“Man of the House” (Revolution Studios)
Every once in a while a movie comes along that is so simple and so unpretentious that it is good just for that fact alone. That is the case with “Man of the House,” a comedy/drama starring Tommy Lee Jones. Jones charisma and charm shines through like a beacon in the night and provides the audience with warm fuzzies from start to finish.
Jones plays Texas Ranger Rowland Sharp. He is attempting to find the killer of a government witness when he learns a cheerleading squad has seen the murder. The girls are taken into custody and Sharp becomes their protector/babysitter.
This is of course the source of the comedy as Sharp is a gruff, no nonsense kind of guy and the girls are feminine, extroverted cheerleader types. Sharp objects to their scanty clothing and they object to his long list of rules. He gives a little and they give a little and before you know it they are all best friends.
Jones basset hound looks have never been used to better effect. And when he drawls that Texas twang he really drawls it. One line that stands out is when a perky cheerleader asks him to put on a happy face. He replies, without changing a muscle, “This is my haeppy faece!" You have to hear it to appreciate it.
Anne Archer is also in the cast as a love interest for Sharp. It is a nothing part and she doesn’t do anything to make it special. Cedric the Entertainer fares better. He does have a couple of funny scenes but his role is so non-essential to the plot that it seems to have been added in just to get him to do a cameo.
The actresses who play the cheerleaders are all interchangeable except for Christina Milian who is a standout. She has a lot of personality, charisma and beauty going on and she is going to be a “star.”
The movie is rated PG-13 for profanity and violence.
Tommy Lee Jones makes the movie what it is – and what it is, is fun. Very few actors could single-handedly be responsible for a movie like he is and pull it off. He is the “man of the house” and the STAR of the movie.
I scored “Man of the House” a rah-rah 6 out of 10.
