User reviews

David Spade is one of my fave SNL stars and he's made better movies than the rest of his old pals (It's Pat, Coneheads and Master of Disguise are among the worst films ever made). I especially liked him as the voice of Kuzko in the Emperor's New Groove. Here he plays Dickie Roberts: (former) Child Star, a kid at the top, but a man at the bottom and absolutely desperate for a comeback.

His agent (John Lovitz) cannot find him any work outside of celebrity boxing, his girlfriend has dumped him and Dickie's main source of income is parking cars. You get the picture, he's a completely fallen star.

Rob Reiner has a role that Dickie would love to get his hands on but Rob wont touch him because it requires an actor who knows 'normal', someone who knows how to be an adult, someone who had a proper childhood. Desperate to get the part, Dickie hires an ordinary middle-class family (dedicated mum, workaholic dad, bullied son, wishful daughter) to look after him like proper parents.

Trouble naturally follows. But Dickie's hijinks lessen and his new family's tolerance increases. Yes, they do learn from each other and become better people (yadda yadda) but there is just so much fun and craziness along the way and some genuine character moments.

There are loads of celebrity cameos (Tom Arnold, Corey Feldman, Brendan Fraser, Dustin Diamond) and lots of biting satire and the movie industry but the bulk of the film relies upon Dickie learning family values and having fun with the kids, being a kid. Proof positive that he's still the best (former) SNL star.

The only bad thing I can mention is Adam Sandler's involvement as executive producer, something that seriously tarnishes the film and prevents it from having any real class.

The DVD is in great looking 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound and quite a few extras.

Uh, this movie was watchable for sure, but I wouldn't buy it if I were you. The plot line is about a Former Child Star (Dicky Roberts) who wants to relive his childhood, so a family adopts him... Pretty stupid plot line. The movie has it's few funny parts, but its nothing too hilarious. The first time I watched this movie, it was with one of my best friends at a movie theater. I absolutely loved it. I was 11 at the time I first saw it. so, it depends on how stupid your humor is. The movie is definitely worth watching, but also definitely not worth buying. If you want to see David Spade at his best, go see Tommy Boy, or Black Sheep... Something with Chris Farley. Although, I have had enough of this movie, I agree with the guy before me, it is a great family film.

A silly comedy starring David Spade as a former child star who "hires" a family in order to give himself a real childhood experience so he can nab a new part in a Rob Reiner movie. The premise is as silly as you can get but it does have some fun injokes involving quite a number of former child actors from the 70s and 80s which is great fun for tv nostalgia buffs.. Pleasant enough comedy. GRADE: C

I can't believe people are saying this was very funny and they laughed out loud. I found it to be terrible; it never made me laugh. It was beyond stupid. It may have been worse than Joe Dirt. I gave it a 2 instead of a 1 only because this wasn't one of the worst movies I've seen. It's just plain bad. Luckily, I saw it on cable and didn't pay to rent it.

In this one, David Spade plays a washed up child actor who hears about this great part. He meets with the director Rob Reiner and Rob tells him he needs to learn to act like a real person in order to get the part. So Dickie hires a normal family and lives with them. He mainly hangs out with the two kids, which is creepy itself. But is also shown being pushed in a stroller by the hot mom. There are many cameos by other child stars, but that's not funny.

FINAL VERDICT: I think maybe some pre-teens might like it since that age group often supports movies with bad plots, but if you are over 13, do not watch this.

Given the deluge of crap in theaters right now, you could do a lot worse. There are some great elements to this movie, which starts in the style of an "E! True Hollywood Story" and ends with another inspired bit of comedy. But the movie's bookends dwarf the amount of laughs through the middle of the picture. It's almost like David Spade and Fred Wolf had these great ideas on how to send up child actors, but it wasn't enough to make a whole movie. Dickie Roberts would have been a great character (even recurring character) on "SNL", but like many of the show's alumnus' attempts at feature films, there's just not enough there. But what else are you going to do this weekend? See "Marci X" again? How about "My Boss's Daughter?" Hell no! It's not quite worth eight or nine dollars, but you'll get a few chuckles. My advice, sneak in.

