The Farrelly brothers — Peter and Bobby — reigned supreme over comedies of questionable taste in the 1990s and 2000s. They make their comeback with “Kingpin” star Woody Harrelson in the sports comedy “Champions.'
From left, Casey Metcalfe as Marlon, James Day Keith as Benny, Woody Harrelson as Marcus, Ashton Gunning as Cody and Tom Sinclair as Blair in “Champions.” The Farrelly brothers — Peter and Bobby — reigned supreme over comedies of questionable taste in the 1990s and 2000s , but while brother Peter has gone on to the industry’s highest success, picking up best original screenplay and best picture Oscars for his film “Green Book,” Bobby hasn’t directed a film in awhile.
Given the Farrelly track record of dabbling in more outre or offensive comedy, one might be bracing for what “Champions” may potentially deliver, given that it follows a minor league basketball coach, Marcus who is sentenced to community service after a drunk driving accident, which is how he finds himself coaching a team of intellectually disabled adults at a local community center in Des Moines, Iowa.
You might also be thinking, “isn’t this ‘The Mighty Ducks’?”–the 1992 kids sports comedy about an attorney who gets sentenced to community service after a drunk driving accident and has to coach a Minneapolis pee-wee hockey team — and yes, it’s basically the same story. The grumpy coach who has a hard time connecting with people finds himself opening up with his unlikely charges, and learning to love the game again, because of the players, not in spite of them.
What helps enliven “Champions” is what enlivens Coach Marcus himself — the team, called the Friends, which is cast entirely of actors with similar disabilities to their characters. Some are experienced actors, some were cast from their experience as Special Olympics athletes, and others make their screen debut in the film. One of the standouts, Kevin Iannucci, plays Johnny, whose older sister, Alex becomes Marcus’ love interest.
The plot also cribs heavily from traditional romance tropes, with Marcus as a stern striver finding himself charmed by the quirky residents of a small town, a surprisingly steamy attraction, and of course, the players he manages to coach to a Special Olympics regional championship. It’s not innovative storytelling, but it is effective — there’s a reason why these tropes exist.
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