Rating: 9 out of 10, a movie that really surprised me. When I first started watching this I hated the Helms character, thinking, what a wimp! But by the end of the movie he is totally transformed into a modern day hero. You are allowed to love this guy because of his wimpiness, he becomes a transcendent hero - against all odds. How a movie makes an insurance salesman lovable tells you all you need to know why this is a great movie. It is a great ensemble cast with Whitlock, Smith, and Heche just handing all the scenes to Reilly and Helms. Helms is a revelation never wavering from his complete nerd but again, making this something to yearn for instead of have contempt for. You cringe and revel in Helm's romance with his high school teacher, Weaver. I've been to the mid-west and this is not an exaggeration - they are the nicest people I've ever met. While some would say Helms' Tim Lippe is a characterization - there really are people this nice and unashamedly so. This is what is so great about this movie - it allows you to channel your inner geek. Instead of trying to be cool and acceptable - be nice. I love it when a movie plays against type and that is in full force here. The best scene in the movie is when Whitlock who has been a completely mild guy until this point plays at being a hood from The Wire. It's a great comment on society's fear of the angry black man. Watch this movie and bask in the mid-west nice.
MVP: Reilly as Dean Ziegler the completely inappropriate but completely solid friend
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