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A high school slacker who's rejected by every school he applies to opts to create his own institution of higher learning, the South Harmon Institute of Technology, on a rundown piece of property near his hometown.
A gubernatorial candidate hires a wormy special assistant whose only job is to make sure the candidate's well-meaning but incompetent brother doesn't ruin the election.
When a blonde sorority queen is dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to follow him to law school to get him back and, once there, learns she has more legal savvy than she ever imagined.
Director:
Robert Luketic
Stars:
Reese Witherspoon,
Luke Wilson,
Selma Blair
TV child star of the '70s, Dickie Roberts is now 35 and parking cars. Craving to regain the spotlight, he auditions for a role of a normal guy, but the director quickly sees he is anything but normal. Desperate to win the part, Dickie hires a family to help him replay his childhood and assume the identity of an average, everyday kid. Several folk who are also involved in Dickie's special world include: Sidney, Dickie's longtime friend and agent; Cyndi, his on-again, off-again girlfriend; Peggy, Dickie's real mother; George, Dickie's adopted father figure; and Grace, his adopted mother figure. Written by
Sujit R. Varma
The crew built an actual treehouse in the back yard of the house used for the exterior scenes of the Finney's home. The real homeowners liked it so much, they requested that the producers to leave it up after filming. See more »
Goofs
At the end of Heather Bolan's audition, her hands are in her hair. She is shown from behind, and she puts her arms down. When she is shown from the front, she puts her arms down again. See more »
Quotes
Barry Williams:
I bet you a thousand dollars... no, make that a hundred dollars and the actual football we used to hit Marcia with in the whole "My nose, My nose" episode, that Brendan Frasier never calls.
[Dickie's phone rings]
Dickie Roberts:
Hold on.
[answers phone]
Dickie Roberts:
Go for Dickie.
[everyone else laughs]
Dickie Roberts:
Brendan? Yes, of course I can meet Rob Reiner tomorrow!
Dickie Roberts:
[laughs and points at Barry Williams, who glares at him]
See more »
Crazy Credits
About 30 former child stars sing "Child Stars On Your Television" a la "We Are The World". See more »
Former child star David Spade (as "Dickie" Roberts) wants to be famous again. The once popular pre-teen best remembered for coining the catchphrase, "This is nucking futs!" parks cars and participates in a boxing match with Emmanuel Lewis, who aims for Mr. Spade's putz and nuts. Spade plays cards with other washed-up child stars. He probably should have trained with Danny Bonaduce. After receiving a tip from Leif (pronounced "Life") Garrett, the comeback-minded Spade visits Meatloaf-turned-movie-mogul Rob Reiner to discuss an audition. Things go bad when Spade is unable to convey a childhood emotion. Surmising this is because he never had a proper childhood, Spade hires a typical suburban family to "adopt" him...
Spade learns how to act from little "brother" Scott Terra (as Sam Finney) and "sister" Jenna Boyd (as Sally Finney). He learns how to ride a bicycle and admires beautifully-shaped "mother" Mary McCormack (as Grace).
The acting "family" and Jon Lovitz (as Sidney Wernick) are fine. The story takes a few left turns and lessons are learned. How awful this film is may depend on how familiar you are with the many celebrities and "Hollywood" references herein. Or, it may not. Everything is wrapped up with a group sing-a-long in the "We Are the World" style. It somehow manages to be threatening, embarrassing, inaccurate and revelatory. All ends up so wretched it must be remembered this is a comedy - although it's hard to laugh with your jaw on the floor.
** Dickie Roberts, Former Child Star (9/3/03) Sam Weisman ~ David Spade, Scott Terra, Jenna Boyd, Mary McCormack
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Former child star David Spade (as "Dickie" Roberts) wants to be famous again. The once popular pre-teen best remembered for coining the catchphrase, "This is nucking futs!" parks cars and participates in a boxing match with Emmanuel Lewis, who aims for Mr. Spade's putz and nuts. Spade plays cards with other washed-up child stars. He probably should have trained with Danny Bonaduce. After receiving a tip from Leif (pronounced "Life") Garrett, the comeback-minded Spade visits Meatloaf-turned-movie-mogul Rob Reiner to discuss an audition. Things go bad when Spade is unable to convey a childhood emotion. Surmising this is because he never had a proper childhood, Spade hires a typical suburban family to "adopt" him...
Spade learns how to act from little "brother" Scott Terra (as Sam Finney) and "sister" Jenna Boyd (as Sally Finney). He learns how to ride a bicycle and admires beautifully-shaped "mother" Mary McCormack (as Grace).
The acting "family" and Jon Lovitz (as Sidney Wernick) are fine. The story takes a few left turns and lessons are learned. How awful this film is may depend on how familiar you are with the many celebrities and "Hollywood" references herein. Or, it may not. Everything is wrapped up with a group sing-a-long in the "We Are the World" style. It somehow manages to be threatening, embarrassing, inaccurate and revelatory. All ends up so wretched it must be remembered this is a comedy - although it's hard to laugh with your jaw on the floor.
** Dickie Roberts, Former Child Star (9/3/03) Sam Weisman ~ David Spade, Scott Terra, Jenna Boyd, Mary McCormack