Role Models (2008)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

David Wain

Writers (WGA):

Paul Rudd (screenplay) &
David Wain (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 November 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Danny and Wheeler were just sentenced to 150 hours mentoring kids. Worst idea ever.

Plot:

Wild behavior forces a pair of energy drink reps to enroll in a Big Brother program.

Plot Keywords:

Big Brother | Energy Drink | Girlfriend | Community Service | Tow Truck

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Seann William Scott	...	Wheeler
Paul Rudd	...	Danny Donahue
Christopher Mintz-Plasse	...	Augie Farks
Bobb'e J. Thompson	...	Ronnie Shields
Elizabeth Banks	...	Beth
Jane Lynch	...	Gayle Sweeny
Ken Jeong	...	King Argotron
Ken Marino	...	Jim Stansel
Kerri Kenney	...	Lynette (as Kerri Kenney-Silver)
A.D. Miles	...	Martin Gary
Joe Lo Truglio	...	Kuzzik
Matt Walsh	...	Davith of Glencracken
Nicole Randall Johnson	...	Karen
Alexandra Stamler	...	Esplen (as Allie Stamler)
Carly Craig	...	Connie
Jessica Morris	...	Linda the Teacher
Vincent Martella	...	Artonius
Armen Weitzman	...	Party Dude
Jorma Taccone	...	Mitch from Graphics
Nate Hartley	...	Rule Master
David Wain	...	Chevron Baine
Amanda Righetti	...	Isabel
Shane Arenal	...	Student in Hall
Tina Casciani	...	Gretchen
Nina Hellman	...	Barista
Louis C.K.	...	Security Guard
Zaid Farid	...	Tow Truck Driver
Hunter Brochu	...	Boy in Video
Zandy Hartig	...	Panda-Loving Big
Keegan Michael Key	...	Duane
Emily Mostyn-Brown	...	Laire Singer
Joshua L.K. Patterson	...	Gleebo (as Joshua Patterson)
Peter Salett	...	Ladislas of Leisure
Lorna Scott	...	Horse Scooter Woman
Caleb Matthew Collins	...	Little at Campfire (as Caleb Collins)
Nick Nervies	...	Ronnie's Friend JJ
Kurt Doss	...	Ronnie's Friend Kyle
Tajh Bellow	...	Ronnie's Friend Zak
Shawn Huang	...	Ronnie's Friend Little Jack
Seth Herzog	...	Bell-Ringing Winged Creature
Eva Card	...	Chocolate Strawberry Girl
James Henderson	...	Party Goer
Jenny Robertson	...	Elevator Mom
Jeanine Jackson	...	Burger Hole Waitress
Matt Ballard	...	Valconian Swordsman
Cody Lawrence	...	Skateboard Kid
Arturo Gil	...	Chip Monk Puppeteer #1 (as Art Gil)
Cindy Sorenson	...	Chip Monk Puppeteer #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rio Ahn	...	Larp (uncredited)
Heather Black	...	Casadonian Larp (uncredited)
Jenn Gotzon	...	Sexy Hiker (uncredited)
Michelle Lenhardt	...	Sarah - Beth's Friend (uncredited)
Taylor Mills	...	Warrior Princess (uncredited)
Michael Molthen	...	Larp (uncredited)
Martin Pierron	...	LARP Elf (uncredited)
Eric Shackelford	...	Glencraken Knight (uncredited)
George Sharperson	...	Jailer (uncredited)
Gary Sievers	...	Cassadonian LARP (uncredited)
Jobeth Wagner	...	Larper (uncredited)
Stephen Weese	...	Pirate (uncredited)

Directed by
David Wain

Writing credits (WGA)
Paul Rudd		(screenplay) &
David Wain		(screenplay) &
Ken Marino		(screenplay) and
Timothy Dowling		(screenplay)
Timothy Dowling		(story) and
W. Blake Herron		(story) (as William Blake Herron)

