The Breadwinner

The Breadwinner
Starring Nate Bargatze, Mandy Moore, Will Forte, Kumail Nanjiani
Directed by Eric Appel

There's a reason I find comedies the least enjoyable of the genres - it has no originality, no vibrancy, and seems stuck in the past, with only rare exceptions stepping out of the mold. "The Breadwinner," sadly, doesn't break that mold but instead settles nicely into a plot that's reminiscent of the Michael Keaton-led 1983 film "Mr. Mom" where the husband and wife switches roles where the husband goes from a successful businessman to a stay-at-home dad and the mother goes from her mommy duties to the corporate world. Comedian Nate Bargatze obviously took liberties from this classic for this film that's based on his more wholesome stand-up comedy routine (kudos to him for being actually funny on stage without resorting to crude humor), but as always, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery as Oscar Wilde said, but no one mentions the second half: "that mediocrity can pay to greatness."

Nate Wilcox (Nate Bargatze) is a successful car salesman who lives in a lavish house with his wife Katie (Mandy Moore) and three daughters - eldest Gracie (Stella Grace Fitzgerald), middle child Hadley (Birdie Borria) and youngest Sam (Charlotte Ann Tucker). Everything is going great for the family when Katie invents something called the "Star Minder" that is designed to keep kids on task. Nate encourages her to fulfill her dream and she lands a spot on "Shark Tank" where her idea is picked up, despite most of the Sharks not liking Nate's idiotic attitude. She leaves for South Korea for two weeks, leaving Nate in charge of the kids. He soon finds himself in over his head as he tries to balance his work and family lives as everything spirals down around him.

This will be a generic review because "The Breadwinner" is incredibly generic. Nate, a shy yet cocky man, thinks he can handle Katie's mom duties but soon realizes he can't, but it doesn't stop him from trying, resulting in unintended consequences. He tries to make things better but ends up making everything worse, and it would've been infuriating if the actor was someone unlikable, but Nate Bargatze has a boyish charm that makes him endearing even as he's doing the stupidest things. 

Meanwhile, Mandy Moore wastes her talent in the generic mother role as she embarks on her dream, relegating herself to background character until the final moments. The children also do decent jobs even though their roles are also as generic as can be - Gracie, the oldest, is into boys; Hadley, the middle, is neurotic about spelling and being the best; Sam, the youngest, wants a pony. There's not much development for them, as there's not much development for anyone in this film, really.

As the antics amp up and Nate inadvertently keeps making things worse, the typical turn occurs when Katie returns with news that they'll be doing a livestream at their home, which Nate essentially destroys. It all leads to the typical ending where everything is brought to life, Nate apologizes and learns a lesson, and all is forgiven. It's not a spoiler when the script doesn't allow anything nuanced or twisty to be allowed.

Still, it's a fun ride, with some moments where I found myself laughing for a few seconds, and with a likeable ensemble cast it's a decent way to kill off some time and enjoy a family-friendly comedy: something we don't get too many of. Too bad it's stuck in the 80s.

The Score: B-