Can Vince Vaughn find some meaning to his life when he finds out that he fathered over 500 kids in Delivery Man? Is this really a comedy? Let’s find out.
Logline
David is in his thirties, working as a delivery man for his family meat store, and can’t seem to get his life together. Failing at everything, including growing his own pot and bringing the basketball uniforms for the store team, David is the joke of the family.
When he learns that his sperm bank donations he made in the past have led to him directly fathering 533 kids, David is thrown a curveball to his life. Over 100 of David’s kids want to find out who their father is and are launching a lawsuit to identify him.
His friend Brett takes up David’s legal case and agrees that David needs to protect his anonymity. As the legal battle grows, David gets an envelope with details about his kids. The curiosity is too much, and soon David starts to connect with his kids.
As the days go by and he meets more of the children he helped create, David makes a lasting bond with many of them. The loveable loser starts to realize he has done something incredible and wants to do more.
David also tries to be a better boyfriend for his girlfriend Emma, who happens to be pregnant with his next child. As the lawsuit nears completion, and the birth of his new child is imminent, David must decide if he wants to reveal himself, or fight to stay hidden from his kids.
High Praise
Vince Vaughn does well in the role of David. It allows Vaughn to be Vince Vaughn but at the same time offers some range for the actor that takes a mediocre character like David and allows the audience to connect with him.
All the scenes where David’s family comes together are perfect. They capture the angst of brothers teasing brothers, the eternal love that a father has for his kids even though they are constant screwups, and how hard the loss of a parent can affect so many people.
There is a redemptive quality to the film that is well executed and fun to watch. When David spends time getting to know his kids, it’s enjoyable and fun, and not overly sappy and emotional. It feels genuine.
What Were They Thinking
Why couldn’t Cobie Smulders have a better role in the film. She’s a cop in New York, and David’s girlfriend, but she gets left behind for most of the film. Cobie deserves better.
Backlot Knowledge
- The movie made over $7 million on its opening weekend.
- The film is a remake of the 2011 Canadian comedy Starbuck, which was also written and directed by Ken Scott.
- There was also a French remake of the film in 2013, titled Fonzy.
- Chris Pratt reportedly gained a sizable amount of weight to play the out of shape Brett.
- The meat store in the film is Morscher’s Pork Store in Ridgewood, New York.
- Sebastien Rene who plays David’s disabled son Ryan, is the only actor to appear in both Starbuck and Delivery Man.
Critical Response
{Snub-Skip this Film, Overexposed-Desperate for Something to Watch, Clapper-A Perfect Film For Any Device, Magic Hour– You Must Watch This Film on a Big Screen, Award Worthy– This Film is Cinema.}
Delivery Man is nothing special. It’s a sweet movie with a good message that is easily forgettable. Vince Vaughn is his usual Vince Vaughn self which is part charming/annoying, but the film never allows Vaughn to be the fast-talking smooth operator that audiences are used to and expecting to see.
Delivery Man gets the Overexposed award. If you are desperate for something to watch, then this film is a great solution to fill your movie need. However, I must warn any future viewers that even though the film gets tagged as a comedy, it’s far from being a laugh out loud tale of life.
Best Quotable Line
Mikolaj: You know David, I love you like a son.
David: I am your son.
This is a great exchange which perfectly relays how much parents endure from their children and their inability to grow up.
Bill’s Hot Take
Delivery Man is another example of moviemaking that focuses on the ineptitude of middle-aged men who can’t bother to grow up and must wait for life to force them to be an adult. There are countless films like this that glorify the middle-aged loser, and it’s time to move beyond this story trope.
Call Sheet
- Vince Vaughn as David
- Chris Pratt as Brett
- Cobie Smulders as Emma
- Bobby Moynihan as Aleksy
Production Team:
Directed by Ken Scott
Produced by Touchstone Pictures / DreamWorks Pictures / Reliance Entertainment
Written by Ken Scott and Martin Petit
Release Date: November 22, 2013
Budget: $26 million
Domestic Box Office Gross: $30,664,106
Worldwide Box Office Total: $53,120,346
Coming Attractions
Next week, a special edition of ‘Touchstone and Beyond’ with a look back at the 30th anniversary of one of 20th Century Fox’s greatest films of the 20th century: Speed.