Comedian Nate Bargatze’s stand-up focuses on the joys and chaos of family life. And that’s exactly what we get in his first feature film “The Breadwinner”. Bargatze (who recently hosted the entertaining ABC game show “The Greatest Average American”) plays Nate, a dad of three girls, husband to wife Katie (Mandy Moore) and the longtime local Toyota salesman of the year. Katie gets an opportunity to pitch an invention on “Shark Tank”. So she, Nate and the kids head to Hollywood for the taping.
I’ve watched “Shark Tank” for over 15 years, so I give credit to director Eric Appel for a fun and well-crafted on-set and backstage scene. When Katie gets a deal from Lori Greiner, that means a trip to the manufacturing facility in South Korea for two weeks. With Katie gone, Nate must assume household duties and take care of the girls all by himself, which is no easy task.
What Bargatze succeeds at when he tells stories on stage, and through the storylines of “The Breadwinner”, is reacting to situations through facial expressions, anecdotes, comparisons and quick commentary. Relatable humor. That’s his bread and butter. I laughed at a number of one-liners — and not just from him. There’s a supporting trio of Will Forte, Kumail Nanjiani and Colin Jost. Their comedic timing gives-off similar vibes to the ensemble of Appel’s previous film, the entertaining 2022 musician biopic parody “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”, starring Daniel Radcliffe.
There are some over the top antics in “The Breadwinner”. All have a positive spirit, but sometimes they’re a bit much. A second half section involving a house party and a horse is the weakest. Otherwise, this is a pretty pleasant hour and a half. In an era of vulgar comedies that often miss the mark and feel like a waste of time, I’ll take a PG-rated one (there are a couple remarks that push it a little) with a likable cast that’s a solid 7 out of 10.
By the way, Greiner’s role (as herself) is much more than a cameo. Between her and Kevin O’Leary in “Marty Supreme”, the Sharks are finding a new calling in acting.
LCJ GRADE: B-
Running Time: 95 min.