9th graders are convinced they can't protect themselves. They need someone to take care of them.
In the end, all the losers discover that the key to gaining confidence is confronting your fear head-on. Drillbit comes face-to-face with his fear of being a nobody and his fear of failure. The guys grapple with their fear of pain and humiliation. They succeed by standing up to what scares them, taking the punch, and punching right back.
Jesus, of course, is famous for teaching His followers to take a punch and NOT punch back. (See Luke 6:27-31.) That might be one of the hardest of His teachings to understand. It just sounds so weak, doesn't it? But I'm writing this on Good Friday. It takes huge courage to take abuse and not strike back when you're doing it for the right reason. It takes real trust in a powerful God and real love for unlovely people.
But the Bible does not teach Christians to let fear itself keep them down. In fact, we're commanded to punch back at our tendency to be afraid. Why is the command "don't be afraid" found so regularly in Scripture? Because God knows that when we walk through the scariest experiences in life -- while trusting Him to take care of us -- we'll come out the other side with big confidence in Him and in who He has made us to be.
Questions:
- What's your take -- fanboy or cranky?
- Are you a fan of Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen? How does "Drillbit" rate compared to other projects they've been attached to?
- Would you count yourself as a geek and/or freak? A bully? A faceless normal person nobody ever makes movies about?
- Does Owen Wilson crack you up no matter what he's in?
- How do you deal with things that scare you? Run away? Take the punch? Hit back?