Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

Last updated
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Roscoe jenkins.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee
Written byMalcolm D. Lee
Produced by Scott Stuber
Mary Parent
Charles Castaldi
Starring Martin Lawrence
Mike Epps
Joy Bryant
Louis C.K.
Michael Clarke Duncan
Margaret Avery
Mo'Nique
Nicole Ari Parker
Cedric the Entertainer
James Earl Jones
Cinematography Greg Gardiner
Edited by George Bowers
Paul Millspaugh
Music by David Newman
Production
companies
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • February 8, 2008 (2008-02-08)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$27-35 million
Box office$43.6 million

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins is a 2008 American comedy film written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The film also features an ensemble cast featuring: Martin Lawrence, Nicole Ari Parker, Margaret Avery, Michael Clarke Duncan, Mike Epps, Mo'Nique, Cedric the Entertainer, Louis C.K., and James Earl Jones. The film revolves around a talk-show host having to confront both his Southern roots and entire family during his parents' wedding anniversary. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins garnered negative reviews from critics, commending the cast's efforts but relied heavily on lowbrow slapstick.

Contents

Plot

Dr. R.J. "Roscoe" Stevens is a successful talk-show host, who not only has millions of adoring fans but has discarded his awkward Southern roots, and is engaged to Survivor winner Bianca Kittles.

Bringing Bianca and his 10-year-old son Jamaal to his sleepy Southern hometown for his parents 50th wedding anniversary (to which Roscoe reluctantly agreed to attend), R.J. is determined to prove he is no longer the walking disaster his family used to pick on. In Georgia, he is met by his pickpocketing cousin Reggie, accompanied by his girlfriend Amy; and arrives at the family home to greet his parents, Roscoe Sr. and Mama Jenkins; his brother Otis, the town sheriff; Otis' wife Ruthie and their overgrown kids, Junior and Callie; and Roscoe's rowdy sister Betty. Roscoe's cousin Clyde drops in, reigniting their past competitiveness, and escorting Lucinda, Roscoe's past love interest. Having spent nearly nine years away from his family, Roscoe attempts to impress his family and friends with his newfound wealth and success but fails.

Throughout his stay, Roscoe endures much self-humiliation: he accidentally hits his mother in the head with a softball during a game, is beaten up by Otis and Betty after insulting them, faces constant blackmail by Reggie, inadvertently ruins the family fish fry by getting into a physical fight with Clyde, and is sprayed by a skunk while sleeping. It becomes obvious that he still holds a grudge against his father for showing Clyde preferential treatment when they were younger, while Roscoe Sr. resents his son for changing his name and distancing himself from his family. Bianca does not fit in well with the Jenkins, and Roscoe and Lucinda get reacquainted.

On the Jenkins' anniversary, the whole family gathers for their traditional obstacle course. Roscoe and Clyde aggressively make their way through, hurting themselves and others. When Roscoe begins to help his son over an obstacle, Bianca yells at him to leave Jamaal so he can defeat Clyde and he does, to his parents' shock. Roscoe and Clyde race to the finish line, and Roscoe wins (just as he did 20 years ago). As Bianca cheers, Roscoe berates his family, reminding them that it is all about "the team of me".

The family is angered by Roscoe's arrogant behavior and Jamaal refuses to go near his father, with Roscoe Sr. reprimanding his son for his behavior. Unable to contain his resentment, Roscoe lashes out at his father, saying that although Clyde's father died, Roscoe felt he lost his own father because he always favored Clyde, and chastises him for crediting Clyde's accomplishments while never acknowledging any of Roscoe's success. Stunned by this admission, Roscoe Sr. walks away guiltily, realizing he is the reason Roscoe left all those years ago. Now seeing why Roscoe resented him, Clyde admits he never intended to take Roscoe’s place, and that his competitive nature was his attempt to fit in and be accepted by the family. He also admits that he sees Roscoe as his brother. He tries to shake Roscoe's hand, but Bianca rebuffs him, and Roscoe leaves with Bianca and Jamaal, but not before his mother reminds him that his family still loves him.

Driving to the airport, Bianca proposes not inviting the family to their wedding. Roscoe seems to agree, upsetting Jamaal, who proudly declares himself a Jenkins. Bianca continues to insult the Jenkins clan and Roscoe pretends to agree with her, but deliberately dumps her and her bags at the airport. Roscoe and Jamaal return to the family home with Bianca's Pomeranian Fifi, who had pursued a relationship with the Jenkins’ over-aged Labrador Bucky.

During the anniversary celebration, Clyde cries during his speech for Mama and Papa Jenkins, admitting how much he cares about Roscoe and the family for taking him in after losing his parents. Roscoe then appears, thanking the family for helping him realize his love for them, and congratulates his parents. Roscoe Sr. apologizes to his son for his treatment of him, and Roscoe asks Lucinda to dance. After the celebration, the family watches a video of the celebration on a big-screen TV while Roscoe and Lucinda depart to make love, discovering when they enter the bedroom that the dogs Bucky and Fifi had intercourse, too. During the credits, Roscoe interviews his family on his show, renamed The Roscoe Jenkins Show.

