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Kicking & Screaming

Kicking & Screaming

Family · Comedy · 2005

Phil Weston has been unathletic his entire life. In college he failed at every sport that he tried out for. It looks like his 10-year old son, Sam, is following in his footsteps. But when Phil's hyper-competitive dad benches Sam, Phil decides to transfer his son to a new team which needs a coach. Phil steps in to be the temporary coach and immediately begins to butt heads with his dad over this new competition in their lives.

Movie details

Kicking & Screaming

“All his life, Phil Weston has dreamed of being on a winning team. Phil...your time has come.”

2005 Family · Comedy 1h 35m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.8 / 10

Community rating

Phil Weston has been unathletic his entire life. In college he failed at every sport that he tried out for. It looks like his 10-year old son, Sam, is following in his footsteps. But when Phil's hyper-competitive dad benches Sam, Phil decides to transfer his son to a new team which needs a coach. Phil steps in to be the temporary coach and immediately begins to butt heads with his dad over this new competition in their lives.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Kicking & Screaming?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Jesse Dylan

Written by

Leo Benvenuti · Steve Rudnick

Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell

Phil Weston

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall

Buck Weston

Mike Ditka

Mike Ditka

Mike Ditka

Kate Walsh

Kate Walsh

Barbara Weston

Musetta Vander

Musetta Vander

Janice Weston

Dylan McLaughlin

Dylan McLaughlin

Sam Weston

Josh Hutcherson

Josh Hutcherson

Bucky Weston

Court is in session

Put Kicking & Screaming on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Popcorn Loyalist

“It owes the canon nothing.”

The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.

The prosecution The Big-Idea Head

“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”

It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.