Produced by
Juan Castro	....	co-producer
Andrew Z. Davis	....	executive producer
Luke Greenfield	....	producer
Dan Kolsrud	....	executive producer
Mary Parent	....	producer
Matthew Seigel	....	producer (as Matt Seigel)
William Sherak	....	executive producer
Jason Shuman	....	executive producer
Rebecca Sloviter	....	associate producer
Scott Stuber	....	producer

Original Music by
Craig Wedren

Cinematography by
Russ T. Alsobrook		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Eric Kissack

Casting by
Lisa Beach
Sarah Katzman

Production Design by
Stephen J. Lineweaver		(as Stephen Lineweaver)

Art Direction by
Kevin Constant

Set Decoration by
Douglas A. Mowat		(as Douglas Mowat)

Costume Design by
Molly Maginnis

Makeup Department
Ken Diaz	....	makeup department head: Laire sequences
Adruitha Lee	....	hair department head
Viviane Normand	....	hair stylist (as Vivian Normand)
Suzi Ostos	....	makeup artist: Mr. Scott
Nena Smarz	....	makeup department head (as Nena Smarz-O'Carroll)
Kelvin R. Trahan	....	hair department head: additional photography (as Kelvin Trahan)
Judy Yonemoto	....	key makeup artist
Barney Burman	....	makeup artist: Sean William Scott, reshoots (uncredited)
Essie Cha	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Brent Keene	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Brad Look	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Sabine Roller	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Jose Zamora	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Debbie Zoller	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Marcei A. Brown	....	unit production manager
Lisa Rodgers	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bac DeLorme	....	second assistant director: additional photography, U.S.
Josh King	....	first assistant director
Jonathan McGarry	....	first assistant director: additional photography
Stephen W. Moore	....	second second assistant director (as Stephen Moore)
Brian Relyea	....	second assistant director (as Brian F. Relyea)
Eugene Davis	....	additional second assistant director (uncredited)
Taylor Phillips	....	assistant director: reshoots (uncredited)
Taylor Phillips	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Laine Abramson	....	set decorating buyer
Charlsey Adkins	....	graphics coordinator
Matthew Kern Atzenhoffer	....	swing gang (as Matthew Atzenhoffer)
Perry Bachelor	....	swing gang (as Perry Batchelor)
Ellis J. Barbacoff	....	assistant property master
Steve Barsony	....	swing gang
Greg Benson	....	mill foreman
Cliff Bergman	....	construction foreman
Tony Bonaventura	....	property master
James W. Boyce	....	swing gang (as James Boyce)
Chris Childers	....	swing gang
Paul Cunningham	....	set decorating gang boss
Mario D'Alfonso	....	labor foreman
Dennis DeWaay	....	construction coordinator
James Diggs	....	paint foreman (as James N. Diggs)
Brock Helfer	....	swing gang
Darryl Henley	....	storyboard artist
John B. Josselyn	....	assistant art director (as Johnny Jos)
Gary Leshner	....	swing gang
Jack Lineweaver	....	art department production assistant
Nancy Lowry	....	swing gang
