It's easy to imagine the sports comedy Champions passed through half a dozen hands before landing on Bobby Farrelly's desk, likely the last stop in finding the most efficient, least problematic way to bring this to the screen. A long way from There's Something About Mary, it's constructed as a feel-good project that bends over backwards not to offend or court controversy, which is ironic coming from one half of a filmmaking duo who pioneered the most popular R-rated comedies of the 90's. Farrelly's solo directorial debut is noticeably safer, but in trying so hard to be sweet and harmless, it ends up sacrificing the laughs.
This isn't exactly a subject that can go for the jugular, but as a mainstream family picture centering around a somewhat sensitive issue, you sense the hesitancy. And a run time north of two hours (like the 2018 Spanish film from which it's based) seems overindulgent, especially when much of it is taken up by montages hammering home the same point. So even with a likable cast, an ideal lead, and a satisfying enough result, it can get irritatingly repetitive. Too sincere to work as a vulgar comedy, but containing just enough crude humor to blunt the emotional drama, this just never quite connects like it should.
When Iowa J-League basketball coach Marcus Marakovich (Woody Harrelson) is fired after shoving his friend and head coach Phil (Ernie Hudson) during a heated game, he hits the bar to drink away his frustrations. While driving home he rear ends a police car, resulting in him being sentenced to 90 days community service with a basketball team called the Friends, made up entirely of players with developmental disabilities.
After initially showing little interest in guiding this team and using former assistant coach Sonny (Matt Cook) to land him an NBA coaching job, Marcus slowly warms up to the idea, taking an increased interest in the players' lives. This includes the aquaphobic Johnny (Kevin Iannucci), whose older sister Alex (Kaitlin Olson) he awkwardly knows from a recent one night stand. But even with the injured Cosentino (Madison Tevlin) returning off the bench, their star player Darius (Joshua Felder ) refuses to play, jeopardizing the team's hopes of making Special Olympics, as Marcus' future and career hang in the balance.
Baring the usual hallmarks of athletic underdog stories, the movie at least knows what it is, even poking fun of Marcus' casual dropping of "the 'R' word" in describing the team. You knew this would come up and screenwriter Mark Rizzo wisely acknowledges that discomfort right away, while letting us know this guy just can't take a hint. And since Harrelson isn't exactly associated with characters who coddle or inspire, it helps in establishing Marcus as a hot tempered, bombastic blowhard. Of course, the whole point is that none of these players need coddling, but a little guidance and motivation, for which their irresponsible coach also seems woefully unsuited.
The setup runs into trouble in trying to mix raunchy humor with uplifting details about how self sufficient these disabled people are off the court, somewhat condescendingly assuming viewers will see them as Marcus does. In what comes across as an effort to deflect any potential backlash, we get a montage where Cheech Marin's rec center manager Julio runs through the all the players' personal achievements. You appreciate the intention, but it's the film's first really clunky sequence, with more to come, including one that pounds us into submission with Chumbawamba's "Tubthumping." The big subplot involving Darius's reasons for sitting out works, but they really drag the mystery out, only beginning to culminate as we enter the last act.
Harrelson's cranky charm and the cast's overwhelming likability is a saving grace, with supporting players like Ernie Hudson and Kaitlin Olson investing more into their respective characters than flimsy descriptions imply. While Marcus' relationship with Olson's sarcastic Alex does contain manufactured complications, it's fine for what it is, even if fans of her TV work on Always Sunny may be frustrated she's not given something better to do here. Still, it's great to see her in a big screen comedy role, which feels overdue.
Champions has one of those endings where victory can't be achieved entirely on the court, and compared to others in the genre, it's suitably handled. The real dilemma comes in how long the movie takes to get there, leaving blinking signposts along the way telling us how to feel. And for all the recent criticisms over bloated running times, you really do notice it in a comedy like this. If the jokes aren't hitting or the tone seems off, an extra half-hour or twenty minutes can be especially problematic. Considering that, it's a pleasant surprise this isn't far worse, making you wonder if a tighter version of the same material would more closely resemble the superior sports comedies it's trying to emulate.
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