My Deer Hunter Dad

The greatest problem with 'The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter' is that it's a comedy, but it's not funny. While it has the rhythm and beats of a typical comedy, nothing funny is ever done or said. The film begins with a mockumentary intro of Josh Brolin playing Buck Ferguson (the summer of Brolin continues! sort of), a man attempting prove through his series of DVDs that he's the world's greatest hunter. Actually, the first ten minutes are promising. The film is self-aware and mildly amusing. Sadly, the remaining 70 minutes fail to deliver on the early promise. It tells a typical fathers, sons and legacies story that has been done many times before and often done much better. Buck, along with his friend and cameraman Don, takes his 12-year-old son Jaden on their first big hunting trip together. Buck, who hasn't seen Jaden as much since the divorce, hopes to capture a loving father-son story on video and simultaneously help his son fall in love with hunting. Neither of these efforts is particularly successful because Jaden is preoccupied by his girlfriend and his cell phone (darn kids these days!). A frustrated Buck lashes out at Jaden and Don, damaging both relationships and putting a serious damper on the trip. But this is a movie, so if you manage to watch this whole thing (it's only about 80 minutes) you'll see Buck attempt to redeem himself and mend the relationships with the two most important people in his life. On the acting side, Brolin is fine, while the kid is a rough watch, though better writing certainly would have helped him. The bright spot is Danny McBride as Don. He's the heart of the movie-the most likable and relatable character. He's also the only one who succeeds in providing any sort of comedy. It's not a spoiler to say this is: the ending is interesting. I don't mind an ambiguous ending, and I think this one is worth pondering.