I'm going to be up front, I don't like David Spade, I was never much of a fan of his work. But one of the girls I work with mentioned how she saw this movie and that I should see it since I know so much about pop culture, including most child star actors and their history. So I decided to give Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star a chance, what did I have to loose? I have to admit that I actually enjoyed this movie. It had definitely some of the most awesome cameo's that I have ever seen, like Corey Feldman, Dustin Diamond, Danny Bonnoduchi, Barry Williams, it was just awesome to see them playing poker together, that was the best scene. But the whole movie is pretty fun.

Dickie Roberts is a former child star who's life has gone down hill since the sit com that made him a star got cancelled. He wants a comeback, but when the director, Rob Reiner, tells him that he needs a "normal" person, someone who has had a childhood, but Dickie wants the role so badly that he stays with a family to discover what he missed in his childhood. But he ends up with a lot more than he expected when this family may be all he needs.

Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star is just a fun comedy with average acting, but a cool story. It was pretty unique and I just loved the ending credit sequence of the whole former child star actors singing about their memories and what it's like for them in today's world. Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star is a cute movie, some things are a bit unbelievable and the love story wasn't really needed, but it's a fun film and I would recommend it if you wanna just have a movie afternoon.

6/10

Dickie Roberts (David Spade) is a former child actor who rose to fame playing the popular lead in 1970s sitcom The Glimmer Gang. Years later, Dickie's bizarre behavior and floundering career have made Dickie a punchline in Hollywood as he alternates between valet parking cars or taking humiliating appearances on low rent reality TV shows. Dickie hears of a new project from director Rob Reiner (playing himself) and jumps at the chance audition. While Reiner thinks Dickie fits the part well physically, Dickie's lack of a normal childhood or family makes Reiner hesitant to cast him. Dickie decides to sell his long gestating autobiography for a $30,000 advance which he uses for seed money to rent a family to live with for research. This leads Dickie to the Finney family, wherein patriarch George (Craig Bierko) has agreed to let Dickie live with them much to the annoyance of his wife Grace (Mary McCormack) and their two children Sam and Sally (Scott Terra and Jenna Boyd respectively) unprepared for the chaos Dickie brings with him.

Released in 2003, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star marks David Spade's second time headlining a feature film for Adam Sandler's Happy Madison following Joe Dirt. Critically speaking Dickie Roberts was seen as a marginal improvement over Joe Dirt but performed rather dismally where despite opening at number one it did so on one of the lowest box office days in September and quickly faded from theaters. Originally spawned from a rejected SNL sketch Spade and writer Fred Wolf wrote back in the 90s about a child star rampage that spoofed Silence of the Lands and would've featured Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin when he hosted SNL, Spade and Wolf attempted a number of times to revive the concept originally written as a much darker comedy which touched upon subject matter such as drug usage by former child actors. The concept was eventually made by Adam Sandler's Production Company Happy Madison and that's a warning sign that this concept will not live up to its promise. While the abrasive edge in the script is still there in the movie, it's unfortunately suffocated by the standard Happy Madison tropes that define far too many of their products.

The film's core concept from which the humor is derived can mostly be boiled down to Dickie acting like a child in this family as the family act uncomfortable with the arrangement while Dickie's eccentricities and casual profanity will seep into his routine. It's basically the same premise as another 2003 comedy (albeit one that was delayed until 2004) The Ben Affleck James Gandolfini vehicle Surviving Christmas where Ben Affleck's charact did the exact same thing, but was instead a lonely ad executive. I will say this for Dickie Roberts, despite using the exact same premise as Surviving Christmas, at the very least it tries to construct stronger internal logic to justify its premise than Surviving Christmas did. I actually do think there's scenes in the film that do get decent laughs in them such as a scene where Dickie frames the story of his sitcom's cancellation as a scary story and on occasion there are fleeting moments of character for Dickie that almost have resonance, but the movie all too often shoots itself in the foot because despite being about child stars who've grown up, it spends much of its time avoiding the subject and basically tap dancing around it.

