What starts out a typical Vince Vaughn comedy becomes a heartfelt dramedy in the film Delivery Man.  The movie takes audiences into the world of a sperm donor and how one person can complicate the lives of the 533 children of the recipients.   The story is a fantasy, but it’s also a cool “what if” question that makes the movie very entertaining. It’s the Vince Vaughn I like most, sometimes funny and mostly sincere.

David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn) is a softhearted guy who works driving a meat truck for his father’s business.  Twenty years earlier he earned money by donating sperm to a fertility clinic and now has been presented with a complication in the clinic’s system.  142 children of the 533 pregnancies he produced with his seed are suing the clinic to know who fathered them.

David (Vince Vaughn) consults his brother and lawyer Brett (Chris Pratt) in DELIVERY MAN

While there is no requirement that he accept the request, David’s very curious on who these children are and what has become of them over the past 20 years. To make matters worse his girlfriend Emma (Cobie Smulders) has received the news that her pregnancy test has come up positive.  In the meantime David is unaware of Emma’s condition and starts to look up his offspring one at a time to see what he has created.

He goes undercover to a meeting of their newly formed group and starts to see the big picture.  Director and screen writer Ken Scott keeps his film moving along getting David deeper and deeper into the growing problem.  He shows several sides to the dilemma with each situation intriguing as the next. Scott puts David under a microscope with several of the adult children that has fathered. We see their stories from struggling to successful and each wanting to know the person who gave them this common genealogical thread. Scott mixes comedy with sincerity staying away from sappy and keeping it as earnest and heartfelt as possible.

David asks a question at a meeting in DELIVERY MAN

This is the Vince Vaughn that I like the best, not aloof or compensatory he makes his David a likeable oaf that speaks volumes for parenthood.  His performance shows a side of him that he rarely exhibits in film and with Delivery Man I am good with that.  While his David does showcase the actor’s fine talent, it’s the script and the support cast that keeps him on top of his game.

The young support cast, all looking like they are in their early 20’s, keeps the film believable. They do a terrific job of depicting his offspring in all walks of life, ethnic groups and even sexual orientation.  It’s a melding of America in a single film that shows how one indelible link can create a bond that can bring large groups together for a common cause, no matter how outlandish it may be.

Delivery Man has been rated PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual content, some drug material, brief violence and language. Be cautious when deciding to allow immature children see the film as it does have some scenes that are inappropriate for adolescents.

FINAL ANALYSIS: A likeable little comedy that warms the heart. (B)

Additional Film Information:
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, Cobie Smulders, Adam Chanler-Berat, Andrzej Blumenfeld, Bobby Moynihan and Dave Patten
Directed by: Ken Scott
Genre: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual content, some drug material, brief violence and language     
Running Time: 1 hr 43 min
Opening Date: November 22, 2013
Distributed by: DreamWorks Pictures