'Drillbit Taylor' is a high school comedy with heart

Click to Enlarge Nate Hartley, left, Owen Wilson, David Dorfman and Troy Gentile star in "Drillbit Taylor." Suzanne Hanover / Paramount Pictures Get Arts & Entertainment Feeds

Howie Nave
March 21, 2008

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There's been a trend lately where filmmakers known for their R-rated movies have been softening up their language some for a more family-oriented product.

Maybe it's the appeal of reaching a wider audience, targeting the youth market, that seems appealing. We all know that underage kids are seeing the R-rated stuff: Who really polices what they can see, anyway? I mean, c'mon, not the guy who takes your ticket. He's not paid enough to check everyone who comes into the theater. Still, when a filmmaker or producer comes out with a PG-13 flick, it shows they want to reach that youth market in a legitimate manner.

With that said, producer Judd Apatow, known primarily for such hits as "Superbad," "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" (all R-rated, by the way), has hooked himself up with director Steven Brill for "Drillbit Taylor," a movie that surprisingly has a heart to it, with a message about bullying - and a PG-13 rating to boot. The subject is familiar: geeky kids trying to be cool to fit in. Insert the clichés, such as, "The more things change, the more they remain the same" or, "History repeats itself." The styles and music may be different, but the storyline remains the same.

As with any movie (particularly one involving teens), it helps if you care for the characters. Right from the get-go, you feel for these students who so want to fit in. And it's especially tough, as this is their first day in high school. Ryan (Troy Gentile), Wade (Nate Hartley) and Emmit (David Dorfman) are at that awkward stage in life. We get the overweight kid who wants to be a rapper, the skinny kid who can barely bench-press his own lunch, and the short kid who wants to befriend the other two - who don't want to be seen with him. Well, not at first, that is.

Keepin' it reel:

Now Playing: "Drillbit Taylor" Starring: Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile, Ian Roberts, Owen Wilson, Casey Boersma, Dylan Boersma, Lisa Ann Walter, Beth Littleford, David Koechner, Matt Walsh, Janet Varney, Lisa Lampanelli, Bill O'Neill, Shaun Weiss, Jordan Valley, Valerie Tian, David Dorfman, Alex Frost, Josh Peck, Leslie Mann, Andrew Caldwell, Vincent Malouf, Stacy Arnell, David Bowe, Tichina Arnold, Cedric Yarbrough, Robert Musgrave, Danny R. McBride, Joe Wilson, Jeff Kahn and Stephen Root Directed by: Steven Brill Rated: PG-13 for crude sexual references throughout, strong bullying, language, drug references and partial nudity Running time: 105 minutes Howie gives it: 3 out of 5 bagels

There's plenty of humor throughout the movie, even before Owen Wilson (as homeless guy Drillbit Taylor) becomes a bodyguard for a fee. It's both sad and funny thinking that someone would need a bodyguard just to go to school. I mean, what do some of these kids do in real life when they don't have the luxury of being cool and having to get a bodyguard?

The movie gives us a glimpse into today's family unit or, more accurately, the lack of one. One kid's mom has remarried a guy who has his own sons and loves them more than his stepson, while one of the others comes from a single-parent household. The difficulty nowadays can be overwhelming when you factor in not just the pressure to fit in at high school, but also to deal with a broken or extended family.

To its credit, "Drillbit Taylor" is funny (as it is a comedy), but it also paints a picture to the uninitiated what it's like to be at a most difficult transition in life. The movie paints the authority figures as clueless and useless, be it Wade's stepdad or the high school principal, but the picture is geared toward today's youth market - and not the adults.

The geeks in question are overexaggerated in their roles; bully Filkins (Alex Frost) comes across as an Eminem wannabe from a privileged family, but the movie does a decent job making you laugh and question how you treated others when you thought you were all that and then some.

Owen Wilson is the top star, and his character here mirrors that of past roles, with his laid-back delivery. Very rarely does his emotional range spike; it's more like a constant flow throughout the film.

The kids do a great job of solidifying their parts, as do some of the cameo roles. Comedian Lisa Lampanelli, "The Queen of Mean," has a small part playing the mother of one of the bullies. Knowing Lisa (who gets to use her real name in the movie), it's a tad ironic having her playing the mom of a misfit. Typecasting, indeed!

- Howie Nave is host/manager of The Improv comedy club inside Harveys and reviews films for seven radio stations throughout Northern California and Nevada, including Sirius Radio. He hosts "Howie's Morning Rush" on Tahoe's KRLT radio, and you can see his film reviews on RSN. For past reviews, blogs and audio clips, visit www.HowieNave.com.