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Man of the House is about Roland Sharp (Tommy Lee Jones), a Texas Ranger assigned to provide protective custody for five cheerleaders who witnessed a fatal shooting. Of course, these aren’t ordinary cheerleaders—they’re the famed University of Texas Longhorns cheerleaders.
In order to protect them, the assigned Rangers must go undercover as assistant cheerleading coaches. Sharp, the head Ranger, actually lives with the girls, while his back-up agents are in a frat house across the street.
Sharp is a no-nonsense agent, and he doesn’t think much of cheerleading. Add to that the fact that the girls are close to his daughter’s age, and you can see where the core of the humor lies. As the film progresses, he develops a bond with the girls, and they even help out later in the movie.
This is a cute film, and I enjoyed watching it. Tommy Lee Jones is great at delivering the subtle humor in his dialogue. I don’t know many actors who share his gruff exterior and ability to deliver comedy the way he does. It’s the same style that he showed in the Men in Black movies, and it works well for this film.
I also laughed at Cedric the Entertainer’s antics as a former convict turned preacher who can still provide Sharp with information on his current case. Cedric’s comedic style works nicely to keep the movie’s tone light. If you’ve seen his Bud Light commercials, then you’ll be familiar with how he plays his role in this film.
All of the girls playing the Texas cheerleaders are great, too. Not only are they great looking, but they’re believable—and they play well off of Jones’ character.
Overall, the film is light fare, but it’s fun to watch. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it moves along nicely. It’s a good movie to watch if you’re looking for simple laughs and a reason to smile.
Extras on the DVD are as light as the movie. They include a short featurette on the girls learning how to be cheerleaders and the standard making-of featurette.
GRADE: A (Movie) B (DVD)
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