Spring Break
Drillbit comes through, in a manner of speaking
Peter Banuelos
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Diversions
By Peter Banuelos
The Daily Barometer
Judd Apatow is to comedy as Mozart is to music, period.
Fine, that might be stretching it somewhat. But whether Apatow is taking the lead by directing or taking the sidelines as producer, one cannot deny the hilarity of his most recent comic throw-downs.
How does he do it? Well, it seems to be a simple formula: Tell an underdog story where the good guys win - but not before having them say and do some ridiculous and sometimes off-the-wall things, while on the way overcoming obstacles such as virginity, unexpected pregnancies or simply wanting girls to notice their super-cool behavior so they can get laid. Still, all of these Apatow characters end up learning some life lessons along the way.
So for Apatow's latest and greatest mis-adventure, we have "Drillbit Taylor," a story of yet another (at first) un-cool dynamic duo who start high school with high expectations of simply wanting to be part of the "cool crowd." They find out (on the first day) that their dream of being accepted among their peers might not actually be their first priority, but that living to see the weekend is what they should focus on.
Two best friends, Ryan (Troy Gentile) and Wade (Nate Hartley), are going to start high school and are both ready for a change. They want to be cool, but their awkward behavior and genes get in the way - Ryan is short and fat, while Wade is tall and super skinny. Upon arriving at school (with matching shirts) they make the big mistake of "falling into the Hobbit hole." Emmett (David Dorfman) is a small, geeky kid who looks like a Hobbit and is the perfect target for bullies because he fits in a locker. When Wade sees that bullies are picking on poor, helpless Emmett, he steps in to save the day.
But as they say, "no good deed is left unpunished." The bullies, Filkins (Alex Frost) and Ronnie (Josh Peck) decide that Ryan and Wade must pay the ultimate price: they must be bullied non-stop. After being ridiculed and embarrassed for a few minutes of montages, they both - with tag-along Emmett - decide they must get a body guard to protect them from the harassing bullies.
The Daily Barometer
Judd Apatow is to comedy as Mozart is to music, period.
Fine, that might be stretching it somewhat. But whether Apatow is taking the lead by directing or taking the sidelines as producer, one cannot deny the hilarity of his most recent comic throw-downs.
How does he do it? Well, it seems to be a simple formula: Tell an underdog story where the good guys win - but not before having them say and do some ridiculous and sometimes off-the-wall things, while on the way overcoming obstacles such as virginity, unexpected pregnancies or simply wanting girls to notice their super-cool behavior so they can get laid. Still, all of these Apatow characters end up learning some life lessons along the way.
So for Apatow's latest and greatest mis-adventure, we have "Drillbit Taylor," a story of yet another (at first) un-cool dynamic duo who start high school with high expectations of simply wanting to be part of the "cool crowd." They find out (on the first day) that their dream of being accepted among their peers might not actually be their first priority, but that living to see the weekend is what they should focus on.
Two best friends, Ryan (Troy Gentile) and Wade (Nate Hartley), are going to start high school and are both ready for a change. They want to be cool, but their awkward behavior and genes get in the way - Ryan is short and fat, while Wade is tall and super skinny. Upon arriving at school (with matching shirts) they make the big mistake of "falling into the Hobbit hole." Emmett (David Dorfman) is a small, geeky kid who looks like a Hobbit and is the perfect target for bullies because he fits in a locker. When Wade sees that bullies are picking on poor, helpless Emmett, he steps in to save the day.
But as they say, "no good deed is left unpunished." The bullies, Filkins (Alex Frost) and Ronnie (Josh Peck) decide that Ryan and Wade must pay the ultimate price: they must be bullied non-stop. After being ridiculed and embarrassed for a few minutes of montages, they both - with tag-along Emmett - decide they must get a body guard to protect them from the harassing bullies.
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