Anuradha Mehta	....	set decorator: additional photography (as Radha Mehta)
John Naehrlich	....	leadman
James Nedza	....	art director: additional photography (as Jim Nedza)
Greg Nestor	....	swing gang
Joe Olsen	....	swing gang (as Joseph Olsen)
Christopher Pappas	....	assistant property master (as Chris Pappy Pappas)
Paul Sonski	....	set designer
Karen Teneyck	....	graphic designer
Tommy 'Tom' Tomlinson	....	property master: additional photography (as Tommy Tomlinson)
Kathleen Walker	....	art department coordinator
Kevan Weber	....	swing gang
Dennis Winters	....	on-set dresser (as Dennis L. Winters)
Carl Denooyer	....	set dresser (uncredited)
James Gambino	....	typesetting (uncredited)
Tommy Gutman	....	assistant props: additional photography (uncredited)
Moe Moe Lwin	....	buyer: re-shoot (uncredited)
Lee Ross	....	lead scenic: reshoots (uncredited)
F. Andrew Scott	....	paint gangboss (uncredited)
Adam Tankell	....	graphic designer: minotaur (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dave Bergstrom	....	sound re-recording engineer
Rick Canelli	....	adr recordist
Kerry Ann Carmean	....	foley editor (as Kerry Carmean-Williams)
Patrick Cusack	....	assistant sound editor
Andrew DeCristofaro	....	supervising sound editor
Thom 'Coach' Ehle	....	sound consultant: Dolby (as Thom Ehle)
Kyle Fox	....	cableman
Tom Fox	....	boom operator
Nerses Gezalyan	....	foley mixer
Michael Hertlein	....	dialogue editor
Diane Marshall	....	foley artist
Harrison D. Marsh	....	sound mixer
Christian P. Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Moriana	....	foley artist
Steve Nelson	....	sound effects editor (as Steven Nelson)
Nancy Nugent	....	supervising adr editor (as Nancy Nugent Title)
Nancy Nugent	....	supervising dialogue editor (as Nancy Nugent Title)
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr mixer
Michael Payne	....	supervising sound effects editor
Margit Pfeiffer	....	foley editor
Unsun Song	....	dubbing recordist
John C. Stuver	....	dialogue editor
Jon Taylor	....	sound re-recording mixer
Karen Vassar	....	sound effects editor
Brett Voss	....	foley mixer
Tim Walston	....	sound effects editor
Jeffrey Wilhoit	....	foley artist
Derek Casari	....	adr engineer (uncredited)
Beauxregard Neylon	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Greg Zimmerman	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Steve Luport	....	special effects foreman
Matt Sweeney	....	special effects coordinator
Robert Cole	....	special effects (uncredited)
William H. Schirmer	....	pyrotechnician (uncredited)
William H. Schirmer	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Lindsay Anderson	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Ryan Beadle	....	digital I/O (uncredited)
Sarah Grieshammer	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Shaina Holmes	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Sean Kennedy	....	digital effects artist: Pacific Vision Productions (uncredited)
Paulina Kuszta	....	visual effects coordinator (uncredited)
Erin L. Nelson	....	digital restoration (uncredited)
Wilson Tang	....	digital restoration (uncredited)

