At the time Role Models was released, I pretty much would watch anything that had Sean William Scott in it. Along with Sean William Scott, add Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, and McLovin to the mix and it is fair to say I was pretty pumped up to see this. I have watched Role Models a few times over the years, most recently over a wee break from work and I feel that this holds up and is something of an underappreciated comedy.
How to Download Role Models
Role Models was released on November 7, 2008. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. To see more of Sean William Scott, check out Final Destination or American Pie.
A Fresh Take on Comedy: Role Models Reviewed
The year prior to Role Models a little movie called Superbad came out. Superbad is my all-time favorite teen comedy and one of the breakout stars of that was Christopher Mintz-Plasse, better known as McLovin. This was his first big role after that and with Sean William Scott being a pretty big name in 2008 (and Paul Rudd) this movie had a fair bit of hype around it.
Role Models is about these two guys called Wheeler and Danny who work for an energy drink company. While Wheeler thinks that their job is awesome, Danny is jaded and wants more from life and his love life sucks as his girlfriend has just dumped him. They do a great job at the start of setting things up so that we can see both Danny and Wheeler are cool but also flawed.
The Heart of Role Models: Mentoring Through Comedy
Well, after a demonstration at a high school, Danny and Wheeler get arrested and Danny’s ex, Beth (Elizabeth Banks) ends up getting the judge to offer them a deal. Instead of going to prison, Danny and Wheeler have to do 150 hours of community service with the Sturdy Wings program which is a big brother mentor program for kids.
To say that neither of them is thrilled about this is an understatement. The person running the Sturdy Wings program is an ex-addict called Gayle Sweeny who is played by the hilarious as always, Jane Lynch. She tries to get to know the guys a bit and gives them the kids that they will be mentoring.
The Unlikely Bonds: A Look at Role Models’ Character Dynamics
Danny ends up with a kid called Augie who is played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Augie is a shy and kind of nerdy kid who loves to live-action role-play. Danny struggles to find common ground with Augie, but they eventually hit it off. Especially when Danny stands up for Augie after seeing how his parents are kind of mean to him.
Wheeler ends up with the number one problem child of the Sturdy Wings program, Ronnie. Ronnie is a troublemaker with a capital T and he prides himself in having chased off several big brothers. However, they bond over their mutual love for boobs as well as Wheeler introducing Ronnie to the band Kiss.
Role Models: A Comedy with Heart and Humor
Role Models has a ton of funny moments and when I watched it again recently, I forgot how much the LARPING stuff was in the movie. It is all done in good humor and I get a kick out of it each time with how serious some of these guys take it. I think what makes this such a great comedy is that first of all, you actually like Wheeler and Danny and want to see them come out of this experience the better for it.
While they are the stars, Role Models also makes you care a great deal about Augie and Ronnie. These two young actors do such an amazing job here, they are both vulnerable in different ways, and just like Wheeler and Danny, we get to see them grow as the movie comes to a close too.
I just love this movie! If I had to write a top ten comedy movies of all time list, I am positive that Role Models would make my list. We have a great and likable cast and lots of funny moments, but there is also some drama and a lot of heart here too. If you have never seen this, give it a chance and if you have seen it, watch it again, you will be amazed at how well this holds up and I bet you have forgotten how fun it is!
