A comedy for the kid in all of us.
A writer's triumphant return to his home town turns out to have a very long string attached. As a child, small and timid David Leary grew up in Hastings, Minnesota, where he lived in mortal fear of the school bully, Roscoe Bigger, aka "Fang." Fang loved nothing more than making David's every waking moment a physical and emotional torment. Fortunately for David, his parents moved the family to California not long after David turned the tables on Fang; Fang stole a moon rock from a museum during a field trip and David finked on him, putting Fang on the fast track to reform school.
Years later, David (played as an adult by
Rick Moranis) is a successful author, and he has been invited to teach English at the school he attended as a child. David is intrigued to discover that Victoria (Julianne Phillips), the girl he used to have a crush on, is also on the faculty (as the sex ed instructor, no less) and interested in seeing him. But David's happiness is short-lived when he meets the school's shop teacher — none other than Roscoe (
Tom Arnold). Fang's stay in a juvenile home shattered his spirit, and he's been a spineless loser ever since; these days, David is the only person still afraid of him. Having someone to intimidate again does Roscoe a world of good; it restores his confidence, lifts his spirits, and even saves his marriage. But it doesn't do much for David, who can't exactly complain to the principal that Fang's picking on him again.
Needs Wiki Magic Love.
This movie provides examples of:
- Age Appropriate Angst: David's son Ben is angry and bitter at his dad for his parents divorcing. Arguably, you might feel sorry for him... that is, if he weren't the bully at the school.
- Big "NO!": Executed by David when Victoria was about to drink the punch at the school dance, thinking that Roscoe urinated in it because the bully once peed in David's drink when they were kids.
- Bully Hunter
- Butt Monkey: David, whether he'd be the timid 10 year old boy or his current 35 year old self.
- Gold Tooth: Roscoe sports one. It even gives off a twinkle.
- Groin Attack: David gets hit in the crotch with the see-saw by Roscoe after the former admits to tattling on the latter over the moon rock as children.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: Roscoe uses that trope to explain why he messes with David, but David tells him that it doesn't work that way.
- Jerk Ass: Ben.
- Mood Whiplash: The climax. First, it's funny, then it becomes dark. How so? When David finally stands up to Roscoe and knocks him off the log bridge, he believes that he killed him!
- My God, What Have I Done?: David, after he believes that he killed Roscoe.
- Oh Crap: David's expression on the poster
. - Pyro Maniac: Played for Laughs. One of David's childhood friends, who loved starting fires, grows up to be a firefighter. Who stares intently at the flame from his lighter when he lights a cigarette.
- Sadist Show: Awfully sadistic for a PG-rated comedy aimed mostly at kids.
- Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: Roscoe.
- Spiritual Successor: To Little Giants.
- What they have in common:
- Both movies are rated PG and are from Warner Bros.
- Rick Moranis in the lead role
- Begins with A Minor Kidroduction
- Said character to have wife leave him for unknown reasons and has a crush on a female childhood friend
- Differences:
- It's not a sports movie
- This movie was also distributed by Morgan Creek
- David Leary has a son while Danny O'Shea had a daughter, and the former is an only child and isn't exactly as optimistic as the latter.
- David's wife didn't just leave him, but divorced him
- Villain with Good Publicity: Being that Roscoe taught shop class for 13 years, he can get away with bullying David.
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