Movie Review: Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star

For his child actor film, David Spade and his crew got together a huge amount of famous t.v. child stars. It's a retro-blast just to see and hear them all sing a funny song over the film's credits! As Dickie would say, "It's nuckin' futz!"

Little Dickie Roberts hit the skids after his 1970's hit series was canceled and he was abandoned by his monster stage mother single mom (Doris Roberts from Everybody Loves Raymond). Dickie never had a childhood. Now, as an adult, he can't get a show biz job and parks cars for a living. He is sure, if he can just get an acting job, he'll be happy and get some self-respect.

When he learns of a hot role in a Rob Reiner film, Dickie and his gung-ho agent (Jon Lovitz) try like crazy to get Dickie the part. Brendan Fraser (whose name Dickie mispronounces) gets him in the door but Reiner isn't sure Dickie has any real-life experience of human emotions. If he wants the role, the ex-child star must get...a childhood. Dickie raises cash by selling his sordid memoirs. He's got to learn about childhood and family so he finds one willing to let him live with them temporarily for $20,000.

Dickie finds and moves in with a good-looking, perfect suburban family with mom (Mary McCormack and dad (Craig Bierko) and two kids (Scott Terra and Jenna Boyd). Dickie's girlfriend (Alyssa Milano) shows up and complicates matters. As life in suburbia progresses, Dickie sees that the family isn't really happy at all and he is able to help each family member as they help him feel some love. Of course, Dickie eventually gets the part.

This film is very uneven. It is hilarious in the beginning as ex-child stars like Lief Garrett, Emannuel Lewis, Danny Bonaduce, Corey Feldman, Barry Williams and others interact with Dickie. A poker game with all these guys is really funny. Alyssa Milano is hot and funny as Dickie's flaky girlfriend. Once Dickie hires the family and moves in, the comedy shifts to goofy G-rated physical stunts that would be funny to a five-year-old and the clever stuff goes out the window. What does work, however, is Spade's interaction with the kids, especially as he helps them to shine and improve their lives. We see a milder, kinder guy and not the mean, wise-cracking cynical dude we're used to on Saturday Night Live or Just Shoot Me.

The film turns into a sugary, family-friendly tale by the ending... a very happy one in which everyone wins. It's a good message.

"Dickie" is a lot funnier than Spade's last film "Joe Dirt" and, if you don't mind the weird balancing act of clever humor, physical goofyness and sugary sweet family love, it all balances out to a pretty entertaining movie experience. Don't forget to stay for the credits to hear that song by all the child stars.!

For mostly-funny moments, 3.5 out of 5 stars.

***

Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.