It's fair to say that when we go to the movies, all we're really doing is picking a particular brand of the make-believe - be it action, comedy, romance or fantasy - to immerse ourselves in for a few hours. Of these options, feel-good movies are certainly some of the phoniest. This is why it is surprising that "Delivery Man," every bit a feel-good movie, works as well as it does. Granted, the film isn't perfect. But in the realm of campy cinema, it is a gem.
The film revolves around David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn), a 40-something delivery man whose heart of gold is matched only by his insatiable appetite for get-rich schemes and, subsequently, his perpetual debt. One day David discovers that his girlfriend, Emma (Cobie Smulders), is pregnant and intends to raise their child without him. Imagine his surprise when he also finds out that a mistake at a sperm clinic has rendered him the biological father of 533 children - all now roughly between the ages of 18 and 23. Several of them are suing the sperm bank - and, by extension, David - in order to learn the identity of their biological father. Upon hearing this, David decides to track some of them down and help with their various life problems.
The elements of the plot alone make for an amusing situation: 533 children requires at least as many donations. Absurd and overblown, it is fodder for feel-good moments. And feel-good moments, of course, ensue. David's attempts to act as a guardian angel for some of his children are depicted in a sequence of pure, fuzzy joy. He pretends to fall off a diving board so that one of his sons, who is a lifeguard, will get credit for rescuing him. He gets a manicure and pedicure from one of his daughters at the salon where she works. He watches and applauds as another son, who works as a historical tour guide, gives his spiel. You can't help but enjoy the irony as David's kids unwittingly interact with the man they're suing, baffled by his kindness.
Even in moments when the movie could veer into a more serious tone, it strays back to its cheerful core. When David poses as a pizza delivery man in order to interact with another one of his daughters (Brit Robertson), he walks in on her overdosing on heroin. Once he's taken her to the hospital, David pretends to be her father so that he can sign her out. What ensues is a debate between the doctor and the heroin addict daughter, with David ping-ponging back and forth between them, trying to decide whether to check her into rehab or to let her go so that she can work at her new job while getting clean. All the drama and emotional resonance is sucked out of the scene (in no small part because David's daughter looks like the J. Crew model of heroin addicts). What's left is David's anxiety as he tries to get one of them to tell him what to do. While this is somewhat disappointing, the film's ability to make light of such a serious situation is almost impressive.
Not every scene is successful, however. One, in which David's kids gather for a huge family outing, is - both literally and figuratively - so campy that it feels palpably fake. When the mob harasses David for the money he owes them, their torture (holding his head underwater in a bathtub) is as brief as it is mild - you don't come off feeling like David is in any real danger. Yet these shortcomings manage to avoid ruining a film that is ultimately about fatherhood. In one scene, David's father (Andrzej Blumenfeld) recounts their history as Polish immigrants, recalling the time when his own father gave him all the money he had to send him to America. Fittingly, David's father decides to give him the money he needs to pay off his debts from the lawsuit. This scene, trite but moving, is endemic of the entire film.
It is worth noting that, regardless of a somewhat ridiculous plot, the actors are exceptionally believable. Vaughn radiates sincerity in a role that is at least more genuine than his usual oeuvre of fast-talking characters, and Chris Pratt deserves some serious credit as Vaughn's friend and attorney. Blumenfeld also delivers an amazing performance, despite its brevity.
"Delivery Man" may be a sledgehammer of optimism that hits viewers over and over again, but at least it gets the job done.