Stunts
Randall Archer	....	stunt player
Rick Avery	....	stunt player
Keith Davis	....	stunt player
Tad Griffith	....	stunt player
Freddie Hice	....	stunt player (as Fred Hice)
Brian Imada	....	stunt player
Jeff Imada	....	stunt coordinator
John Koyama	....	stunt player
Mark Kubr	....	stunt player
Luke LaFontaine	....	stunt player
Jason Rodriguez	....	stunt player
Karin Silvestri	....	stunt player
Justin Sundquist	....	stunt player
C.C. Taylor	....	stunt player
David Wald	....	stunt player
Gene Williams	....	stunt player
Randall Huber	....	stunts (uncredited)
Christopher Krieger	....	fire performer (uncredited)
David Lowell	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
Kai Nuuhiwa	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jason Rodriguez	....	stunt double: Paul Rudd (uncredited)
Brian Sampson	....	precision driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Brad Boyer	....	grip (as Bradley Boyer)
Curtis Bradford	....	chief lighting technician (as Curtiss Bradford)
Jerry C. Deats	....	key rigging grip (as Jerry Deats)
Daryl Didier	....	rigging gaffer (as Daryl L. Didier)
Charles Ehrlinger	....	grip
Rod Farley	....	rigging grip (as Roderick Farley)
Matt Floyd	....	rigging grip
Jason Garcia	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Antonio V. Garrido	....	dolly grip
Jeff Graham	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Mark Hadland	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Casey Hotchkiss	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Mati Jackson	....	rigging grip
Willow Jenkins	....	video assist operator
Jeffrey A. Johnson	....	best boy grip (as Jeffrey Johnson)
John Joyce	....	Steadicam operator (as John H. Joyce)
John Joyce	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as John H. Joyce)
Matthew Kistenmacher	....	rigging electrician
Jonas Lagunoff	....	rigging grip
Daniel L. Magat	....	set lighting technician
Shawn Meyer	....	rigging grip
Trip Morey III	....	camera loader (as Trip Morey)
John Murphy	....	dolly grip (as Joihn W. Murphy)
Robert Murphy	....	set lighting technician
Thomas Nead	....	set lighting technician
Robert Novelli	....	rigging electrician
Scott Pepin	....	set lighting technician
Blake Pike	....	rigging grip
Robin Roberts	....	rigging grip
Jason Sachse	....	rigging electrician
Rigney Sackley	....	second assistant camera
Ron Santoyo	....	best boy rigging grip
Aaron Schulte	....	rigging best boy electric
Steve Smith	....	key grip
Dan Squires	....	second assistant camera (as Daniel Albion Squires)
Brent Studler	....	set lighting technician
Tony Thomas	....	grip
Sam Urdank	....	still photographer
Marek Wojciechowski	....	grip (as Mark Wojciechowski)
Mike Bachman	....	video assist (uncredited)
Adam Camacho	....	rigging grip (uncredited)
Mark Carlile	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Dessie Coale	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Jerome Fauci	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Danny Gonzalez	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Scott Koche	....	camera loader: re-shoots (uncredited)
Oktay Ortabasi	....	camera operator: video segments (uncredited)
Terry Pfrang	....	camera operator (uncredited)
John Savedra	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Luke Bird Stern	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Jason Young	....	lighting console programmer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Charla Bowersox	....	casting associate
Wendy Hoffman	....	adr voice casting (as Wendy Hoffmann)
Beth Lipari	....	casting associate
Tammy L. Smith	....	extras casting: Smith & Webster-Davis Casting
Dixie Webster	....	extras casting: Smith & Webster-Davis Casting (as Dixie Webster-Davis)
Elizabeth Dionne	....	casting manager (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nanrose Buchman	....	assistant costume designer
Ashton Edmunds	....	costume production assistant
Phyllis Gilliam	....	costume supervisor
Ariel Gold	....	set costumer
Bradley Inaba	....	set costumer
Sharon Lynch	....	key costumer
Annie Maginnis Tippe	....	costume production assistant
Dana Rosenberg	....	set costumer
Toby Bronson	....	set costumer (uncredited)
Azalia Snail	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
David Berman	....	assistant editor
Libby Cuenin	....	editorial production assistant
David Egan	....	assistant editor
Jamie Gross	....	assistant editor
Greg Hadwick	....	editorial production assistant (as Gregory Hadwick)
Chris Jackson	....	first assistant editor
Esther Lee	....	digital intermediate producer
Debra Neil-Fisher	....	additional editor
Kurt Smith	....	colorist
Mary Beth Smith	....	negative cutter
Joshua Gollish	....	digital image technician (uncredited)
Mark Sahagun	....	digital intermediate editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Stuart Balcomb	....	orchestrator
Julian Bratolyubov	....	music preparation
Vincent Cirilli	....	music digital recordist
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor: DeCrescent/Rotter
Greg Dennen	....	scoring crew (as Greg Dennon)
Robert Fernandez	....	score mixer
Robert Fernandez	....	score recordist
Bruce Fowler	....	orchestrator
Charles Gansa	....	composer: additional music
Rick Giovinazzo	....	orchestrator
Tanya Noel Hill	....	music editor
Jamie Olvera	....	scoring crew
Ryan Robinson	....	scoring crew
Peter Rotter	....	music contractor: DeCrescent/Rotter
Rich Wheeler	....	scoring crew
Matt Novack	....	technical score advisor (uncredited)
Tim Rodier	....	music preparation (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Denny Caira	....	transportation coordinator
Karen K. Chang	....	transportation dispatcher (as Karen Chang Ambrose)
Mike Shannon	....	transportation captain
Scott Wordham	....	dot compliance coordinator
Ryan Allen	....	driver (uncredited)
Mark Brown	....	production van operator (uncredited)
Jesse Grillo	....	driver: cast (uncredited)
Chad Wadsworth	....	driver: water truck (uncredited)