Much like other Happy Madison films, the movie isn't directed like a movie and is directed more like a SNL sketch. The actors on display are all abrasive and annoying because the direction they've been given comedically speaking is to emphasizes silly speech patterns and just be loud because somehow that will make the material funny. While SNL has been and is a proving ground for comic talent, it has also resulted in a number of misfires because their delivery they used on SNL didn't transfer to feature films or narrative TV, and considering that the majority of SNL sketches are built upon this kind of delivery and that's what SNL has taught to its performers and they basically have to unlearn it to become serviceable actors it's nothing short of miraculous the level of quality SNL alums have had. The movie is so rich with comic potential and it just never comes out. Had this been allowed to be a darker comedy more in tone with something like Cable Guy or Death to Smoochy maybe it would've worked a bit better, but since it plays like a broad comedy with a very juvenile slant (not surprising as it's from the director of George of the Jungle) it feels like a mismatch of material and handler.

Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star has a decent premise and a few inspired comic set pieces, but its unfortunately suffocated by overworn tropes that are more aggravating than funny and because it doesn't go as deep into the double edged sword of child stardom as it wants it's more focused on redundant slapstick and pratfalls than it is on building characters or lampooning the child stardom. If you want to see this concept done well then watch Bojack Horseman's take on this sort of thing as it's not afraid to dive into the uglier side of child stardom.

If you're a fan of David Spade you might already know what to expect, if you're not, well then David is a comedian a killer sense of humor and razor sharp sarcasm, this is his second movie that created from his skit for SNL.

Synopsis: Dickie never had an ordinary childhood since he always had everything go for him as a famous actor. Things change when he grows up. Now a valet at the restaurant Dickie is in dying need of a great comeback and to do that he has to relive his childhood that he never had first.

What I really like about this movie is despite it full of humor it is also full of reality situation in it. This is the movie that can make you laugh and cry and laugh a bit more, all in all a perfect movie for family.

The cast is pretty good and gives a pretty good acting for a comedy movie. The story has been written brilliantly and not some plan stupid joke that you normally see on family movie. Another good part is a cameo of a real life child-star in this movie, like 20 of them from various show like Brandy Bunch.

All in all, it is a really entertaining heartwarming movie suitable for the cold winner night that you will enjoy watching it with your family.

Recommendation: Yes, Worth A Rental. Also Watch Joe Dirt, if you like this.

Reason To Watch: Very Entertaining Movie Overall.

Reason Not To: A Bit Corny At Times.

Rating: 7/10 (Grade: C)

I have always felt that you could separate former Saturday Night Live stars into three different categories. There is the Jim Belushi and Eddie Murphy category of actors that you always knew were destined to become big stars if given the proper vehicle opportunity. There is the Will Farrell and Mike Myers category of actors that you never knew the talent that was inside them until the bolted onto the big screen. And then there is the Chris Kattan and Joe Piscopo group that contain actors that have shown that they are unable to maintain our interest without the brilliance of other writers or working as part of an ensemble. I have always felt that you couple separate former Saturday Night Live stars into three categories. Until Now.

Out this week on Video/DVD is Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, starring once Saturday Night Live Not Ready For Prime Time Player, David Spade. The movie surrounds a washed up child actor now in his 30's that looks to recapture his fame by getting a role in a new Rob Reiner film being cast and looking for a lead actor. At a meeting with Reiner (playing himself), the two discuss the complications of Dickie bringing reality to the role, as he never experienced a conventional upbringing. Dickie then puts an add in the local paper and rents a family for a month in hopes of gathering insight into the experiences of a traditional family.

Dickie Roberts is simply a mess of a movie and does not surprisingly come from the directorial helm of Sam Weisman who was behind the camera for 2001's worst film, What's The Worst That Can Happen? David Spade shows all the acting range of a breadstick as he tries to emulate exactly what he has become, that being someone in a desperate need for a Hollywood hit. Spade relies heavily upon his demeaning wit as evidenced in the scene where he retorts to a large sized neighbor by rhetorically asking `Aren't you too big to be on the sidewalk'? If you are not rolling in laughter reading it in print, you probably won't enjoy it that much more on the big screen. The problem is that this type of humor soon becomes tiresome and Spade does not have the screen presence of a Jack Black or an Adam Sandler to keep us interested when the film focuses on its story development.

