Donny’s Boy

That’s My Boy is the rare R rated Adam Sandler comedy. His movies are usually PG-13 for his immature audience. That’s My Boy couldn’t be anything other than R, because it makes a joke out of every controversial topic it can think of. Though not as bad as Jack and Jill with a few guilty chuckles, it was still a terrible follow up that’s also been called one of the worst movies ever made. That’s My Boy starts by trying to get laughs out of an inappropriate teacher-student relationship. Eva Amurri Martino plays Donny Berger’s hot teacher Ms. McGarricle who seduces a middle schooler. When they get caught, the pregnant McGarricle is sent to jail for 30 years and Donny is immediately celebrated by everyone. Sandler is the grown up Donny who is of course a total jerk who drinks and sleeps around.

Though his fame has run out, Donny needs to make money in order to avoid jail time himself. That’s where Andy Samberg comes in as Donny’s illegitimate adult son Han Solo Berger. Samberg is mostly the straight man who wants nothing to do with his past and changed his name to Todd Peterson. There are so many jokes about Donny being a terrible parent who only fed him junk and gave him a New Kids on the Block tattoo. Yet Donny’s bad behavior rubs off on everyone he encounters. The raunchiest material mostly comes from the strip club that he frequents. Luenell is his stripper friend and singer Ciara is her daughter. Nick Swardson is now a disgusting creep who harasses strippers. Product placement isn’t as bad, but Vanilla Ice does have a featured role as Donny’s equally crude celebrity drinking buddy. Todd Bridges also shows up as a fellow has-been. Dan Patrick plays a TV producer who offers money for a prison reunion special with his successful son.

Donny crashes Todd’s wedding pretending to be his best friend. Leighton Meester is Todd’s fiancée Jamie who seems fine, but ends up being insufferable. Blake Clark and Meagen Fay are her parents and Milo Ventimigila is her military brother Chad who feels like a jerk the moment he arrives. Singer Tony Orlando is Todd’s boss Steve who treats him like a son. In her final film role, Peggy Stewart plays Steve’s elderly mother that Donny fools around with. There’s also Will Forte and Rachel Dratch as more reserved friends of the family. James Caan even shows up as a preacher who beats up Todd. Martino’s real life mother Susan Sarandon plays the older Ms. McGarricle whose relationship they try to normalize. That’s My Boy can get pretty disgusting, but nothing is lower than a twist involving incest. Just about every character is either horrible or a degenerate in some way. It didn’t win Worst Picture like Jack and Jill, but That’s My Boy is another Razzie magnet that picked the wrong material to joke about.

Donny and Todd at the wedding