Other crew
H. Leah Amir	....	craft service
Susan Bierbaum	....	script supervisor (as Susan Bierbaum-Owen)
Michael Brewer	....	assistant location manager: Brazil
Danny Brown	....	asset coordinator
Megan Brown	....	second assistant accountant
Kristen Cascio	....	assistant: Mr. Stuber
Casey B. Collins	....	assistant location manager: Brazil (as Casey Collins)
Curtis Collins	....	location manager
Donna Corwin	....	coordinating teacher
Kathy Cyrus	....	teacher (as Kathryn Cyrus)
Sierra Donley	....	set production assistant (as Sierra D. Donley)
Louis Farah Jr.	....	production medic (as Louis C. Farah Jr.)
Louis Farah	....	supervising set medic (as Louis C. Farah)
Karen Faust	....	assistant accountant
James Gierman	....	assistant location manager
Adrianne Grady	....	technical advisor
Noel B. Harris	....	assistant craft service (as Noel Harris)
Thomas J. Healy IV	....	assistant location manager (as Thomas Healy)
Jasmine Houston	....	accounting clerk
Pete Kitlas	....	set production assistant
Phillip Knoedel	....	medic (as Phil Knoedel)
Shannon Lee	....	set production assistant
James Lin	....	location manager: additional photography
Gary MacPherson	....	assistant production coordinator
James Maull	....	post-production accountant (as James O. Maull)
Caroline Miller	....	second assistant accountant
John Montgomery	....	payroll accountant
Blake Nabavi	....	set production assistant
Nicholas David Nesbitt	....	assistant: Mr. Stuber (as Nicholas D. Nesbitt)
Joshua Brian Pierce	....	office production assistant
Lori Scowley	....	production accountant
Deborah Simmrin	....	unit publicist
David Soldinger	....	assistant: Mr. Wain
Anthony Steinhart	....	set production assistant
Lois Walker	....	production coordinator
Luke Wanagel	....	production secretary (as J. Luke Wanagel)
Dina Waxman	....	script supervisor: additional photography
Shawn Williamson	....	set production assistant
J.D. Woods	....	office production assistant
Lee Zacharias	....	assistant: Ms. Parent
Taylor Benavides	....	production assistant: additional photography (uncredited)
Kaiser Clark	....	assistant: Seann William Scott (uncredited)
Sam Dabbs	....	end titles (uncredited)
Erica Getler	....	additional production assistant (uncredited)
Peter Gluck	....	key assistant location manager: additional photography (uncredited)
Lindsay Heller	....	set production assistant: reshoots (uncredited)
Doris Hellmann	....	production accountant: re-shoots (uncredited)
James Henderson	....	stand-in: Sean William Scott (uncredited)
Joyce Lasley	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Teresa Jolene Lee	....	set production assistant: reshoots (uncredited)
Don Mann	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)
Roxanne Marciniak	....	second assistant to producer (uncredited)
Kent Matsuoka	....	location scout: additional photography (uncredited)
Matthew McArdle	....	production assistant (uncredited)
William Sandidge	....	location scout (uncredited)
Brandon Schiffman	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
Matthew Silverman	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Sophia Tapia	....	payroll accountant: reshoot (uncredited)