Cast

Production

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins was filmed in Shreveport, Louisiana and Minden, Louisiana.

Box office

In its opening weekend at the North American box office, the film grossed $16.2 million USD, opening at #2 behind Fool's Gold .

Director Malcolm D. Lee blamed the box office performance on the "terrible title" [1] and shared he had preferred the title Southern Discomfort, but the film's marketing team settled on Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. [2]

Reception

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins received negative reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 23% of 83 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.5/10.The website's consensus reads: "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins has moments of comic inspiration – and long stretches of overdone slapstick." [3] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 46 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [4]

Rolling Stone 's Peter Travers criticized Lee for getting his cast to perform "crass routines that should have gone out with minstrel shows." [5] Josh Rosenblatt of The Austin Chronicle was surprised by Lawrence's attempt at being the film's "quiet center" and "soul of endearing insecurity" in the title role but felt it gets bogged down by lowbrow humor, concluding that "it's capable at times of real subtlety [and] warmth and humanity but not confident enough in itself to stay away from fart jokes or empty acts of sassiness for very long." [6] Nick Schager of Slant Magazine felt the script contained false conflicts and "narrative staleness" throughout the plot but gave Lee credit for allowing Lawrence and his co-stars to "play to their strengths," saying they "help enliven what's otherwise simply another soggy family reunion melodrama". [7] Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News said, "Although Lee relies on too many lame gross-out jokes, this cast does know how to have fun - which may come as welcome relief to audiences desperate for laughs during a cold month at the movies." [8] The A.V. Club 's Scott Tobias gave the film a "C+" grade. He commended Lee for taking Tyler Perry's formula to make it "less jarring and more palatable" for viewers and giving his supporting cast enough room to deliver their own material (singling out Mo'Nique as "a surprising standout"), but was critical of Lawrence's "sub-Eddie Murphy hijinks" and overuse of slapstick with various humans and animals, concluding that "In other words, it's about as good as a movie featuring gratuitous Pomeranian-humping could possibly be." [9]

Home media

The film was released on DVD in the United States on June 17, 2008 and in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2008. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reggie Mantle</span> Fictional character

Reginald "Reggie" Mantle is a fictional teenager in stories published by Archie Comics; he is introduced by writer-artist Bob Montana and John L. Goldwater in Jackpot Comics #5. He also appears in CW's Riverdale. He is the frenemy of Archie Andrews, as well as the bassist of The Archies. The live-action version of Reggie is portrayed by Ross Butler and Charles Melton in Riverdale and Vedang Raina in The Archies.

<i>Lady and the Tramp II: Scamps Adventure</i> 2001 American direct-to-video animated film

Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure is a 2001 American animated direct-to-video musical romance film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, and the sequel to Disney's 1955 animated feature film Lady and the Tramp. This film was released on February 27, 2001, 46 years after its predecessor in 1955. It involves Lady and Tramp's only son, Scamp, who runs away from his home and joins a gang of stray dogs. He also ends up in a romantic affair with one of the gang's members, Angel.

<i>Archies Weird Mysteries</i> Television series

Archie's Weird Mysteries is an animated television series based on the characters by Archie Comics. The series premise revolves around a Riverdale High physics lab gone awry, making the town of Riverdale a "magnet" for B movie-style monsters. All the main characters solve strange mysteries in a format similar to both Scooby-Doo and The X-Files.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omar Epps</span> American actor and musician

Omar Hashim Epps is an American actor, rapper, and producer. He has been awarded nine NAACP Image Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, one MTV Movie Award, one Black Reel Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award. Epps's film roles include Juice, Higher Learning, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love & Basketball. His television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the medical drama series ER, J. Martin Bellamy in Resurrection, Dr. Eric Foreman on the Fox medical drama series House from 2004 to 2012, and Isaac Johnson in the TV series Shooter from 2016 to 2018.

<i>Martin</i> (TV series) American television sitcom (1992–1997)

Martin is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on Fox from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997. The show starred comedian Martin Lawrence as the titular character. Lawrence also played several other characters. Martin was one of Fox's highest rated shows during the sitcom's run. In 2024, the cast reunited at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mo'Nique</span> American comedian and actress (born 1967)

Monique Angela Hicks, known mononymously as Mo'Nique, is an American stand-up comedian and actress. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Grammy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Ari Parker</span> American actress

Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe is an American actress and model. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the critically acclaimed independent film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995) and went on to appear in Boogie Nights (1997), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

<i>Uptown Saturday Night</i> 1974 film by Sidney Poitier

Uptown Saturday Night is a 1974 American action comedy and crime comedy film, written by Richard Wesley and directed by and starring Sidney Poitier, with Bill Cosby and Harry Belafonte co-starring. Cosby and Poitier teamed up again for Let's Do It Again (1975) and A Piece of the Action (1977). Although Cosby's and Poitier's characters have different names in each film, the three films are considered to be a trilogy. Uptown Saturday Night premiered on June 15, 1974 at the Criterion Theatre in New York and opened to positive reviews.

