KICKING AND SCREAMING
Year: 2005
USA: Universal Studios
UK: UIP (UK)
Cast: Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall, Mike Ditka, Kate Walsh, Musetta Vander, Dylan McLaughlin, Josh Hutcherson, Steven Anthony Lawrence, Jeremy Bergman, Elliot Cho, Erik Walker, Dallas McKinney, Francesco Liotti, Alessandro Ruggiero, Sammy Fine, Timmy Deters, Dave Herman, Rachael Harris, Laura Kightlinger, Jim Turner, Julia Campbell, Phill Lewis, David Bowe, Matt Winston, Susan Barnes, Lu Elrod, Tom Virtue, Karly Rothenberg, Joseph R. Sicari, Timm Sharp, Stasi Glenn, Frank Cassavetes, Jose Vivanco, Jarrad Paul, Robert Patrick Benedict, Martin Starr, Lisa Lackey, Brian Palermo, Scott Adsit, Peter Jason, Gus Buktenica, Jeffrey Noah, Kaitlyn Arens, Harrison Doyle, Christopher Garcia-Reyes, Chase Klitzner, Brandon Vincent, Zach Hendrickson, Logan Rouse, Daniel Barrera, Brett Berman, Richard G Fray II, Jeffrey Koval, Kyle Nathanson, Jeffrey Thomas Nemit III, Jack Polson, Wesley Taylor, Michael Uyehara, Tyler Reid West, Willie Amakye
Director: Jesse Dylan
Country: USA
USA & UK: 95 mins
USA Rated: PG for thematic elements, language and some crude humor
UK Certificate: PG contains mild language and violence
USA Release Date: 13 May 2005
UK Release Date: 22 July 2005
Synopsis
Welcome to that cutthroat, hyper-competitive, do-or-die sport of...little league soccer, a world where kids and their victory-crazed suburban parents find themselves on a high-stakes collision course-all in the name of good, clean, athletic fun.
At the epicenter of this overzealous world is Phil Weston (Will Ferrell), a gentle, New-Agey vitamin salesman who, by default, ends up coaching his sweet 10 year-old son Sam's (Dylan McLaughlin) last-place team, the Tigers. This would be tough enough for the super-supportive Phil, who truly believes it's not whether you win or lose but if your soul gets nurtured. But when he's pitted against his gung-ho, relentlessly competitive father Buck (Robert Duvall), who coaches his own young son Bucky's (Josh Hutcherson) top-ranked team, the Gladiators, a lifetime of putting up with Buck's overbearing ways finally takes its toll on Phil and, well...the balls hit the field.
Eventually, as Phil and Buck go head-to-head for the soccer league championship, the pair's past and constant rivalry spins wildly out of control, forcing each to stop at nothing to ensure a winning season. This includes a now-maniacal Phil recruiting the world's best assistant coach, the legendary Mike Ditka (played by none other than Mike Ditka), as well as two young Italian soccer prodigies who become the Tigers' secret weapons.
Can father and son put their rocky past behind, do what's best for their own children (and grandchild!) and realize that soccer is just a game? Not a chance!
May the best coach win.
