David Spade doesn’t have the best track history in film. In fact, aside from his various duet appearances with late SNL star Chris Farley, he really hasn’t done much outside his NBC sitcom “Just Shoot Me.” While his past solo films like “Joe Dirt” weren’t exactly comedic gems, they weren’t all that bad either, but his latest movie, “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,” is likely the best of the lot.
All Dickie Roberts (Spade) wants is a second chance. A washed-up child actor, Dickie spends his time working as a valet to the stars and playing poker with his fellow washed-up actors (Leif Garret, Barry Williams, Danny Bonaduce, Dustin Diamond and Corey Feldman). When his agent Sidney (Jon Lovitz) calls him about a new script going around with Rob Reiner (as himself) attached, Dickie thinks his big chance for a comeback has arrived. Unfortunately, Dickie is told that he doesn’t have the life experiences needed to play the lead role, so he hires a family to help him relive his childhood.
Like most Happy Madison films (Adam Sandler’s production company), the “Dickie Roberts” features some jokes that work and some that don’t, but the story ultimately is about Dickie growing up and learning the pleasures of family life. It may not look appealing at first, but if you’re a fan of Spade’s work or just a sucker for the brilliant one-liners and lengthy list of cameos by forgotten child stars, you should definitely check out “Dickie Roberts.”
3/5 Stars
Starring: David Spade, Ashley Edner, Scott Terra, Rachel Dratch, Mary McCormack, Jon Lovitz
Director: Sam Weisman
