The Plan Worked Like A Charm

I am a big fan of movies – the good kind, of course. I love movies that arouse feelings and emotions instead of logic to convey its story (Donnie Darko, 2001: A Space Odyssey), those with ordinary stories delivered in an extraordinary fashion (Good Will Hunting), or those that are simply indescribably good (Me And You And Everyone We Know). Okay, so I have an acquired taste. So rape me.

So, why the hell do I find myself wearing a smile after watching The Game Plan on the first day of its release here in cinemas?

For one, this cliché Hollywood movie is far removed from the films I usually watch. Everything in The Gameplan reeks of cutesy, family-oriented crap that Disney is known for. In fact, I compare this movie to Jersey Girl by Kevin Smith: both almost run with the same storyline, and both are sappy and saccharine in their delivery.

However, although I didn’t like Jersey Girl (sorry sunrisehotgun – To redeem myself, Mallrats is a fucking classic), I found myself laughing at how Joe Kingman (Rock) clumsily reacts to situations handled by parents, something that he is not at the start of the film. I enjoyed the gradual change that Kingman underwent after his 8-year-old daughter arrived at his apartment and lived with him for a while.

For me, a great film is a depiction of human experiences through the lens, and whether the film is a slapstick comedy or a heavy-hearted drama, they should capture the complexities that make our lives very interesting, to say the least. And while The Gameplan is far from being worthy of an Oscars, it’s simply a darn fun escape from all the pomposity of a purpose-driven life. It’s all about letting go and have the movie take you to familiar, but refreshing, territory.

Yep, their Plan caught me by surprise, unfortunately.

Post originally published at The Geek Revolution on November 11, 2007.