Home Team is based on the true story of Sean Payton, the head coach of the New Orleans Saints who coached his son's local football team while he was suspended during the Bountygate scandal. It is a classic story of a group of underdogs who get a shot at glory but have a bumpy ride along the way. Like most films in the family genre, Home Team is equal parts heartwarming and amusing, dealing plenty of inspiration along with the laughs.
The cast, filled with well-known actors and newcomers alike, does an excellent job portraying endearing characters and delivering hilarious moments. Whether viewers are football fans or not, they will be cracking up thanks to these entertaining performances.
Sean Payton
Despite his background in comedy, Kevin James plays Coach Sean Payton with a surprisingly calm and serious demeanor. Nevertheless, he manages to insert wry sarcasm and deadpan humor into his performance.
It is clear that Coach Payton has been humbled, going from winning the Super Bowl to coaching arguably the worst youth football team in Texas, but no matter what he has to endure, he never loses his sense of humor. With every setback and humiliation Coach Payton suffers, the viewer can tell he is tired and often exasperated. However, he gets through it all with a witty remark, leaving viewers with a smile.
Harlan
Anyone who has felt the pain of being ignored by their first crush will sympathize with poor Harlan. Although he feels like the girl he is interested in thinks he is invisible, she seems to show up at all of his games, causing him to freeze like a deer in headlights. Harlan's plight at times comes off more awkward than funny, but viewers cannot help but chuckle at his difficulties because they are so relatable.
Harlan cannot seem to catch a break, on the field or off, and even when he musters up the courage to make a move with his crush, the resulting disaster is hilarious and painful to watch. Fortunately, Harlan gets his happy ending. Although he misses the kick and loses the game, viewers cannot help but think he is a winner.
Dennis
Someone probably should have told Dennis that football involves touching people before he signed up, but it seems like no one did. Watching Dennis, one of the linebackers on the team, adroitly avoid tackling his opponents is a joy for viewers. When Dennis' mom asks Coach Payton to toughen up her little "peanut," Payton works with Dennis' nature and puts him in a position that capitalizes on his distaste for physical .
In addition to being one of the funniest team , Dennis also shows growth throughout the movie. By the championship game, as he hugs the understandably confused Porcupine player who tackled him and thanks him for being part of his journey, he earns plenty of laughs from the audience.
Paulie
He may not be the The Sandlot as they hear Paulie's quips that showcase wisdom beyond his years. In a scene that calls out parents of real-life youth athletes, Paulie mentions early on that he does not even want to be on the team; he knows he is only there so his dad can relive his glory days.
Of course, it is no surprise that Paulie wants off the team, considering that he is constantly pummeled by Harlan's failed field goal attempts. What he lacks in skill he makes up for with enthusiasm, and by the time the Warriors make the championship game, Paulie is having fun and bringing the audience along for the ride.
Mitch Bizone
Mitch Bizone is not the kind of coach that inspires players and viewers alike, but he is certainly the kind that makes them laugh. He spends much of the movie crashing through tables in the kind of broad physical comedy that may remind viewers of Chris Farley.
Mitch's humor is often more adult than viewers might expect from a kids' movie, and the frequent jokes about his alcohol problem almost cross the line from funny to cringeworthy. His heart is in the right place, though, and there is no denying his love for the team. In the end, much to fans' relief, Mitch seems to get his life together, earn the respect of the team, and even have a shot at romance with one of the team moms.
Gus
Although he only appears in a handful of scenes, Gus steals every scene he is in. Another enthusiastic er of the Warriors, Gus boasts that he too is something of a football legend. His description of one particularly epic touchdown he scored - despite multiple broken bones, a cavity, and a woman in labor on the field - is one of his funniest lines.
Gus is also noteworthy for being one of the few characters to help Coach Bizone rather than mock him, cementing his place in viewers' hearts. During the Warriors' painful first game against the Porcupines, Coach Payton jokingly suggests putting an eager Gus into the game as their only hope. Since Gus does not end up playing, viewers may feel that they missed an opportunity to see a legend in action.
Jamie
Fans of sports comedy films (like 1998's The Waterboy) know that actor Rob Schneider is no stranger to cheering for the underdog. In Home Team, Schneider plays Jamie, the new husband of Coach Payton's ex-wife Beth. He and Payton have a surprisingly amicable relationship, considering that Jamie is as different from Payton as it is possible to be.
With his man-bun and dedication to New Age practices, Jamie is more interested in cheering on his stepson than he is in the game. Jamie and his "power logs" are the catalyst for the movie's most unbelievably over-the-top (and disgusting) scene, so it is probably in the team's best interest that he not get involved in their training. Still, for a character that could easily have been portrayed as a villain, Jamie is a surprisingly likable and funny character.
Eric
Of all the characters who try Coach Payton's patience, Eric is probably the worst. He is surprisingly dedicated to his job as a hotel clerk, considering how bad he is at his job. Played by Jared Sandler, nephew of producer Adam Sandler, Eric is given some of the funniest lines in the film.
He consistently behaves inappropriately but does not seem to recognize that he is doing anything wrong, which adds to the humor of the situation. Though he has comparatively little screen time, Eric is one of the more memorable characters in the film, and viewers will likely find his bizarre idiosyncracies amusing.
