Grandma's Boy: Unrated
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Cast: Allen Covert, Peter Dante, Doris Roberts, Shirley Jones, Shirley Knight
Extras: Commentary Track, Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Alternate Ending, Music Video, Trailers
Rating:
I confess to not really being a fan of "stoner" humor. On the other hand, I did enjoy "Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle" so go figure! The bottom line in any comedy, whether "stoner" or other, is the laughs as well as the situations which are intended to bring about those laughs. "Harold & Kumar" suffered some of the same problems that "Grandma's Boy" does. In this, I mean that in comedy, the laughter should never be forced. Instead, it should flow out of the situations that arise.
Alex (Allen Covert-looking freakily like he could be Mel Gibson's long lost twin!) is a 35 year old man who works as a video game tester. He is the oldest employee at his company and loves his job. It affords him to sleep late, get high with his whacky pal Dante and spend time (a few years now) developing his own video game. Life is going good for Alex until one day his landlord (cameo by Rob Schneider) shows up and evicts him and his roommate. Seems Alex's roommate has squandered the last six months of rent on Filipino hookers! After trying to spend an ill-fated evening with a friend and fellow coworker (Alex gets caught masturbating by his friends' mom) he has no other recourse but to go and live with his grandmother Lilly (Doris Roberts) and her two roommates – Grace (Shirley Jones) and Bea (Shirley Knight).
Ashamed to let his fellow coworkers know he is living with his grandma, Alex tells them that he's rooming with 3 "hot babes." Every stoner has his breaking point and Alex's comes to a head when Grandma and her roomies show up at his job to bring him some lunch, and when game he's been working on gets stolen!
Filled with heavy stoner and sex humor, a manipulating techno game geek developer who speaks like a robot when he gets nervous, a chimp that knows karate and senior citizens getting high from drinking "tea" round out the humor in "Grandma's Boy."
From Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Oroductions, "Grandma's Boy" debuts on DVD in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, preserving the original theatrical presentation of the film. Speaking of theatrical presentation, "Grandma's Boy" offers two viewing choices – the version shown in theaters along with a new unrated one. Filmed mostly indoors, contrast is bright and balanced with all scenes properly lit. Blacks as well as flesh tones appear normal. Colors are vibrant and rich. No edge enhancement or grain was evident in the presentation. Overall, the transfer is quite nice.
The audio on the release is presented in a dynamic 5.1 Dolby Digital surround track. Most of the action taking place is dialogue driven and emits cleanly from the center channel. Front left and right channels appeared to match what was taking place on screen.
Special features for Grandma's Boy include two audio commentaries. The first one with star Allen Covert, and co-stars Nick Swardson along with Peter Dante. All three were recorded together, making for a lively atmosphere. It's interesting to note they were all involved in the writing and producing of the movie. The track is free flowing and funny with humorous anecdotes about the filming and the cast. The second track features director Nicholaus Goosen. His commentary is friendly and also filled with fun and interesting stuff about the making of the film.
There are 4 mini behind-the-scenes featurettes totaling about 20 minutes in length. We also get 9 deleted scenes with an alternate (original) ending.
Next up is a Fox Movie Channel Presents "Casting Session," an 8-minute look at the casting of Doris Roberts, Shirley Jones and Shirley Knight.
Rounding out the disc is the music video "Another Day" by The Twenty Twos. Three trailers as well as the one for "Grandma's Boy" itself are also included.
In my opinion, "Harold & Kumar" was slightly more successful than "Grandma's Boy" in succeeding as a "stoner" comedy. Still, though, it can't be said that "Grandma's Boy" doesn't go all out in its attempt at craziness and subversive humor. Also starring Linda Cardellini as Alex's sexy boss and love interest; along with cameos from Sandler pals, Rob Schneider, David Spade and Kevin Nealon, "Grandma's Boy" merits at least a rental if you're in the mood for some irreverent stoner humor.