<i>My Favorite Wife</i> 1940 film by Garson Kanin

My Favorite Wife, released in the United Kingdom as My Favourite Wife, is a 1940 screwball comedy produced by Leo McCarey and directed by Garson Kanin.

Malcolm D. Lee is an American filmmaker. He is known for directing comedy films including The Best Man (1999), Undercover Brother (2002), Roll Bounce (2005), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Soul Men (2008), Scary Movie 5 (2013), The Best Man Holiday (2013), Girls Trip (2017), Night School (2018), and Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021).

Tani Tabbal is a jazz drummer who has worked with Roscoe Mitchell, David Murray, and Cassandra Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monk's Café</span> Fictional coffee shop in Seinfeld

Monk's Café is a fictional coffee shop from the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The exterior of Tom's Restaurant on the corner of West 112th Street and Broadway, near Columbia University, which first appears in season 1 episode 3, "The Robbery," is often shown on the show as the exterior of Monk's, though the interiors were shot on a sound stage. The restaurant consists of a number of booths, tables, and a counter. Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer normally sit in the first or second booth from the entrance.

<i>Big Bully</i> (film) 1996 American film

Big Bully is a 1996 American black comedy film directed by Steve Miner, written by Mark Steven Johnson and starring Rick Moranis and Tom Arnold as two men, a childhood bully and his victim, as they reconnect as adults.

Lucinda is a female given name of Latin origin, meaning light. It can be abbreviated as Lucy or Cindy. The name, which originated as an elaboration of the name Lucia, was first used for a character in Miguel Cervantes's 1605 work Don Quixote but was in use primarily in works of fiction in the 17th century. The variant "Lucinde" was used for a character by Molière in the 1665 farce Le Médecin malgré lui and later by Friedrich von Schlegel in the 1799 novel Lucinde. The name was well-used for girls in England by the 1700s and has been used since that time in the Anglosphere.

The following is a list of members of the families of Archie's Gang appearing in Archie Comics. Primarily featured are the parents of Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge and Jughead Jones.

<i>San Quentin</i> (1946 film) 1946 drama film directed by Gordon Douglas

San Quentin is a 1946 American romantic drama film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Lawrence Tierney, Barton MacLane and Marian Carr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Epps</span> American actor and comedian

Michael Elliot Epps is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He played Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and its sequel, Friday After Next, and also appeared in The Hangover and The Hangover Part III as "Black Doug". He was the voice of main character Boog in Open Season 2, replacing Martin Lawrence, with whom he starred in the comedy Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, playing "Reggie", cousin of Roscoe. He played Lloyd Jefferson "L.J." Wayne in the films Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007). He has had starring roles in the sitcoms Uncle Buck and The Upshaws.

<i>A Loud House Christmas</i> 2021 American television film

A Loud House Christmas is a 2021 American live-action Christmas comedy adventure family television film based on the Nickelodeon animated series, The Loud House. The film is directed by Jonathan Judge, written by Liz Maccie, and stars Wolfgang Schaeffer, Jahzir Bruno, Lexi DiBenedetto, Dora Dolphin, Sophia Woodward, Catherine Ashmore Bradley, Morgan McGill, Aubin Bradley, Lexi Janicek, Mia Allan, Ella Allan, Charlotte Anne Tucker, Lainey Jane Knowles, and Muretta Moss while Catherine Taber and Brian Stepanek reprise their respective roles from the animated series as characters Katherine Mulligan and Lynn Loud Sr. The first live-action work and second film in the overall franchise after The Loud House Movie, it aired on Nickelodeon on November 26, 2021, and started streaming on Paramount+ the same day. The film also serves as the backdoor pilot of the sequel series, The Really Loud House.

The Deliverance is an upcoming American supernatural horror thriller film directed by Lee Daniels and written by David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum. The film stars Andra Day with Rob Morgan, Caleb McLaughlin, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Tasha Smith, Omar Epps, Mo'Nique, and Glenn Close. This film is based on the Latoya Ammons family possession. The film will be released on Netflix.

References

  1. ↑ "Malcolm D. Lee, director of the record-breaking Girls Trip, feels like he's still paying his dues". The California Sunday Magazine . August 2, 2018. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  2. ↑ Lee, Malcolm D. [@malcolmdlee] (April 9, 2020). "Way back Wednesday from my fourth film, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. I hated the title (I wanted Southern Discomfort). But marketing thought it would work. Movie is still a joy to me and I loved my cast! Not one scripted word. All came from the brilliance of two of my favorites @therealmikeepps @therealmoworldwide salute" – via Instagram.
  3. ↑ "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 7, 2021. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  4. ↑ "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  5. ↑ Travers, Peter (March 6, 2008). "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" . Rolling Stone . Wenner Media. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
  6. ↑ Rosenblatt, Josh (February 8, 2008). "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins - Movie Review". The Austin Chronicle . Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
  7. ↑ Schager, Nick (February 6, 2008). "Review: Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg
  8. ↑ Weitzman, Elizabeth (February 8, 2008). "'Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins' has crude hilarity". New York Daily News . Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  9. ↑ Tobias, Scott (February 6, 2008). "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins". The A.V. Club . The Onion. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins". DVD Talk . Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.