Nate Bargatze, a popular standup comedian known for his deadpan delivery and family-friendly jokes about his own middle-class doofiness, makes his film debut in The Breadwinner. While his standup persona works well on stage, it proves less effective in a feature-length sitcom episode that feels dated and largely unfunny.
A Familiar Formula
Bargatze's film takes cues from Adam Sandler's late-2000s and early-2010s comedies like Grown Ups and Jack & Jill. He co-writes a movie where he plays a suburban dad married to a woman out of his league—here, Mandy Moore as Katie. The film tries to compensate by assuring us that the husband is beloved and successful, working as a top Toyota salesman. Like those Sandler movies, the plot revolves around a stay-at-home mom leaving for work, forcing the dad to manage the household and children.
Supporting Cast Highlights
Will Forte stands out as Keegan, the world's least qualified roofer, delivering his clumsy character with commitment. His scenes make Bargatze look lost, especially in end-credit outtakes where Forte improvises freely. Other SNL alumni like Colin Jost and Martin Herlihy have minor roles, but only Forte truly shines. Keegan's references to his estranged ex-wife carry more emotional weight than Nate's realization of his own failings.
Missed Opportunities
The movie aims to honor the invisible labor of mothers, but it makes Nate's struggles seem overblown and oblivious to the family's affluence. It never questions why three kids need to be driven to three separate schools, targeting a specific, unthinkingly affluent demographic. The humor relies on incompetent-dad tropes that have been done better by shows like The Simpsons decades ago. A sequence even sanitizes John Mulaney's "horse in a hospital" bit into a less funny "horse in an upper-middle-class house" gag.
Direction and Execution
Director Eric Appel, despite his TV experience, delivers a film that feels hastily put together. A simple sleepover scene struggles with character placement. However, there are a few laughs: a running gag about damp towels left by the daughters is relatable, and a meta scene where Nate performs a corny standup routine at a bake sale works well. Mostly, though, the film is about a put-upon middle-aged white guy learning outdated lessons about work-life balance, which the movie seems to misunderstand.
Conclusion
The Breadwinner is not completely laughless, but it fails to make good use of Bargatze's unique presence. Save for Forte's committed performance, the film feels like a self-flattering big-screen sitcom that should have stayed on the stage. It is now playing in US cinemas, with UK and Australia releases to follow.
