Role Models

The project was announced late in 2006 as Big Brothers, under a different director. Shooting was suspended for a script retool, Paul Rudd wrote a fresh draft on commission, and David Wain took over. It was called Little Big Men before reaching cinemas as Role Models. Rudd shares the screenplay credit with Wain, Ken Marino and Timothy Dowling, so the lead actor built the text too. LAIRE, the medieval live action role playing group Augie belongs to, has a king played by Ken Jeong. The closing tournament is staged in Kiss costumes because that band is the common ground Wheeler found with Ronnie, and Danny wins back Beth, played by Elizabeth Banks, by singing the band’s song Beth. Joke and resolution sit in the same place. Another running gag is a track the characters attribute to Wings; the credits name the performer Not Wings, and it was written by the film’s composer with A. D. Miles, who plays Martin. It opened second at the box office with 19.2 million dollars. At the 14th Critics’ Choice Awards it was up for best comedy and lost to Tropic Thunder. A good fit if you want the crude material to take the role playing seriously rather than mock it. Not for anyone uneasy that Ronnie’s heavy swearing is a joke in itself.