Daddy's Home (2015)
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A mild-mannered stepfather must compete with the return of his wife's biological ex-husband for the affection of their children.
The story
Brad Whitaker, a mild-mannered radio executive, strives to be a devoted stepfather to his wife Sara's children, Megan and Dylan. The children are beginning to bond with him until Sara's ex-husband, Dusty Mayron, announces a surprise visit. Despite Sara's hesitation, Brad encourages the reunion, hoping for a respectful relationship. However, Dusty's arrival quickly creates tension as he uses his muscular appearance and charm to win over the children. As Dusty begins to systematically attempt to reclaim his family and drive Brad away, Brad must navigate the challenges of maintaining his place in the household while dealing with Dusty's intimidating presence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Brad Whitaker, a radio executive, is trying to bond with his stepchildren, Megan and Dylan, while dealing with a past injury that left him seemingly sterile. The kids are finally opening up to him when Dusty Mayron, their biological father, arrives unannounced. Dusty immediately begins a campaign to win the kids over, showing off his physical prowess and completing projects Brad had started. He even attempts to drive a wedge between Brad and Sara by taking them to a fertility doctor. Despite the rivalry, the two men briefly find common ground while teaching Dylan self-defense. However, the tension resurfaces when Brad discovers Dusty still intends to push him out. Brad spends a fortune on gifts to compete, but Dusty continues to outdo him, even securing a spot with Dylan's favorite basketball team. After a disastrous incident at a basketball game where Brad hits a child, he moves out. However, Dusty finds the responsibilities of full-time parenting overwhelming. Encouraged by a handyman named Griff, Brad confronts Dusty at the airport. Dusty admits he can't handle the hard parts of parenting, and Brad convinces him that it's worth it for the kids. They attend a dance together, where they discover the bullies were girls, leading to a dance-off. Ultimately, Dusty decides to stay as a 'co-dad.' A year later, the family is happy, Brad and Sara have a new baby, and Dusty finds himself in the same position Brad once was, intimidated by his own new stepson's muscular father.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sean Anders
- Writers
- Sean Anders · screenplay; Brian Burns · screenplay; John Morris · screenplay; Brian Burns · story
- Cast and characters
- Will Ferrell · Brad Whitaker; Mark Wahlberg · Dusty Mayron; Linda Cardellini · Sara Whitaker; Scarlett Estevez · Megan Mayron Whitaker; Owen Vaccaro · Dylan Mayron Whitaker; Thomas Haden Church · Leo Holt; Hannibal Buress · Griff; Bobby Cannavale · Dr. Emilio Francisco
- Genres
- buddy comedy
- Themes
- Parenting; Masculinity; Dysfunctional Families
- Tone and mood
- Comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- Buddy Comedy; Family Comedy
- Franchise connections
- Daddy's Home
- Reception
- The film received praise for the performances and chemistry between Ferrell and Wahlberg but faced criticism for its lack of funny ideas and not fully exploring the premise.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 30% · review count: 123; Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- Kid's Choice Award · Favorite Movie · Nominated; Kid's Choice Award · Favorite Movie Actor · Won
- Production trivia
- The film is the second collaboration between Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.; Tony Hawk served as a stunt double for Will Ferrell in a skateboarding scene and was injured on set.; Sofia Coppola named the film as one of her favorite films.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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