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One of the stupidest, silliest films you’ll ever see, The Benchwarmers is also outright hilarious, filled from beginning to end with an abundance of heart-warming humor. The work of veteran TV and film director Dennis Dugan, the brains behind other off-the-wall comedy films such as Big Daddy (1999) and Happy Gilmore (1999), The Benchwarmers could easily be confused for a joint reunion of former Saturday Night Live cast members and ESPN anchormen. Some of the notable faces you’ll see include David Spade, Rob Schneider, Jon Lovitz, Reggie Jackson, Dan Patrick, Tim Meadows, Craig Kilborn, Bill Romanowski, Sean Salisbury, and John Heder of Napoleon Dynamite fame. Overall, The Benchwarmers is a great comedy. It’s certainly not the best I’ve ever seen, but it has its moments. The feel-good nature and the moral behind the plotline provide added depth to the one-liners with no group or class of people left unscathed.
The Benchwarmers centers around the lives of three particular men who spent their youth bearing the wrath of schoolyard bullies. They weren’t tall, cool, and athletic, so they often got picked on by those who were. But when Gus (Rob Schneider) convinces his two friends Richie (David Spade) and Clark (Jon Heder) to take some batting practice on a nearby Little League baseball field for old times sake (despite the fact neither man has ever played before), the three end up challenging a team of eleven-year-olds for the right to play on the field. Gus, often picked on because he was short, is nonetheless a stellar ballplayer, and he single-handedly defeats the other team. When word gets out, neighborhood billionaire Mel (Jon Lovitz) decides to bankroll a cross-state tour for “The Benchwarmers” where they’ll challenge the meanest little league teams around, with the eventual winner taking possession of a brand-new, state-of-the-art Little League field. Mel, once a benchwarmer himself, hopes The Benchwarmers can give his own son and nerds everywhere hope for redemption as the victories pile up and the fame of the players spreads through chatrooms and podcasts everywhere…
One of the funniest scenes in the film involves the arrival of Reggie Jackson who was apparently a former-benchwarmer and childhood friend of Mel. In order to help prepare his team, Mel hires the hall-of-fame icon to teach his team the baseball fundamentals and practice habits that made him Mr. October. The result is an endless relay of ringing doorbells and smashing mailboxes that will leave you rolling through the theater aisles in utter laughter. Another hilarious sequence involves a benchwarmer game in which the opposing team uses a “ringer,” a 30-year-old beer-guzzling, chain-smoking Dominican player posing as a twelve-year old. If they handed out Oscars for such ridiculous roles, Amaury Nolasco would win for his portrayal of Carlos. It’s worth seeing the entire film just to see Nolasco. He’s that funny…
You’ll be hard-pressed to watch this film without laughing out loud at some point. Amazingly, the audience actually manages to develop a rapport with the characters which is rare for a film of this genre. The universal ability to relate to the benchwarmer caste is probably the number one reason why. It’s touching. It’s ridiculous. It’s outright funny. In short, The Benchwarmers is one of those movies you’ll either love or hate depending on the mood you’re in when you see it. If you’re hungry for a probing drama, then stay away. But if you’re looking for some silly fun, this is the film for you…
About the author:
Britt Gillette is author of
The DVD Report
, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one.
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