Old Dads

⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5)

Every comedian who has risen to prominence over the years can be described by a specific style and tone. Bill Burr’s humour has been labelled as rage-fuelled, and he personally equates his comedy to being the loud guy at the bar. As with most comedians, he tackles political correctness and attempts to encourage his audience to laugh at their own ridiculousness.

In his directorial debut, he takes his act to the big screen as part of a trio of older dads trying to do right by their families while adjusting to the changes in the world. Burr plays Jack Kelly, who has a younger wife, and they are just about to have their second child. As he tries to navigate the tumultuous waters of private education, the over-50s-father is confronted by overly sensitive teachers and parents. As he works through his anger issues with the school, Jack is working through a new season in his work life since he and his two best friends, Connor (Bobby Cannavale) and Mike (Bokeem Woodbine), have sold their business. They must adjust to being employees of their former company, which is run by a millennial boss named Aspen Bell (Miles Robbins). Each man is experiencing his identity crisis disrupted by unexpected pregnancies, cyber-stalking, and dictatorial private school principals.

Trailer contains mature content

Fans of Bill Burr should be able to embrace this comedic journey of mature fatherhood without blinking an eye through the profanity-laden script. The challenge the comedian faces in his maiden venture into directing is determining the film's message. There is a hint of family-centric positivity as the opening narrative unfolds until his first confrontation, and he shows that this story isn’t for the family. Then it moves into a statement against the modern styles of child-rearing of helicopter parents and non-confrontational methods, except his manner of parenting is less than exemplary. This leaves the audience with a ‘mid-life crisis’ film about men who waited until they were the age of most grandparents to start having children and wonder why they are struggling with life.

The comedy does strike a cord at various times within the screenplay. Still, as a life stage discovery example, this project falls over. As Burr attacks the overly sensitive side of society in such a vicious manner that it will not make anyone see his side of the story as the better option. This new world of millennials in leadership, poor parenting choices, and cyber-monitoring all set themselves up for ridicule. Yet, to think that the solutions can be found in over-the-top profanity, strip clubs, and marital negligence proves to be more pathetic than funny. Sadly, Old Dads seems to want to emulate an Adam Sandler-like comedic adventure with an entourage atmosphere, which isn’t a high bar to achieve. Interestingly, Sandler comes off as a comedic genius in that comparison, while Burr’s first directorial outing comes off like an angry old man yelling at the world.

REEL DIALOGUE: What is the wisdom of fathers?

Bill Burr’s script has all of the earmarks of an attempt to give older fathers wisdom and encouragement. Yet, this film doesn’t offer any advice men should adhere to when parenting their children.

Wisdom is something all people seek, but many only sometimes follow. Earthly fathers can be a wealth of knowledge and insights, but they can sometimes be flawed. For those seeking true wisdom in their lives, it can be found in the heart of the Bible. There are actual sections that are known as wisdom literature. Ancient literature has applications in life today.

Where to find wisdom in the Bible: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs

If you would like to discuss morality and God, reach out to us at Third Space. We would love to chat with you about this and more.