Film

Kicking & Screaming

Name: Kicking & Screaming
Genre: Family, Comedy
Released: 2005
Cast: Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall, Mike Ditka, Kate Walsh, Musetta Vander

Comedy
Light-hearted

Will Ferrell plays an eternally uncoordinated dad who finally finds his moment when he coaches his son's youth soccer team—mostly to one-up his own intimidating father. It's broad family comedy built on the collision between competitive fathers and confused children, running on physical humour and the kind of gentle chaos that plays equally well to adults and kids on a lazy afternoon.

TMDb rating

2.9

If you liked this

The Mighty Ducks1992

A struggling lawyer discovers purpose coaching a peewee hockey team of misfits. It nails the same formula—an underdog adult learning to lead kids, with real warmth underneath the sports-movie scaffolding and plenty of room for comedy.

But The inspirational beats can feel predictable, and it takes a few minutes to warm to the protagonist's transformation. Some of the early 90s cheese has hardened with age.

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story2004

Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller battle it out with a sports comedy that understands how to layer absurdist humour with genuine stakes. Sharp, fast-paced, and unafraid to swing for the fence on every joke.

But The tone is much sharper and meaner than Kicking & Screaming; if you want warmth, this goes for laughs first. Not a family film in the same way.

The School of Rock2003

Jack Black as a failed musician teaching kids who know nothing about rock. Same DNA—an adult's redemption arc told through mentoring kids—but with genuine heart and a killer soundtrack that elevates everything.

But It's considerably more sentimental, and the rock-and-roll message can feel heavy-handed. Also, Jack Black's energy is exhausting for some viewers by the end.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Kicking & Screaming

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Napoleon Dynamite2004

Both films find their comedy in the collision between intense competition and genuine incompetence; Napoleon Dynamite is what happens when you drain all warmth and push the awkwardness into absurdism.

A deadpan high school outsider navigates adolescence with zero social grace. It shares Kicking & Screaming's obsession with small competitions and unathletic men, but as a mortifyingly awkward comedy that treats failure as the entire point.

But It's deliberately anti-funny at times—quiet, strange, and punishing if you need obvious comedy. The humour is so subdued that some viewers find it boring.

Dan in Real Life2007

A widowed advice columnist finds love and chaos in Rhode Island. Like Kicking & Screaming, it's a father-figure story about being knocked out of your comfort zone, but warmer and driven by family dynamics rather than sports.

But It's a romantic comedy first, which means slower pacing and less broad comedy. Some find the ensemble cast confusing at first.

Yours, Mine & Ours2005

Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo navigate blending two large families. Released the same year, it shares Kicking & Screaming's focus on fathers figuring out parenting, but with more chaos and less sports.

But It's more sitcom-shaped and less funny overall. The blended family plot can feel overstuffed and manipulative.

The Benchwarmers2006

Rob Schneider, David Spade and Jon Heder form a ragtag baseball team for adults who were bullied as kids. Lightweight and silly, but it genuinely understands the pleasure of finally being picked for something.

But The humour is pretty crude and uneven. It doesn't build to anything meaningful, and the comedy can feel mean-spirited about its targets.

Role Models2008

Two energy drink reps sentenced to mentor at-risk kids. It's got the same redemption-through-mentorship engine and surprisingly balances crude comedy with real affection for its characters.

But It's explicitly for adults—profanity-heavy and sexual—so the tone clashes with the sincere moments. The plot lurches in odd directions.

Elf2003

Will Ferrell as a man-child learning how to be human in New York. Like Kicking & Screaming, it's built on Ferrell's gift for playing sincere idiots, with genuine Christmas warmth cutting through the comedy.

But The whimsy can feel saccharine, and the third act leans hard on sentiment over jokes. If you're cynical about Christmas, this won't help.

Big1988

Tom Hanks as a boy in an adult's body navigating work and adulthood. It's the spiritual ancestor of Kicking & Screaming—a man-child learning to grow up through unexpected circumstances, with real tenderness.

But It's slower and more melancholic than you might expect. The romance subplot can feel like a distraction from the body-swap premise.

Shaolin Soccer2001

Same underlying plot—underdogs and an outsider coach—but reinvented as a fantasy-action film; it proves the formula works across completely different registers and tells you something about why Kicking & Screaming's structure is so durable.

A visionary monk trains a soccer team using martial arts principles. It's a sports comedy from Hong Kong that transforms the formula into something wildly energetic and genuinely inventive, packed with wire-work, sight gags and an infectious joy.

But The action sequences are hyperactive and chaotic; if you prefer coherent editing, this will feel visually exhausting. The dubbed dialogue can be awkward depending on the version.