Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003)

A thirty-something former child star hires a foster family to re-create the childhood he never had.

Director:

Sam Weisman

Writers:

Fred Wolf, David Spade

Stars:

David Spade, Mary McCormack, Craig Bierko

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Spade	...	Dickie Roberts
Mary McCormack	...	Grace Finney
Craig Bierko	...	George Finney
Scott Terra	...	Sam Finney
Jenna Boyd	...	Sally Finney
John Farley	...	Referee
Bobby Slayton	...	Commentator
Michael Buffer	...	Himself
Fred Wolf	...	Dickie's Corner Man
Alyssa Milano	...	Cyndi
Emmanuel Lewis	...	Himself
Joey Diaz	...	Emmanuel's Entourage (as Joey 'Coco' Diaz)
Kevin Grevioux	...	Emmanuel's Entourage
Brian Clark	...	Guy in Car
Leif Garrett	...	Himself

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

former child star | actor | children | alcoholics anonymous | actor shares last name with character | 

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Taglines:

50 million people used to watch him on TV. Now he washes their cars.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude and sex-related humor, language and drug references

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dickie Roberts: (Former) Child Star

Filming Locations:

741 S Hudson Ave, Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$321,157 (Australia) (20 February 2004)

Gross:

$321,157 (Australia) (20 February 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Happy Madison Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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.

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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.

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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]

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Crazy Credits

About 30 former child stars sing "Child Stars On Your Television" a la "We Are The World".

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Connections

References Celebrity Boxing (2002)

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Soundtracks

"Dammit"
by Scott Raynor, Mark Hoppus and Thomas DeLonge (as Tom Delonge)
Performed by Blink 182
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Leave It To Dickie

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