On the plus side, (thus the reason for the ½ star), Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star does contain many cameos of former children actors as themselves, that put a smile on your face upon re-introduction. Skreech, Danny Partridge, Greg Brady and Arnold Horshack are only four of the over 30 character we are reacquainted with if not in a speaking role, then in a fun closing credits musical number. The shameless parading of these former household figures keep us interested for seconds at a time, as we try and place them in our extensive long term memory banks.

So to complete my earlier thought, I have to add another category when evaluating SNL alumni. David Spade, Norm MacDonald and Dana Carvey form a line of cast members whom made us laugh at 11:30 on the weekends, but have yet to transpose their energy and comedic senses to the theatre. This can be either due to their niche being solely a skit player, or maybe they just haven't been given the proper script to showcase what they can do. The jury is still out.

It was a hot day and I decided to hit a movie. "Dickie Roberts" just happened to start at the right time for me. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Great script, perfectly cast (especially the kids) and it was really kinda heartwarming.

If you're a pop culture nut, you'll get a big kick outta seeing all the former child stars in the poker scene and then again at the end (stay for the credits).

Spade completely pulls it off. Lovitz is his usual outstanding (but then again I'm a big Lovitz fan).

Go see it. C'mon, go ahead.

Despite all the sour notes of critics, I found this so funny I laughed out loud so many times I got hoarse. A 30-something child TV star ingratiatingly takes up with his new family which he never had. They find him most unruly but funny, and encourage him to win the part he desires. His agent as well as his new family help him win the part. It has a slender plot but I thought it was so very funny and enjoyable! David Spade plays the part of the kid. The end credits are hilarious and there are 30 oldtimers in this film including Marian Ross and Rob Reiner, Dustin Feldman, Danny Bonaduce, and Barry Williams. 7/10

I remember it was in late 2004 when I first discovered that this 2003 comedy, starring David Spade, existed. It had been over a year since its theatrical release, but late 2004 was when I came across some Internet discussions about it, and it seemed that the film had faced a lot of criticism. I was obviously in no hurry to see it, since it's been over five years since then and I finally rented it to watch for the first time this month. The only other movies I had seen in which Spade played a starring role were "Tommy Boy" and "Black Sheep", both co-starring Chris Farley. "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" was the first film I saw starring Spade without Farley, made years after Farley's death. As much as many people like this movie, I can't say I'm one of them.

In the 1970's, Dickie Roberts was a child star who was famous for his role in a popular sitcom. However, this sitcom eventually lost popularity and was cancelled. Dickie was then abandoned by his mother and his acting career was over. The former child star is now in his thirties, working as a car parking valet, and he has become very unpopular. When he hears that Rob Reiner will soon be making a new movie called "Mr. Blake's Backyard", Dickie is convinced that getting a part in it will be a great opportunity for a comeback. After a bit of a struggle to get an audition, he finally gets to meet the filmmaker, who tells him that he is not suited for this role, as he didn't have a real childhood and doesn't know what it means to be normal. Since Reiner won't be casting right away, the washed-up actor decides to look for a family to live with for a while, so he can gain the right experience for the role.

The film starts with an introduction to the Dickie Roberts character and his past. I was already finding it unfunny at this point, only smiling VERY slightly during the part with his mother talking about how he auditioned for the role of Pippi Longstocking. After this sequence, we see David Spade's character get clobbered in a boxing match, and I could tell this part was supposed to make me laugh, but it failed miserably. Another lame scene follows, with Dickie and his girlfriend arguing after the match (her calling him a "puss" and such). Another memorably unfunny scene is Dickie trying to act like a six year old getting a bike for Christmas. Spade's antics can be pretty lame, and I didn't care much for his character here. I did smile at times, such as the part where Dickie thinks the Finney kids (in the family he moves in with) are frightened by his story about the cancelled sitcom when it's actually something else, and part of what the protagonist says while taunting bullies (though I didn't feel like that particular part should have made me smile, and I certainly didn't like watching the bullies before he comes along), but the smiles were very rare, and I never actually laughed. The story is also kind of dull, though it can be touching towards the end, and if it hadn't been for that, I would probably be giving "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" a 4/10.

