Starbuck

David Wozniak (Huard) is a 40+ slacker who owes a significant amount of money to the wrong people.  He is on thin ice at his job, as the delivery guy at his family's butcher shop.  And his girlfriend, Valerie (LeBreton) is pregnant and doesn't want him involved.  He learns that through a mix-up at the sperm bank, he is the biological father to 533 children.  Of that group, 142 are suing the sperm bank to learn the identity of Starbuck, the alias he used.

David turns to his friend Avocat (Bertrand), a lawyer, for advice.  Avocat suggests pleading insanity, but turns over an envelope of information about the 142 children.  He decides to keep the secret from his family and Valerie, while still secretly finding and helping the 142.


This film burst onto the scene in 2011, gaining significant buzz from Cannes and other film festivals.  People praised Patrick Huard's performance and the script, co-written by director Ken Scott.  In 2013 the film is once again on people's minds as Ken Scott is remaking the film in America, now called Delivery Man and starring Vince Vaughn.  So it felt like the time was right to discover this film.

I was pleasantly surprised by this film.  Huard is a revelation: charismatic and completely believable as the lovable slacker, which makes the rest of the film work.  He is funny and heartbreaking and you want to see him succeed.  The film works because of his strong performance, along with the entertaining cast of supporting characters.  It is consistently funny, but doesn't go for the cheap / easy laughs.  The ending is incredibly moving and emotional (if you don't tear up a little bit, you obviously weren't paying attention to the rest of the movie).  An excellent, unexpected film (yes, it might be a bit schmaltzy, but it works).

I'm a little nervous about Delivery Man, but I'm still willing to give it a shot (but I'll wait until it's out of theaters).

Starbuck (2011) 109 minutes
Rating: R for sexual content, language and some drug material
Director: Ken Scott
Starring: Patrick Huard as David Wozniak
Julie LeBreton as Valerie
Antoine Bertrand as Avocat
Dominic Philie as Frere sombre
Marc Belanger as Frere sympathique
Igor Ovadis as Pere de David
David Michael as Antoine
Patrick Martin as Etienne
David Giguere as Porte parole
Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse as Julie