- Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star
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Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star 
Theatrical release posterDirected by Sam Weisman Produced by Adam Sandler
Jack Giarraputo
Fred WolfWritten by David Spade
Fred WolfStarring David Spade
Mary McCormack
Craig Bierko
Rob ReinerMusic by Christophe Beck
Waddy WachtelCinematography Thomas E. Ackerman Editing by Roger Bondelli Studio Happy Madison Productions Distributed by Paramount Pictures Release date(s) September 5, 2003 Running time 98 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $17 million Box office $23,794,648 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Sam Weisman and starring David Spade and Mary McCormack.
Contents
Plot
Dickie Roberts is a former child star who shot to fame on an eponymous TV sitcom with his catchphrase "This is Nuckin' Futs!". His career subsequently halted after his 6th birthday. Since his heyday, he has been reduced to parking cars at Morton's and appearing on Celebrity Boxing, where he is matched with Emmanuel Lewis. In the public eye, Dickie is washed up.
Dickie is absolutely convinced that a new Rob Reiner movie in the works, Mr. Blake's Backyard, will be his comeback vehicle. Even after his agent does not land him an audition, Dickie persists. He pesters Tom Arnold at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to hook him up with Reiner. After he is kicked out because he's not an alcoholic, Dickie fakes being wasted and crashes what turns out to be a Lamaze class. However, Brendan Fraser (in an uncredited cameo appearance) is in the class and he agrees to call Reiner for Dickie.
Reiner bluntly tells Dickie that the part is not within his abilities because it requires knowing how a regular person lives. Unfortunately, Dickie never had a real childhood: he grew up in the limelight, and then his mother abandoned him when his show was canceled. Desperate to prove to Reiner that he's right for the part, Dickie sells his raunchy autobiography to raise $30,000. With the money, he pays a family to "adopt" him for a month. As expected, once Dickie hires his "family," things do not go well as he tries to fit into the household.
Dickie learns much about himself and life in general, and finally lands the part. Along the way, he helps the family's son score a date with his dream girl and helps the daughter join the pep squad. The main lesson he learns is from Blake's Backyard itself: sometimes the things you want are in your own backyard. When his gold-digger girlfriend runs off with the self-centered father of his fake family, Dickie gives up the part to be with the family he has come to love.
The movie ends with a faux E! True Hollywood Story report on Dickie, who now turns his real story into a new sitcom that uses all of his old friends, as well as his new family (including the mother, whom he has married). The Closing Credits are a take-off on Relief albums listed as "To help former child stars". The song includes The Brady Bunch's Maureen McCormick singing "please don't call me "Marcia" or I'll bust your fucking head" and many references to old tv sitcoms.
The movie shows Dickie interacting with numerous former child stars (played by over two dozen actual former stars lampooning their careers, such as Leif Garrett, Barry Williams, Dustin Diamond and Danny Bonaduce.
Cast
- David Spade as Dickie Roberts
- Mary McCormack as Grace Finney
- Scott Terra as Sam Finney
- Jenna Boyd as Sally Finney
- Jon Lovitz as Sidney Wernick
- Alyssa Milano as Cyndi
- Rob Reiner as Rob Reiner
- Craig Bierko as George Finney
Cameos
- Leif Garrett
- Doris Roberts
- Emmanuel Lewis
- Tom Arnold
- Barry Williams
- Danny Bonaduce
- Corey Feldman
- Brendan Fraser
- Dick Van Patten
- Sasha Mitchell
- Dustin Diamond
- Florence Henderson
- Rachel Dratch
- Butch Patrick
- Gary Coleman
- Maureen McCormick
- Todd Bridges
- Christopher Knight
- Michael Buffer
- Corey Haim
- Fred Berry
- Peter Dante
- Jeff Conaway
- Erin Moran
- Jay North
- Jonathan Loughran
- Tony Dow
- Barry Livingston
- Adam Rich
- Eddie Mekka
- Ron Palillo
- Jeremy Miller
- Haywood Nelson
- Rodney Allen Rippy
- Marion Ross
- Ernest Lee Thomas
- Charlene Tilton
- Jay Leno
- David Soul
Lawsuit
Paramount Pictures was sued for trademark infringement and dilution after this film was released. Paramount had not requested permission from Wham-O for using the Slip 'n Slide in this movie.[1] The lawsuit claimed that the movie, which portrayed unsafe use of a Slip 'n Slide, might encourage others to use it in an unsafe manner.[2] The lawsuit was dismissed by a California court.[3]
References
- ^ Finn, Ed (10 September 2003). "Can Wham-O Sue Over Dickie Roberts?". Slate Magazine. http://www.slate.com/id/2088160/. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
- ^ Gentile, Gary (September 9, 2003). "Slip 'N Slide Use In Film All Wet?". Associated Press. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/09/entertainment/main572319.shtml. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
- ^ Umbright, Emily (6 October 2006). "St. Louis-based appliance maker Emerson sues NBC". St. Louis Daily Record & St. Louis Countian. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4185/is_20061006/ai_n16773876. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
External links
- Official website
- Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star at the Internet Movie Database
- Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star at Rotten Tomatoes
Films directed by Sam Weisman 1990s D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) · Bye Bye Love (1995) · George of the Jungle (1997) · The Out-of-Towners (1999)2000s What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001) · Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003)Categories:- 2003 films
- American films
- English-language films
- 2000s comedy films
- American comedy films
- Films about actors
- Films shot anamorphically
- Happy Madison productions
- Paramount Pictures films
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