There are so many movie plots that are so fascinating that filmmakers have to ignore their obligations and produce nothing worth watching. "Fallen ex-star gets one last chance to redeem himself" is one. "Group of unlikely losers learn new skills to become winners" is another. Combine the two and you get probably 90% of all sports movies. Another on the list is "Miser who didn't want to be a father is forced to become one, but deals with it well." Watch this drama on Flixtor Info.
"The Nutcracker" was written and directed by David Gordon Green, who made his name in American cinema. Too Sensitive made his name with low-budget dramas about people who could have actually existed ("George Washington" and "All the Real Girls"), then with films like "Pineapple Express" and "His Highness." It veered (for fans) into an unexpectedly silly comedy. "The Nutcracker" integrates both modes by setting the action in a decidedly realistic version of the American Midwest (suburban Ohio), channeling various versions of the classic film starring seemingly very unsuitable candidates for parenthood ("Just the Two of Us with Uncle Buck"; "The Bears Are on the Loose" is never far from the film), and pushing misunderstandings and slapstick situations to absurd levels.
The Kicklighter Boys are a quartet consisting of 12-year-old Justice (Homer Janson), 10-year-old Junior (Ulysses Janson), and 8-year-old twins Samuel and Simon (Atlas and Arlo Janson). Stiller's Michael drives into town in his yellow Porsche to fill out the paperwork to place his brothers and nephews in foster care after losing their parents in a car accident. Michael was to put the finishing touches on a big real estate deal in Chicago. The Kicklighter boys were once called "juvenile delinquents," but are now "at-risk youth." They are introduced by breaking into an amusement park and improvising one of the rides.
Mike makes it clear that he is only interested in Mike, which means he needs to get out of there as quickly as possible without getting caught up in the tangle of human emotions such as empathy. But you know how it goes. When push comes to shove, when Mike has to make a choice, he'll make the right choice, because that's what this movie is about. Heartwarming, but not cheesy. There's also a hint of romance in the form of a foster care representative named Gretchen (Linda Cardellini), who tugs at the protagonist's conscience after his assigned foster home goes awry.