Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
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.
| Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Malcolm D. Lee |
| Produced by | Scott Stuber Mary Parent Charles Castaldi |
| Written by | Malcolm D. Lee |
| Starring | Martin Lawrence Margaret Avery Joy Bryant Louis C.K. Michael Clarke Duncan Mike Epps Mo'Nique Nicole Ari Parker Cedric the Entertainer James Earl Jones |
| Music by | David Newman |
| Cinematography | Greg Gardiner |
| Edited by | George Bowers Paul Millspaugh |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $35 million |
| Box office | $43,650,785 |
Plot
Dr. R.J. “Roscoe” Stevens (Martin Lawrence) is a successful talk-show host, having discarded his awkward Southern roots, and is engaged to Survivor winner Bianca Kittles (Joy Bryant).
Bringing Bianca and his 10-year-old son Jamaal (Damani Roberts) to his sleepy Southern hometown for his parents 50th wedding anniversary, 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 pick-pocketing cousin Reggie (Mike Epps), and arrives at the family home to greet his parents, Roscoe Sr. (James Earl Jones) and Mama Jenkins (Margaret Avery); his brother Otis (Michael Clarke Duncan), the town sheriff; Otis' wife Ruthie (Liz Mikel) and their overgrown kids, Junior (Brandin Jenkins) and Callie (Krystal Marea Braud); and Roscoe's rowdy sister Betty (Mo'Nique). Roscoe's cousin Clyde (Cedric the Entertainer) drops in, reigniting their past competitiveness, and escorting Lucinda (Nicole Ari Parker), Roscoe’s past love interest.
Roscoe endures much self-humiliation: he accidentally hits his mother in the head with a softball, is beaten up by Otis and Betty after insulting them, faces constant blackmail by Reggie, 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 tells him to leave Jamaal and he does, to his parents' shock. Roscoe and Clyde race to the finish line, and Roscoe wins. As Bianca cheers, Roscoe berates his family, reminding them that it is all about "the team of me".
The family is angry, Jamaal refuses to go near his father, and Roscoe Sr. reprimands 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, Roscoe Sr. realizes he is the reason his son left home and walks off feeling guilty. Now seeing why Roscoe resented him, Clyde tells Roscoe he never tried to take his place, but only wanted to be accepted by the family and 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 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 dog Bucky.
During the anniversary celebration, Clyde cries during his speech for Mama and Papa Jenkins, admitting how much he cares about Roscoe, who appears, apologizing to his family and congratulating his parents. He and his father make amends, and Roscoe asks Lucinda to dance. After the celebration, the family watches 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
- Martin Lawrence as Dr. RJ Stevens/Roscoe Steven Jenkins, Jr.: a famous talk show host. The main protagonist of the film.
- Joy Bryant as Bianca Kittles: a former Survivor contestant and R.J.'s fiance. Although she shows a "winning at all costs" to motivate Roscoe Jr., she turns into the main antagonist of the film.
- James Earl Jones as Roscoe Steven "Papa" Jenkins, Sr.: Roscoe's father and patriarch of the Jenkins family.
- Margaret Avery as Mama Jenkins: Roscoe's mother and matriarch of the Jenkins family.
- Mike Epps as Reginald "Reggie" Jenkins: Roscoe's cousin
- Mo'Nique as Betty Jenkins: RJ's older sister
- Cedric the Entertainer as Clyde Stubbs: RJ's wealthy cousin and nemesis. He is a minor antagonist and anti-hero of the film.
- Nicole Ari Parker as Lucinda Allen: RJ's childhood crush.
- Michael Clarke Duncan as Otis Jenkins: RJ and Betty's older brother.
- Liz Mikel as Ruthie Jenkins: Otis's wife.
- Brooke Lyons as Amy: Reggie's girlfriend
- Louis C.K. as Marty: RJ's agent
- Affion Crockett as Dayquan
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.
Reception
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins received negative reviews from critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 23% based on 83 reviews, with an average rating of 4.46/10. The site's consensus reads, "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins has moments of comic inspiration – and long stretches of overdone slapstick."[1] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 46 out of 100 based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[2]
Rolling Stone's Peter Travers criticized Lee for getting his cast to perform "crass routines that should have gone out with minstrel shows."[3] 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."[4] 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[s] enliven what's otherwise simply another soggy family reunion melodrama".[5] 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."[6] 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."[7]
Home media
The film was released on DVD June 17, 2008 and in the UK May 30, 2008.[8]
References
- "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 8, 2008.
- 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.
- 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.
- Schager, Nick (February 6, 2008). "Review: Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
- 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.
- 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.
- Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins On DVD