The original title was less than appealing. This raunchy road-trip comedy underwent a name change 2 months prior to release giving it a less coloful title “Father Figures.” The plot is also given a tag line within the movie ‘’Operation Who’s Your Daddy?”
So if that’s not self aware enough for yah or even creative, it gets better. From one bizarre development to another starting with Terry Bradshaw (the football star) followed by Ving Rhames and even Oscar winners Christopher Walken and J.K. Simmons all finding out they could be the possible fathers.
In the center of the story are Owen Wilson and Ed Helms, playing twins who find out that their free-spirited mother Helen (Glenn Close) has lied to them about the situation of their birth. Kyle (Wilson) he’s a model who made a lot of money selling his image to a successful BBQ company, and now he’s being replaced by a monkey. Peter (Helms) is an uptight proctologist who is going through a rough divorce and problems with his son. Peter resents Kyle for having such an easy life, and he’s also feeling a lot of pain for never knowing his father. At first they don’t see eye to eye. But their journey through family secrets delivers surprising charm.
The first-time director, Lawrence Sher, does a decent job weaving this wild goose chase together with the help of his two leads. Katt Williams has fun as a hitchhiker who’ll put up with almost anything to get a ride with the twins. Helms and Wilson are sometimes a stretch as brothers, but in the end they all do well through the twists and turns plus the ending is not what I expected quite and emotional ride. Close is perfect as the mother, a sup porting role that feels bigger than it is.
One fun fact Near the end of the film, Helen mentions that Peter and Kyle were born “three days before Christmas” in December 1975- This is December 22. The film was released on December 22, 2017, Kyle and Peter’s 42nd birthday.
Rated R for language and sexual references throughout
Now streaming on VidAngel
I give it B-
