Kicking & Screaming 2005

Phil Weston (Will Ferrell), a man still reeling from the emotional scars of his childhood, has found a sense of normalcy in his middle-aged life. He’s a devoted husband to Barbara Weston (Kate Walsh) and father to young Sam (Dylan McLaughlin), who shares his passion for soccer by playing on the same team as Phil’s overbearing dad, Buck Weston (Robert Duvall). Despite their vastly different personalities, Phil and Buck are bound together by their shared history and their sons’ identical experiences. The two families even have a peculiar connection - they married their wives around the same time, with Buck’s second wife, Janice Weston (Musetta Vander), becoming Phil’s stepmother.

As the patriarch of the Weston clan, Buck has made a name for himself as the coach of the Gladiators, the most successful little-league soccer team in the district. His competitive nature, however, often leads him to overlook his own son Sam, relegating him to the bench - a painful reminder of Phil’s own childhood experiences. In an effort to give Sam a chance to shine, Buck transfers him to the struggling Tigers, the league’s worst team.

The Tigers’ inaugural game without their coach takes place at the same time as Phil’s son Sam’s debut with the team. Seeing an opportunity to make a difference and prove himself, Phil offers to take on the coaching role, which he eventually makes permanent. Despite his best efforts, however, the team continues to struggle, leaving Phil desperate for a solution.

In a bold move, Phil recruits none other than Mike Ditka (actor not specified), Buck’s sworn enemy and neighbor, as his assistant coach. The unlikely duo’s grueling training sessions fail to yield the desired results, leading Phil to seek out new talent. He discovers Gian Piero (Francesco Liotti) and Massimo (Alessandro Ruggiero), two exceptionally gifted Italian brothers whose skills on the field are undeniable.

As the Tigers’ fortunes begin to change with their newfound star power, Phil and Buck place a bet that will have far-reaching consequences. If the Gladiators win the championship, Phil must relinquish his business and join Buck’s sporting goods empire. Conversely, if the Tigers emerge victorious, Buck will reward Phil with his most prized possession: ‘The Pelé Ball’, a treasured artifact that holds deep sentimental value for Phil due to its connection to his childhood hero.

As Phil’s obsession with winning intensifies, he becomes an unrecognizable shell of his former self - a loving father transformed into a hot-headed, egotistical coach who mercilessly crushes team morale. His newfound mantra, “Get the ball to the Italians,” may yield results, but it also drains the team’s spirit. In a shocking display of competitive zeal, Phil benches Sam for the entire semi-final game, while Ditka, fed up with Phil’s unsportsmanlike behavior, tenders his resignation as assistant coach just prior to the match. The kids and their rivals are left reeling from Phil’s toxic coaching style.

As the Tigers face off against the Gladiators in the finals, the score is a nail-biting 2-1 in favor of the latter at halftime. It takes a heart-to-heart with Sam for Phil to realize the error of his ways and rediscover his sense of purpose. He implores his team to do the opposite of what he had previously taught them - a radical departure from his usual tactics. Although the Gladiators add another goal after halftime, the Tigers refuse to surrender hope. A vision test courtesy of the crowd’s glasses ultimately leads to Ambrose scoring a crucial goal, narrowing the gap to 3-2. As the game reaches its climax, Phil’s team rallies around him, producing an awe-inspiring display of teamwork that culminates in a thrilling 4-3 victory. Sam seals the deal with a winning goal against his uncle Bucky (Josh Hutcherson), using a move he had perfected during his benching in the semi-finals.

Phil makes amends with Ditka for his earlier transgressions, and the former coach accepts his apology. In a gesture of reconciliation, Phil and Buck merge their businesses, acknowledging that there’s more to life than winning championships. The film concludes with an adapted version of the “He’s Got Balls” commercial, featuring the entire Tigers team announcing the merger between Phil’s vitamin shop, Phil’s Pills, and Buck’s Sporting Goods Store. As they shout, “And vitamins,” after the iconic “He’s got balls” line, Mike Ditka is last seen watching the commercial with his trademark critical eye, before the credits roll.