English

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Caroline McCloskey

Professor Bodelson

English 1120/1121, Sec. 07

03/08//2020

Third Draft: Film Review

It’s All Mine... Until

Imagine leaving your 8-year-old daughter at a bar all night without noticing. Can you

even fathom the experience or thought of the shame and guilt? Well, in the movie The Game

Plan, Joe Kingman does just that! Andy Fickman took the imagined idea and turned it into the

most adorable, comedy film. The PG rated film can be entertaining to a broad range audience.

Some of the main actors include Dwayne Johnson, Madison Pettis, Kyra Sedgwick and Roselyn

Sanchez. The Game Plan prevails over Fickman’s previous movies including Race to Witch

Mountain and You Again. Even similar shared actors, like Dwayne Johnson, portray better

characters in The Game Plan than in others. Walt Disney Studios partnered with Andy Fickman

to create The Game Plan; a movie that will forever be delightful because of its exceptional

acting, marvelous character development, and its ultimate plot line.

The Game Plan is a film that focuses on Joe Kingman (Dwayne Johnson), a professional

football player that is carefree and has no responsibility. Joe is full of witty catch phrases that

make him seem self-centered and arrogant. Some catch phrases he says are “It’s all mine”,

“Because I’m Joe Kingman” or “Joe Kingman never says no”. The star quarterback soon finds

out that he has an unforeseen daughter named Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis) with his ex-wife

that unexpectedly shows up on his apartment doorstep. Peyton explains how she got there and

Commented [M1]: Notice: -the thesis is the LAST sentence of the introduction -the thesis names the film that is going to be reviewed -there is a clear opinion in the thesis.

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why she came in the first place. Meanwhile, Kingman and his agent, Stella Peck (Kyra

Sedgwick) have no choice but to tackle the situation head on even though Stella thinks Peyton

might be a distraction from the upcoming playoffs and make Joe look bad. Kingman is obligated

to learn how to find a balance in his life now that it involves taking care of an 8-year-old

daughter. Peyton decides she wants to join a ballet class while Kingman tries to remain focused

on his main goal, which is winning the championship football game. Throughout the film, Joe

and Peyton go through many hardships and predicaments that cause a lot of tension, arguments

and chaos.

One appreciated aspect of the film is its exceptional acting. Dwayne Johnson and

Madison Pettis play the prominent roles in this film. They portray their roles in a unique way that

give an amazing perspective on the surprises and mishaps of father/daughter relationships that

can occur. For example, when Pettis takes over Johnson’s house, the tension rises between the

two. Johnson has to learn, as a father, to compromise, and Pettis gets disciplined. They also

develop the characters in a humorous, believable and relatable way. For instance, when Pettis

floods the bathtub with too much soap, Johnson turns around from watching the television to see

his dog covered in soapy bubbles and a tutu. Johnson immediately yells “Spike”, and Johnson’s

voice cracks like he is a thirteen-year-old boy. Pettis knows she is in trouble and puts the biggest,

guilty frown on her face. Brenner writes negatively that “The worst part is the casting of a little

girl supposedly playing a super-precocious eight-year old witch-in-training and Dwayne "The

Rock" Johnson as a star quarterback who can't stop talking about himself and showing off his

considerable muscle development” (Brenner). Clearly, someone is being judgmental. In

disagreement, what Brenner states is far from correct. The two actors are playing the roles of

their characters very well. They casted them because they are a perfect fit and can play their roles

Commented [M2]: Notice the summary is clear and concise, and it avoids including any opinions.

Commented [M3]: Notice the strong topic sentence that states what is being reviewed and the opinion of that aspect.

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believably, but also make it comical for the audience. Johnson is a 6’5, muscular male playing a

role of a loving dad, and Pettis is a short, sweet, but stubborn little girl. The dramatic difference

makes it humorous in some of the scenes, but also makes some scenes very sentimental and

heartwarming. For example, when Johnson makes Pettis mad, he sits outside her door playing a

song on the guitar while she cries. Furthermore, another misconception about the actress,

Madison Pettis, is that she is irritating. According to Micheal Compton, a reviewer from the

Bowling Green Daily News website, “The young actress tries so hard to be cute and adorable, she

is annoying. It doesn’t help that her character delivers lines that make her sound more like a

nuclear physicist and not an 8-year-old" (Compton). The critic is insulting her acting because of

the role she is supposed to portray. Pettis plays a character named Peyton that is intended to be a

snotty little 8-year-old. She isn’t always meant to act sweet and innocent. For example, when

Pettis accuses Johnson of being the one to walk away from her mother, she starts an argument

between her and her dad. She eggs him on with short phrases like oh yeah and keep it coming,

which causes a spiraling effect that leads the audience to believe her temper tantrum that follows.

Pettis scrunching her face and storming into her room shows that she is very upset and doesn’t

want to talk to Johnson. She did an outstanding job of performing her role during that scene and

other scenes throughout the film. Being a young actress is unimaginable and seems like a

challenging opportunity. Pettis played her role with enough diva and sass to outweigh the

cuteness meter. Despite the negativity coming from critics, the film The Game Plan would not be

the same excellent film that it is if there were different actors playing the star roles.