Before I watched this movie, I had low expectations. I had a feeling it was going to be fairly lame, and probably started having this feeling years before I actually saw the film. I guess I'm not a hardcore David Spade fan. Before seeing "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star", I had seen him in those two films with Chris Farley, and had also seen "Coneheads", in which he plays a smaller part, but to me, he didn't stand out in any of these. I'm not exactly sure what I really think of him as a comedian. By the time I saw him in this 2003 comedy, I hadn't seen him in anything else for a while, so I don't know how to compare his performances. Well, even if I didn't like this movie, it is certainly not a terrible comedy, and unlike some films I've seen and disliked, I'm not exactly puzzled by the appeal of this one. If you watch it, I'm sure it will help if you're a true David Spade fan. If you're not, then you MIGHT want to skip it.

Writing this to balance out the negative reviews. I'm not sure if some people were expecting Citizen Kane or something, but this is not supposed to be a cinematic masterpiece. This is a goofy silly movie, and a great one!

David Spade and Fred Wolf's follow up to "Joe Dirt", about Dickey Roberts, a former child star trying to re-live a childhood that he never lived in the first place for a role in a film, while having it's moments (moments that are way to far apart), ultimately is a failure. I'm more liable to put the blame of that on director Sam 'ALL my movies are godaweful' Weisman tho, as Spade is a likable enough guy and Wolf seems alright. But when a guy is responsible for "George of the Jungle", "What's the worst that could Happen?" and "the Out of Towners" remake you DON'T give him another job, you kick him in the ass and tell him to get the hell out. Also I laughed whenever Danny Bona'Douche' was on the screen, not because he was funny mind you, but because I remember a story my dad told bout beating the pansy up when he was a kid, and the more stories about him I hear from various other people made me realize that pretty much EVERYone beat him like a red-headed step-child. Those sound like good times.

My Grade: D+

DVD Extras: Commentary by Sam Weisman; Second commentary by David Spade and Fred Wolf; Comedy Central's "Reel Comedy" on the movie; True Hollywood story featurette; Writing the story featurette; Music video & the making of said video; 9 Deled scenes; Theatrical Trailer; and Trailers for "Timeline", "School of Rock", "the Fighting Temptations", and "Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life"

3 Easter Eggs: from the main menu highlight 'Nucking futs' for outtakes; In the 'set up' menu highlight the doll for more out-takes; there's also a way to get even more outtakes but find that yourself

Dickie Roberts (David Spade) is a self obsessed middle-aged former child star of a TV show called 'The Glimmer Gang'. His latest stunt is to fight Emmanuel Lewis but he loses. Even his girlfriend (Alyssa Milano) is tired of it all. Then he gets a break on a big Hollywood movie, but the director (Rob Reiner) isn't sure that Dickie has the proper experience to play a normal human being. So he's spending his $30k advance to stay a month with a regular family (Mary McCormack, Craig Bierko, Scott Terra, Jenna Boyd).

David Spade is able to maintain his likability even as he plays an arrogant idiot. The trick is probably that he's so pathetic and sad that we're allowed to laugh at his antics. There are some sharp edges early on in Hollywood with all the former stars, but it gets a bit gooey with the family. He has some fun with the kids, and he gets to grow as a character.

Well I probably shouldn't have paid full price to see this movie. Maybe I should have waited to rent it when it came out on video. In fact I really should have done that. But I did see it and sat through over an hour and a half of exactly what the MPAA says this movie is filled with crude and sex-related humor, language and drug references. I found myself wishing I was watching the movie that

Dickie Roberts (David Spade) was trying to audition for.

The high points of the movie were the kids, the real kids, not all the child-stars that had a cameo. It also ended well, but somehow I figured it would. All in all it was entertaining, but I wouldn't see it again unless I have to, and I definitely am not spending my money on it again.

4/10 *'s

I gave it a 6 because it made me laugh out loud a couple times but the movie is not without some problems. The True Hollywood Stories parody was funny and the movie started off well but really drifted off after the adopted family came in. The real "former child stars" used in the movie were just not funny. They were kind of painful to watch actually (especially the poker scenes). I know Bonaduce and Feldman can be funny but I really didn't like the rest of those people when they were in their prime. Perhaps they would have been funnier if the script had been developed more.

