Man of the House (2005/I)

Director:

Stephen Herek

Writers (WGA):

John J. McLaughlin (story) &
Scott Lobdell (story) ...

Release Date:

25 February 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Tagline:

Protecting witnesses is a challenge. Living with them is impossible.

Plot:

A Texas Ranger must protect a group of cheerleaders who have witnessed a murder.

Plot Keywords:

Box Office Flop | One Way Mirror | American Football | Cheerleader | Farce

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones	...	Ranger Roland Sharp
Cedric the Entertainer	...	Percy Stevens
Christina Milian	...	Anne
Paula Garcés	...	Teresa (as Paula Garces)
Monica Keena	...	Evie
Vanessa Ferlito	...	Heather
Kelli Garner	...	Barbara 'Barb' Thompson
Anne Archer	...	Professor Molly McCarthy
Brian Van Holt	...	Agent Eddie Zane
Shea Whigham	...	Ranger Holt
Terry Parks	...	Ranger Riggs
R. Lee Ermey	...	Captain Nichols
Paget Brewster	...	Binky
Shannon Marie Woodward	...	Emma Sharp
Liz Vassey	...	Maggie Swanson

Also Known As:

Cheer Up (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content, crude humor and a drug reference.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Norway:11 | South Korea:12 | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-11 | Australia:M | Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Revolution Studios

Trivia:

The pistol used by Tommy Lee Jones is not a prop, it is his own Colt 1911 that he brought to the set after refusing to use the prop gun.

Goofs:

When the bus turns over at the border you can see the smoke from the explosive cannon they use to flip the bus.

Quotes:

Teresa: I have to have my baby in America!

Movie Connections:

References The Sound of Music (1965)

Soundtrack:

Caught in the Wedding

Not exactly "Witness" with pom-poms

We aren't exactly talking rocket science here; in fact, in some ways "Man of the House" represents what is wrong with the American movie industry. It seems the movie was cobbled together by a bunch of movie execs. and preview audiences, so the movie feels vaguely familiar. Of course, each of the cheerleaders represents a typical stereotype: the dumb blonde, the too tightly wound pre-med major, the sassy black girl, the fiery Latina, and the "bad" girl. I felt like I was watching a movie script that was written by MadLibs. Hey, we need a laugh, so lets make Tommy Lee Jones buy tampons and watch the hilarity ensue! (Cause nothing says funny like men's reaction to icky feminine products!) The movie also misses the opportunity to properly utilize the talents of Pagent Brewster (so adorable as Chandler's love interest on "Friends"), who has only a few lines as the uber-perky cheerleading coach, Binky, and Ann Archer, who brings a quiet dignity to her underdeveloped role as a professor/object of TLJ's affection.

For those of you cheers fans, you will be woefully disappointed by the lack of actual cheerleading that is shown. Besides one ridiculous dance-off between the girls and Cedric the Entertainer (whose presence in the movie seems to be there purely because it is hilarious to see a large man dance in too small cheerleading uniform), which looks more like drill team practice to me, there is nary a tumbling pass or pyramid to be seen. Sadly, this is no "Bring It On." And, for all -the rah-rah girl power the movie feigns to promote, the girls are portrayed as bubble headed, appearance crazed, weight obsessed exhibitionists.

That being said, the movie wasn't all bad. The laughs were obvious, the characters broad, the plot unbelievable, but there were still the chuckles that come from a fish out of water comedy where you crack a smile in spite of yourself. Tommy Lee Jones does a good job of looking like an exasperated hard-ass, though you can't help but wonder if he's really acting or just cannot believe his agent actually sent him the script. By the way, he is a good example to young kids of why you should always wear sunscreen -- the man has NOT aged well! All in all, not a total waste of time, but I wouldn't suggest building your weekend plans around a viewing!