Delivery Man (2013)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 104 minutes
Directed by: Ken Scott
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, Cobie Smulders, Andrzej Blumenfeld, Simon Delaney, Sébastien René, Bobby Moynihan, Dave Patten, Adam Chanler-Berat, Britt Robertson, Jack Reynor, Amos VanderPoel, Jessica Williams
KRS release
Vince Vaughn is David Wozniak, a delivery truck driver who works in his father’s (Andrzej Blumenfield) meat company along with his brothers (Simon Delany and Bobby Moynihan) who are much more grounded than him.
He owes money to a group of thugs and needs to return the cash immediately. The thing is that he is very unreliable, a fact that even his girlfriend Emma (Cobie Smulders), a police officer, knows too well. She has just learnt that she is pregnant by him and thus this issue is further cause for concern. At one time, back in his youthful days, David used the pseudonym of Starbuck to make donations to a sperm bank. The result was 533 children, of which 142 now want to know who their real father is.
His friend Brett (Chris Pratt), who is a lawyer and a single father of four children, intends to keep his identity a pseudonym. However, when David opens a package containing information about the children, he starts to take an interest in their lives.
All in all, Delivery Man manages to make a successful delivery
These include: Ryan (Sébastien René), who has cerebral palsy; Viggo (Adam Chanler-Berat) who is very needy; Josh (Jack Reynor) who wants to be an actor; and Kristen (Britt Robertson) who has problems of her own.
David needs to stay anonymous, however, his guardian angel act may throw some doubt on his position. Meanwhile, he still has to tell Emma about all this, has a big debt to pay and there is the slight chance of a lawsuit from his biological children.
Vaughn has made some quality comic movies such as Old School (2003) and Wedding Crashers (2005). His fans will like Delivery Man, but the film has enough warmth and feelings to please a general audience.
The picture marks a change from Vaughn’s usual style of comedy where he usually shoots one comic liner after another. Here he tries, and on many counts succeeds, to deliver a screen presence that is not just based on the dialogue.
Director Ken Scott remakes his own French-Canadian 2011 movie Starbuck, which had been a hit in Canada. Scott and Vaughn both provide a veritable and literal ode to the joys and responsibilities of being a parent, even though being a responsible parent for 142 children is surreal! However, the film drives its responsibility message through and succeeds in the way it bridges the divide between comedy and a message-oriented picture.
Vaughn also benefits from a good supporting cast. Pratt from the sitcom Parks and Recreation is a hoot as the lawyer-turned-parent-of-four who is itching to get back in the courtroom. Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) has a small but worthy part.
All in all, Delivery Man manages to make a successful delivery!