I'll have to watch it again when I'm not blind drunk to be see if it makes me laugh without chemical assistance.

David Spades' worse movie by far. I am a fan of his, he is funny and versatile. This movie sucks so bad though that it is painful to watch. It is uninspired, stupid, boring and a total waste of time. Spade reads his lines in this movie like he's half asleep, as if he knows how bad the movie is and can't wait to get it over with. There are literally not five funny lines in the whole thing. The premise of using washed up has been child actors could of worked well, had it been done right. It was not done right.

One tip off that this movie would suck was that John Lovitz was in it. Is it just me or is that guy just not funny? Well he's not funny in this movie either. In fact the whole cast is not funny. A poor attempt, uninspired, waste of good film.

Ok, just finished watching this movie.... and until about the last half hour, I was thinking "I don't ever need to buy this if I see it in DVD for sale..." Because I only buy the stuff that I really like. I mean, it was so absurd that it was absolutely hilarious (rabbit scene, bike scene, insult scene with fat lady) - but it still didn't quite make sense.

The end pulled it all together. Really. I mean it. Good movie - my boyfriend and I were both grinning at each other.

And then: WATCH THE CREDITS! Seriously: big surprise in store, not joking!

I give this movie a 7/10. I was going to give it a six, because I found it reasonable, but the end jumped up my score. A six is what I consider "mildy entertaining but not all that great." A seven is average but fairly good, an eight is great and a nine is fantasic. So this movie was definitely no slouch what so ever.

Seriously: don't watch it if you're going to be critical and boring: watch it, relax, and laugh. Remember: laughter is inner jogging! And you don't stop laughing when you get old, but you get old when you stop laughing. If thought about logically, then this movie is a sure cure to avoid getting old! ;)

i brought home this movie while i was babysitting, hoping it would be fun, funny, family entertainment, but to my dismay, I was very wrong.

This is by far the worst movie i've seen in a while. the beginning is so pointless, the actors mumble out their lines.

David Spade attempts these sad, sad slapstick, crass comedy routines that just made me and the kids cover our eyes and groan in humiliation.

I'm sorry to all those who think this movie is great, but really, I could barely stand five minutes of the awkward silences when you're supposed to laugh.

My advice? Don't get this out of the video store, don't watch it, don't even look at it lest you are tempted into a horrifying flop of a movie like I was.

Just don't so it.

This movie isn't really that bad. The thing that saves it is that you see that David Spade really can act. In the movie he's a really loving and caring person, and hes a real jerk in real life. And the song that all the Former Child Stars sing at the end is really funny and creative. All in all it gets a 6.

I saw this movie a while ago. This movie was possibly the most awful movie I have ever seen in my life. Unbelievable. I highly recommend that nobody goes to see this... it is really terrible. How did this movie get over a 5? Really.. a 5? This is ridiculous. I remember bad jokes from this movie, that tried to be funny, but were just... not. Then the movie just went on and on with more and more loads of bad jokes, boredom,, and about halfway through I just stopped watching it. It was terrible. Stuff like this is the reason I am so hesitant to try new movies... and this reinforced that habit in me by what seemed like tenfold. If you want a good comedy, I recommend Super Troopers. Far superior to this trash.

"Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" follows a thirty-something-year-old Dickie Roberts (a former child star) as he tries to get back into the acting business. This leads to an audition for a movie that Dickie thinks will bring him back to the people, and have people love him again. However, the director (Rob Reiner) believes that Dickie would have to live his entire childhood to get the part right, which leads Dickie to hire a family.

"Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" is not one of those movies that someone has high hopes for, and it isn't. Sure, David Spade brings out the sarcastic side of Dickie, but I don't think he had the ability to act out the more emotional parts, like when his character talks about being a mess of a human being. His voice is also way too dull, flat, boring and much too sarcastic to actually give an emotional performance.

Then, there are the jokes. Some are funny, others aren't, and this is when I start to doubt the sense of humour in the actors. Jokes are key to comedies, and "Dickie Roberts" didn't really hit it home with theirs.

I expected so much more laughs from this movie, but for what it gave me - 4/10.