In its early passages, Get Hard flirts with honest-to-goodness social and racial commentary, contrasting the morning rituals, home lives, and neighborhoods of its two protagonists. What’s interesting about this little controversy is that the discussion does require a bit of nuance - for both charges. Those questions were posed, quite directly, to the stars by Hitfix’s Louis Virtel - in a video interview that treats us to the sight of the movie-star duo straight-splaining to a gay reporter that their movie isn’t really all about the gay panic: And since Get Hard unspooled at SXSW last week, three questions have swirled around it: Is it racist? Is it homophobic? And if so, is it also funny? Oh, the culture clash! Oh, the shenanigans that ensue! You can pretty much set a countdown clock to when hopelessly square James will turn up in the hood, sagging and sporting Locs and spewing street slang. Faced with a healthy prison sentence that begins in 30 days, he hires black working guy Darnell (Kevin Hart), who washes cars in his parking garage, to teach him how to survive (read: not get raped) in prison. “Ferrell takes the Field” is now streaming on HBO Go and HBO Now.In Etan Cohen’s Get Hard, out this Friday, ridiculously wealthy white asshole James (Will Ferrell) gets framed for Madoff-style investment fraud. Documentary Now!, featuring Bill Hader and Fred Armisen, and 7 Days in Hell, featuring Andy Samberg, might be supported with an additional, excellent ensemble, but they lack that trademark Will Ferrell charm. Perhaps the comedy special pinpoints a very specific audience, one that enjoys both baseball and Will Ferrell, but this mockumentary successfully carries its own, following other critically acclaimed mockumentaries involving former SNL members. Regardless of the short duration of the mockumentary, Ferrell on the field proves to be an enjoyable combination. “I brought passion to the field, dedication, ability and a lot of ignorance. “There’s no doubt I turned some heads today,” Ferrell says. “Maybe.” Ferrell carries his baseball player identity hilariously throughout the speech. “Was I the best player on the field today?” Ferrell asks. He makes a retirement speech, infusing his quintessential humor. Though the ball is pitched to him a couple times during his stint with the Angels and the Diamondbacks, the comedian’s involvement is rather ho-hum.Īt the end of the day, Ferrell makes it clear that he is not a professional baseball player. As a player for the Giants, Ferrell plays catcher but does almost nothing. With the Dodgers, Ferrell throws a fastball, and a major player bunts the ball. The downside of this special is that the rest of Ferrell’s experience with the MLB teams is presented in short, approximately 90-second segments. Ferrell responds to this move by hilariously throwing a fit reminiscent of his character in Step Brothers. What is clear almost directly afterward is that Ferrell is no match for the heavyweights of his team, and he is traded by famed general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt’s character in Moneyball). “How much do you bench?” his teammate asked, to which Ferrell responds with sheepish mumbling. Another highlight of the comedy special is when Ferrell interacts with the players in the Oakland clubhouse. “I’m in beast mode,” he proclaims to reporters when he begins his training with the Oakland A’s. Ferrell also models the taciturn personalities of many famous athletes.
By playing 10 different positions for 10 different teams, Ferrell strives to raise $1 million by the end of his baseball tour for Pollard’s foundation.įrom then on, Ferrell approaches being a part of the baseball team with mock seriousness in the face of early practices and the big egos of his teammates. The testimonials at the start of the mockumentary set the tone for the hour - comedy is a necessary agent to support young people with their dreams. Unfazed by his medical condition, Pollard then started his foundation to fund cancer survivors through college. Pollard was a former baseball player until a cancer diagnosis stopped his career. The comedy special is raising money for Cancer for College, a foundation Ferrell’s Delta Tau Delta college fraternity brother Craig Pollard started. “Ferrell Takes the Field” caters to followers of Ferrell’s work while raising awareness for cancer.
In theory, Ferrell as a baseball player sounds like an absolutely insane concept, but anyone who is a fan of the comedian’s humor will know that he elicits the most laughs while maintaining a straight face in ridiculous situations. Over the weekend, Saturday Night Live and USC alumnus Will Ferrell premiered his mockumentary, “Ferrell Takes the Field.” In the comedy special, Ferrell plays for 10 different Major League Baseball teams in five different baseball games.
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