Along with the exceptional acting, the character development is beyond compare. At the

beginning of the film, Joe Kingman (Dwayne Johnson) is a full-time professional football player.

He doesn’t care about anyone but himself; all he has to worry about is looking good and playing

Commented [M4]: Notice that Caroline has to disagree with critics because they do not like the movie that she loves. So, she states their negative statement and then refutes it really well! She also offers an example in her refute to help support her claim even more so!

Commented [M5]: This is a strong example of the Five Step Procedure and a strong refute of a negative opinion from a critic!

Commented [M6]: This is a strong wrap up sentence that clearly reminds the reader what aspect was reviewed and then opinion of that aspect.

Commented [M7]: Notice this strong, opinionated evaluative word used in the topic sentence.

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football. He thought he had his life laid out on a silver platter of money and fame, but when

Peyton comes into town to live with him, his whole life changes. In Boerner’s film review, “The

Game Plan,” the author positively writes “Still, this is a film with a great message. Joe learns to

share -- share success, share his house, share his heart. And what child doesn't need to learn that

lesson?” (Boerner). In agreement, Boerner writes that Kingman learns how to share. Kingman

goes through a huge transformation throughout the film. He has to learn how to go from only

caring about himself to having to care for his daughter. This makes him rethink what is really

important in life and makes him reassess his priorities a little bit. He learns how to share his

house, his money, his personal life and even better, his dog. For example, he has to work out

with a little girl always changing his music and interrupting now. By the end of the film,

Kingman opens his mind, heart and soul to his 8-year-old daughter, Peyton (Madison Pettis), and

learns what selflessness really means. Selflessness doesn’t just mean signing an autograph or

doing a press conference to Kingman anymore. Viewers learn to appreciate Kingman more, and

they learn to love his new and improved self. Kingman grows throughout the movie and proves

the critics wrong.

The Game Plan would not be complete without its ultimate plot line. It has a cause and

effect feel to it that makes it hard to stop watching. Throughout the duration of the film, the story

line has a way of capturing the audience's attention even when the plot might seem rather easy to

figure out. Boerner writes negatively that “It’s not hard to predict what happens from there, with

Kingman and Peyton trying to bond and make up for lost time. Nichole Millard and Kathryn

Price’s screenplay is standard family fluff, complete with moments that try to shatter the

cuteness meter and a not-too-subtle message about the importance of family” (Boerner). In

dispute, this film is nothing but brilliant and full of character; it is definitely not predictable. In

Commented [M8]: Clear topic sentence that clearly states what aspect of the film is being reviewed and the writer’s opinion of that aspect!

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fact, it is full of questions and has the audience hanging off the edge of their seats. For instance,

when Joe leaves Peyton at the bar, a viewer would not be expecting this whatsoever as well as

the ending conflict scene. Yes, there could be the prediction that there is a happily ever after

ending to it, but that’s with any movie. There are many scenes where it leaves the spectators on

standby. The constant bicker between Joe and Peyton make the plot great. Seeing everything

unravel in the most unique way is so sweet to watch. Furthermore, the storyline is filled with the

family fluff and heart melting moments that make the movie blissful and gratifying. It is not too

sappy or cheesy. The love Peyton has for her dad is undeniable, and she just wants that to be

reciprocated. The movie, The Game Plan, has an amazing plot line that always has the

audience’s attention.

This film is, without a doubt, one of the most well-developed comedy movies of all time.

The Game Plan, directed by Andy Fickman is a very enjoyable film to view because of its

remarkable acting, astonishing character development, and the interesting plot line. Without the

use of these aspects, the movie would not have come together as well as it did. This movie is a

fan favorite for sure. The film, The Game Plan, leaves the audience with an emotional

connection in need for a sequel. Afterall, Joe Kingman never says no!

Commented [M9]: Make sure in your conclusion, you remind the reader of the major aspects you reviewed in the film and your opinion of those aspects.

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Works Cited

Boerner, Heather. “The Game Plan.” Review of The Game Plan, directed by Andy Fickman,

Common Sense Media, 18, Dec. 2010, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-

reviews/the-game-plan.

Brenner, Jules. “The Game Plan.” Review of The Game Plan, directed by Andy Fickman,

Cinema Signals, 12, Jan. 2008, http://variagate.com/morefilm.htm?RT#GamePlan.

Compton, Micheal. “Rock shines in a very predictable ‘Plan’.” Review of The Game Plan,

directed by Andy Fickman. Bowling Green Daily News, 21, Nov. 2019,

https://www.bgdailynews.com/community/rock-shines-in-a-very-predictable-

plan/article_de55b03c-2bc7-5f0c-abfd-df301f83bfa7.html.

The Game Plan. Directed by Andy Fickman, performances by Dwayne Johnson and Madison

Pettis, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2007.