Delivery Man Parent Guide
The film makes the cameo-appearance dad look pretty good. Unfortunately, making fatherhood look as easy as the "Delivery Man" is really a disservice to every father who is actually involved.
Parent Movie Review
There’s a lot of ways to define “father” in the movie Delivery Man. And the one you agree with will likely determine how much you like the film. Brett (Chris Pratt) is a disheveled, disbarred lawyer and father of four young children, whom he openly belittles while making their lunches and ordering them to bed. David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn), on the other hand, is an unreliable single guy who drives a delivery truck for the family business. He’s growing marijuana in his apartment, is $100,000 in debt and hasn’t called or texted his pregnant girlfriend (Cobie Smulders) for weeks. He’s also fathered 533 children through a sperm donor clinic that he actively contributed to 20 years earlier.
Now about 150 of his offspring want to know the identity of their father and they’ve gone to court to have the anonymity clause repealed.
Surprisingly the news of his bountiful brood doesn’t have the effect on David that you might expect. While he is initially shocked, he soon decides that secretly finding his kids and becoming their guardian angel will be his new purpose in life—a life that to this point has been plagued by one bad decision after another. (How he plans to pay for this philanthropy or keep his job while he’s gallivanting around the city all day is never addressed.) His friend Brett vehemently discourages his pal’s plan, but still hands over an envelop containing the profiles of all the plaintiffs in the court case.
Gloating might be the best word to describe David when the first profile he picks is that of a professional basketball star (Kevin Hopkins). But this clandestine dad has to decide how committed he is to fatherhood when he discovers one of his sons (Sébastien René) is severely disabled.
For a goofy comedy that includes plenty of crass sexual innuendo and a strong sexual expletive, the script has some unexpected (although also brief) moments of insight. The women who used the sperm donor clinic are completely absent in this movie. Without addressing why they chose to raise fatherless children, the film looks at the long-term effects of sperm donations on the offspring and advocates for the children’s right to know their parentage.
But that is where the definition of a father gets murky. While many of these kids may only want medical records and a genetic history, what about those who desire a father figure in their lives? Don’t they deserve the kind of role model that makes more than a one-time appearance around a campfire to sing Kumbaya or an occasional show on the sidelines to applaud a child’s efforts?
Compared to the beleaguered Brett who seems to live in his housecoat, the film makes the cameo-appearance dad look pretty good. Unfortunately, making fatherhood look as easy as the Delivery Man does, is really a disservice to every man who walks the floor with his baby, reads to his kids, talks with his teen and coaches a soccer team while still managing to hold down a job.
Directed by Ken Scott. Starring Vince Vaughan, Chris Pratt, Cobie Smulders. Running time: 103 minutes. Theatrical release November 22, 2013. Updated July 17, 2017
Delivery Man
Rating & Content Info
Why is Delivery Man rated PG-13? Delivery Man is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for thematic elements, sexual content, some drug material, brief violence and language
Violence: Thugs repeatedly push a man’s head under water in an attempt to get him to pay a debt. An older man receives the same treatment (off-screen).
Sexual Content: The film includes several hetero- and homosexual kisses. A woman tells a man she is pregnant. A man discovers he has fathered over 500 children. The script also contains frequent crass sexual innuendo. A man suggests he has a male lover. Another man talks about marrying a woman simply to get her into the country. A man talks about his wife’s infidelity.
Language: The script contains over a dozen mild and moderate profanities, along with one strong sexual expletive used in a non-sexual context.
Alcohol / Drug Use:A man sets up a hydroponic marijuana grow op in his apartment with plans to sell the drug to pay off his debts. A young addict shoots up intravenously in an attempt to deal with stress. She seemingly overcomes her addiction with very little difficulty. Couples drink at dinner. Characters drink in a bar setting. A character intervenes on behalf of a young man who is drunk.
Page last updated July 17, 2017
Delivery Man Parents' Guide
What role do fathers play in the lives of their children? What different kinds of fathers are portrayed in this movie?
Considering David’s age in the movie and the poor choices he continues to make, do you think he is ready for fatherhood? Who has he let down? What positive changes does he make? Do you think he will be able to maintain the changes? Does his communication skills with his girlfriend portray him as a responsible partner?
The California Cyrobank lists its requirements for sperm donors. Would David have been able to meet these requirements? Other facilities are experiencing fewer donations. This lack of donors can result in dozens of children fathered by the same donor. What are some of the potential problems for children of this donor?
Home Video
The most recent home video release of Delivery Man movie is March 25, 2014. Here are some details…
Home Video Notes: Delivery Man
Release Date: 25 March 2014
Delivery Man releases to home video with the following extras:
- Building Family
- Vince Vaughn: Off The Cuff
- “I Got The Part”
- Deleted Scene: “You Are Under Arrest”
- Bloopers
Related home video titles:
Other movies featuring characters that long for a bond with their fathers include: Prince Of Egypt, What A Girl Wants, Fly Away Home, Astro Boy, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and Tron: Legacy. In Courageous a group of fathers make a promise to take their parental responsibilities more seriously.