A little late on this one, but I am glad I took the time to check it out. Delivery Man, a feel good story about a lovable-loser who is a delivery driver for the family business whose former side job as a fertility clinic donor results of him being the biological father of 533 children, 143 of which have stepped forward and want to know who the mystery man is that sired them.
A very faithful re-telling of Starbuck, a popular 2011 French-Canadian comedy directed and co-written by Ken Scott, Delivery Man is a little bit lighter on the satirical content from the original story, in favor of a softer around the edges approach. Thanks to some truly great performances, lead by Vince Vaughn in a decided change of pace for the actor in a more reflective and emotional turn than we are used to seeing from him, this movie is moving and touching, while also being humorous and lighthearted.
Changing scenery from the original story's location of Quebec to New York, but leaving the majority of the characters and scenes as they were, Scott and his writing partner Martin Petit, keep their main character David Wozniak on his path to finding himself and moving from being an immature deliveryman to being capable of being a real father.
A constant underachiever, David's life is turned upside down when his girlfriend Emma, played by Colbie Smulders, reveals to him she is pregnant. But he comes to find out that this is not the first time. A mix up at the fertility clinic he was a constant donor at when he was younger has caused a lawsuit of massive proportions to be filed against the clinic, only to find Wozniak's false name Starbuck and they want to know who he is. Refusing to heed the advice of his attorney and best friend Brett, played wonderfully by the funny and pudgy Chris Pratt, David begins tracking down some of the kids that have stepped forward. His search leads him to anonymous interactions with some of the plaintiffs including an aspiring actor, a YMCA lifeguard, a special needs young man who is confined to a wheelchair, and even a professional basketball player, each of whom in their own way help David on his path to being a better person.
From an acting standpoint, this movie is top notch and tremendously acted. Vince Vaughn is more than welcome in his turn as David. It is nice to see him move away from his typical comedy genre fare. Chris Pratt continues to show us why he is going to be a big star in Hollywood. He has some serious acting skill that is on display and as he shows in his tv show Parks and Recreation he is more than a match for Vince Vaughn's particular brand of comedy. Coblie Smulders doesn't have as much to do as her male counterparts, but she carries her own weight none the less. The most emotional scenes of the movie hinge on her interaction with Vaughn, and she is great in them.
Funny and endlessly charming, Delivery Man is a truly touching film. It is not perfect. One or two storytelling issues slow it down, and not all of the kids are played by great actors, but all in all this is a film that is definitely worth seeing.
7/10
Brett Royster
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