Thanks
Larp Alliance	....	special thanks
Ashley Bowen	....	special thanks
Alexa Faigen	....	special thanks
Rashida Jones	....	special thanks
Lazlo Kiss	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• Relativity Media (in association with)
• Stuber/Parent
• Internationale Filmproduktion Stella-del-Süd
• New Regency Pictures
• WideAwake

Distributors

• Universal Studios (2008) (worldwide) (all media)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2009) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Finnkino (2009) (Finland) (all media)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2009) (Japan) (DVD) (rental)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Pacific Vision Productions (visual effects)
• Custom Film Effects

Other Companies

• Back Lot Music  soundtrack
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• DeCrescet / Rotter  music contractor (as DeCrescent/Rotter)
• Executive Assurance  security
• Intrada  score album released by
• Iron Liege  LARP weapons and shields
• J.L. Fisher  camera support
• LARP Alliance  LARPers for extras (uncredited)
• Mario's Studio Services  catering
• Picture Mill, The  titles
• Right Lobe Design Group  end crawl
• Rockbottom Rentals  Nextel cell phone rentals
• Smith & Webster-Davis Casting  extras casting
• Soundtrack  adr facility
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates  digital intermediate
• Universal Studios Sound Facilities  sound re-recording facility (as Universal Studios Sound)
• Warner Brothers Eastwood Scoring Stage  score recording and mixing facility (as The Eastwood Scoring Stage)

Also Known As:

Big Brothers (USA) (working title)
Little Big Men (USA) (working title)
Vorbilder?! (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for crude and sexual content, strong language and nudity.

Runtime:

99 min | 101 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44744) | Australia:MA | UK:15 | Ireland:16 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (all jurisdictions) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:18 | Netherlands:12 | South Africa:16 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Mexico:B15 | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Boys & Girls Club of Venice - 2232 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The song "Beth" sung at the end of the film by Paul Rudd to Elizabeth Banks, is also featured in Wet Hot American Summer (2001), directed by David Wain. In that film, Janeane Garofalo's character is named Beth.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Ronnie carjacks Wheeler and is driving around in a circle, you can clearly see a stunt man is doing the driving and is wearing a different color shirt to the jacket Ronnie was wearing

Quotes:

Augie Farks: Naysayers tell me "You should be embarrassed." "You should not be fighting." "You look like Marvin Hamlisch. I say "Nay, I am not embarrassed" "I will fight." "Who the f*ck is Marvin Hamlisch?"
Danny: He wrote the music for The Sting.
Wheeler: That's a good movie.

Movie Connections:

References Shrek (2001)

Soundtrack:

Danny Boy

Do what makes you happy. This film actually believes it.

Role Models - Two energy drink spokesmen, Wheeler and Danny (Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd) get in trouble with the law after Danny has a break-up with his girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks who is in everything these days). They are given the choice of jail or community service with troubled kids, and choose the latter. Danny is given a boy Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse of Superbad) who wears a cape and is into role-playing games. Wheeler is given a foul mouthed terror of a boy (Bobb'e J. Thompson).

Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott have good chemistry. Rudd has dry sarcasm to spare and Scott plays a sex-addled numbskull. Their interactions with the two talented young boys are funny and occasionally sweet. Bobb'e J. Thompson is one of the better child actors of his age and makes the nightmare of every teacher a cool often wickedly funny little character. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, or "McLovin'" as he's known throughout America, plays essentially the same character but sweeter and shy and, funny enough, less creepy. So yeah, he's pretty firmly typecast as "dork" at this point. But he's a very palatable dork and may help raise the image of dorks everywhere above the status of subhuman. I heard many girls in the audience very sensitive to his plight in the audience.

A few parts of the plot are contrived. But aside from a few film snobs, who goes to see a comedy for its original plot? The important thing is the laughs, and this is where the film delivers. Directed by David Wain, maker of The Ten (funny cult film), and written by Wain and Paul Rudd, this film is hilarious. The laughs were frequent and hearty. One of the films defining elements is the showcasing of role-playing games such as Dungeons&Dragons (here it is known as L.A.I.R.E). Role Models takes a surprisingly even handed look at it. It pokes fun, of course (so easy). But there is also respect ingrained. The result is a case of "so lame it's awesome" where the absurdity of D&D is given the gravitas of your average Hollywood blockbuster. It's hilarious, and does look terribly fun.

And it's here that the film makes it's stand. Do what makes you happy, no matter what your parents or anyone else tells you. It's been said in so many films that the message seems false at this point. But in Role Model's extreme example of people doing what makes them happy, it really does ring true. You got to give a bunch of people playing with foam swords in the forest their due. They're doing what makes them happy. Can you say the same for yourself? I can't right now.

This was a delightful film. It may be a bad year for movies, but it's a damn fine one for comedy. A-