Rotten Tomatoes Movie Variance: Grandma’s Boy
In our Rotten Tomatoes Movie Variance section we talk about films that are both underrated and panned by critics, with the Rotten Tomatoes audience score telling the true story. Today we’re taking on one of the biggest variance you’ll ever see: Grandma’s Boy.
Grandma’s Boy Summary
A relatively old (35) video game tester is kicked out of his house and must live with his grandmother and her two elderly roommates. The change in home-life coupled with pressure at his work (from an eccentric robot/prodigy) makes for a classic 2006 comedy.
Here is the deal if you think farts and fart jokes are funny, then you’ll probably enjoy this movie. If not, avoid this movie and maybe just stick to your New Yorker comic strips or whatever you enjoy from your ivory tower.
Grandma’s Boy is a silly rated-R comedy, with no deep meaning or political message. It’s just a comedy for comedy sake. It does give a nice hat tip to stoners and video game players, which has helped give it a cult following. It has all of the usual Adam Sandler character’s in it (it’s produced by Happy Madison), and is just a good time. Cool to see a young Jonah Hill in one of his first movie roles. It also highlights one of my favorite comedians in Nick Swardson, who also helped write the movie (this is one of my favorite standup stories):
Rotten Tomatoes Best Reviews
No idea why Joshua is reviewing the movie 9 years later (although I’m doing the same thing 16 years later), but Josh, c’mon. It’s right in front of you. “The sex, fart, and pot jokes CUM* so fast and furious…” This guy knows how to use an oxford comma, but misses an easy comedy layup. Also, not sure what Dom Toretto has to do with this movie, but you should be waiving a checkered flag for him not a white one.
As someone originally from Boston, an area which I believe has the best sense of humor, I’ll translate what Chelsea is saying. For context, in the early 2000’s, “weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)” were all the rage. The US and NATO invaded Iraq in a “pre-emptive” attack to find Iraq’s WMDs. What Chelsea, (I can’t read her name without saying Chell-see-a, did I mention I’m an idiot?) is saying here is, “Grandma’s Boy isn’t just a movie, it’s a reason to pre-emptively invade a foreign land. And by foreign land, I mean a movie theatre. Also, just like Iraq, there won’t be actual WMDs at the movie theatre.” So really she is in support of this movie. Funny how words can mean such different things only a couple decades later.
Another one from Boston, damnit. I don’t really know how to spin this. In all seriousness, most movies aimed at younger college audiences are about them ‘rebelling’ against the older generation aka ‘the man’. Grandma’s Boy not only includes older actors (I wouldn’t call them ‘elderly’ this isn’t 2006 anymore Ty), it treats them with reverence. They’re in on the jokes, not the butt of the jokes. Even Bill Burr would be disappointed in his brother/cousin here (I hope they aren’t related).
Grandma’s Boy Best Scene
My favorite scene is really just the whole house party scene. It’s a long feel-good scene, that pretty much all the characters are a part of. It gives off Waiting or Super Bad *(one of the only comedies properly rated) party vibes. It’s a party you wish you could be at. This is just a short clip from it:
Mood/Similar Movies to Grandma’s Boy
You need a light hearted movie to give you a laugh? Partaking in the devils lettuce? This is a go to and one that surprisingly still holds up today. Has Harold & Kumar, Waiting, Super Trooper vibes. Just a goofy R-Rated comedy that’ll cheer you up.
