Old SNL Stars are finally all warmed up

By Bill Drust
Collegian Staff
April 12, 2006

Bringing up Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions doesn’t usually elicit visions of greatness. Since its first release, Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo, the company has churned out quite a number of asinine vehicles for ex-Saturday Night Live cast members, most notably Rob Schneider and Sandler himself. However, while many will turn a blind eye toward The Benchwarmers and Schneider’s latest starring role, this movie rises slightly above the filmmaking team’s usual efforts.

The screenplay, written by Sandler-regular Allen Covert and young comic Nick Swardson, is largely formulaic, but with an important twist. It tells the story of baseball-loving nerds getting picked on by Little League jocks. Usually, this is the part where the comical underdogs practice, muster up the courage to have a showdown, learn a life lesson or two and do so under the guidance of a well-meaning and affable adult.

Instead, we get Rob Schneider and Co. He’s tired of watching the neighborhood kids get picked on by the baseball-playing bullies. Enlisting the help of his nerdy friends, David Spade and Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Heder, he forms a three-man baseball team called The Benchwarmers. The trio competes against the snotty Little Leaguers and inspires excluded youngsters all across the country.

Veteran comedy director Dennis Dugan keeps the typical Happy Madison sensibility, but it works better here than it has in years. Schneider and Spade’s performances are a cut above their norms, with Schneider playing arguably the most normal character of his career.

People are sure to continue complaining about Heder, though, saying he’s just rehashing his Napoleon Dynamite schtick once again. Many have been claiming his unique voice is an acting crutch. Regardless, he gets to drop some pretty good lines here with his trademark delivery while furthering his reputation as Hollywood’s premier spaz.

Following another Sandler-esque convention, the goofy main characters are surrounded by an even goofier array of oddballs. Craig Kilborn and Tim Meadows play just two of the nipple-twisting bully coaches who have The Benchwarmers in their sights. Nick Swardson plays Spade’s frantically agoraphobic brother. Many laughs are courtesy of the gifted young actors playing the humorously awkward nerds championed by Schneider.

Jon Lovitz is brilliant as a sort of nerd-king who finances the baseball team as well as his outlandish lifestyle that includes a Knight Rider car, Star Wars characters and a robot-butler. Batting comedic clean-up for The Benchwarmers, Lovitz steals many a scene in his funniest role in years.

If it isn’t obvious yet, much of this film’s effectiveness is contingent on the viewer’s tolerance of absurdity. For instance, one reviewer expressed dissatisfaction with Schneider’s character continually opting to play baseball against Little Leaguers rather than sleep with his wife (supermodel Molly Sims). If this joke seems too preposterous, good luck with the rest of the movie.

I’ll be the first to agree that there are many reasons why The Benchwarmers should be just as obnoxiously bad as various other Happy Madison debacles. But it isn’t. If the viewer allows, this film can be downright charming — in a strange way. A decent early summer popcorn comedy, The Benchwarmers is fresh-squeezed mindless fun with a good message.

drustw1@lasalle.edu