'The Game Plan'

A film that combines football and ballet, and adds a healthy dollop of sentiment to the mix, "The Game Plan" (Disney) can surely be said to have something for everybody. Though its plot is slightly implausible, this comedy, intended mainly for children, should manage to endear itself to all but their most cynical adult guardians.

Egotistical football star Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, proving a surprisingly congenial comic) is a bachelor with a party-oriented lifestyle. His comfortable world is suddenly turned upside-down, however, by the arrival on his doorstep of Peyton (Madison Pettis), the 7-year-old daughter whose existence his ex-wife had never revealed. Joe tries to rid himself of the little girl, an effort in which he's assisted by his tough agent, Stella Peck (Kyra Sedgwick). Despite the comic disruptions Peyton continually brings about, however, it's not long before she begins to win Joe over. As the two bond, and Joe starts to take on the responsibilities of fatherhood, he relies on the support of his best friend and teammate, Travis Sanders (Morris Chestnut). Though other teammates - including his friends, Kyle Cooper (Hayes MacArthur) and Jamal Webber (Brian White) - initially tease Joe about the changes in his life, Peyton eventually becomes a favorite with all of them. While Kingman and the other players strive to win the championship, Peyton takes on a challenge of her own, joining a ballet school and later preparing for a recital. Her no-nonsense instructor, Monique Vasquez (Roselyn Sanchez), makes demands on parents as well as students. Once Monique manages to get Joe on stage dancing in green tights, can love between these two be far behind? There's a familiar formula at work here, and the film's sweetness level is in constant danger of inducing diabetes. But Pettis gives a remarkably self-assured performance, and Sedgwick's comically tart character helps dilute the saccharine. Director Andy Fickman's film teaches admirable lessons about love, commitment and responsibility. It also provides examples of obstacles overcome and success achieved through determination and teamwork. The fact that a "spoonful of sugar" accompanies the script's moral medicine only serves to make this generally wholesome family film all the more palatable to the tykes. The film contains one instance of scatological humor and two mildly crass words. These elements may combine with scenes of a lost child and an allergic reaction to preclude very young children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I - general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG - parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. - - - Mulderig is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

---

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops