Film review: Drillbit Taylor (2008)
Remember when you were a teenager? Did you and your friends ever pay a random adult to go and buy alcohol for you? Well, Drillbit Taylor is essentially that…times ten. The film tells the story of three new-to-high-school children and their suffering at the hands of bullies. To combat this, Wade, Ryan & Emmit look to hire a bodyguard to protect themselves. The result? Owen Wilson. As you can imagine this film is intended to be one big laugh, and it works on many levels, whilst also raising awareness to exhibit the level bullying can often reach, particularly in America. It shows the neglect some kids can endure when in these types of situations; parents and teachers paid no mind to their claims of bullying in the film and continued to let it happen behind their backs. Homeless Drillbit has no issues in taking their money and even stealing from their homes, though, to fund a new life in Canada. However, like a bodyguard does with their boss, Drillbit becomes closer and closer to these kids and forms a bond with them, complicating matters with homeless pal, Don (Danny McBride), who wants to take them for everything they’ve got.
Drillbit Taylor carries underneath its easy humour an underlying theme which it feels needs to be exposed. Bullying in schools has been an issue ours, our father’s, and even their father’s generation has had to deal with. This film’s representation of bullying masquerades as comedic but in fact is addressing the topic head on; the forms of bullying go farther than films such as Mean Girls, depicting the brutal violence some helpless children face from older kids. I do wonder whether the writers and brains behind this story have experienced something similar in their lives, because the depiction feels as if it’s coming from a personal place. This does help to tie the plot together, though, as Drillbit feels more and more obliged to step in and stop the bullies in their tracks as the bullying becomes worse. This highlights Drillbit’s journey and major change in the story; his character develops from immature (he acted like a big kid through the first half of the film; his attempts to impress the kids like this reveal his childhood insecurities) to mature (in the second half he acts as a big brother, stepping up to defend them), completing his evolution.
Something, for sure, should be said about the character of Don and how he facilitates the plot along. Once Drillbit’s close friend, bad guy Don, in the opposite of a slow reveal, is villainised early in the film as he pinches Drillbit’s quarter as Drillbit’s back is turned. Don sits on Drillbit’s left shoulder, advising him with bad intentions. However, once Drillbit has a revelation about no longer stealing from the kids, he immediately clashes with Don, who is passionate about going through with it. They go on to butt heads, with the timid Drillbit always backing down, but in a twist Drillbit defeats Don after obtaining the want to fight back. This paints for us the main premise of this film, which promotes standing up for yourself and overcoming confrontation, which almost every character personally experiences. When considering this, it is important to note that Drillbit’s conflict with his bully is vital because it sets an example for the kids and gives them hope that they can also defeat theirs. In the big fight in the final scenes, Wade, Ryan & Emmit all gain unprecedented courage and fight the bullies at Filkins’ (Alex Frost) house party. Outmatched by much older kids, they require Drillbit’s help as he steps in and redeems himself after they discovered that he intended to burgle Wade’s house earlier in the film. This establishes Drillbit as the hero, and he becomes a big brother and mentor for the three young men.
When analysing the character of Drillbit, it is clear to interpret that his childhood was a mostly unpleasant one, which wielded unsuccess and led his life down a path in which he would become homeless. He describes his experience of being bullied at school; a time when everybody began calling him ‘Drillbit’ after he cut his finger with a drill bit. Maybe this can be understood as a reason Drillbit took the kids’ side over Don’s. After spending so much time with these children, Drillbit enters something of a second childhood; a new opportunity to repress the memories of his first, and experience mutual respect with someone of that age, which he was mostly deprived of before. Drillbit’s relationship with the kids is a rocky one, but one that eventually blossoms and becomes a beautiful thing. It begins with Drillbit taking advantage of them, and scamming them for their money. Drillbit is portrayed as somewhat of a bully, even, at the beginning of the story, roughing the kids up during ‘training’, and being very verbally aggressive towards them when they dare to confront him about his lack of protection. But this aura disappears as Drillbit and the kids go to school together, with DT dressing up and pretending to be a substitute teacher (chuckle). This plan works, however, as Drillbit keeps Filkins and fellow bully, Ronnie (Josh Peck-how are you a bully!?), in their place and away from Wade, Ryan & Emmit. Soon, though, the bullies find out that Drillbit is actually a ‘bum’ who ‘showers on the beach’; Drillbit’s lies start to crumble all around him. He scraps desperately to cling onto the world that his lies built, as he now has new-found fondness for the kids (shown by finally calling Ryan the correct name), but they expel him once they walk in on Don and his gang stealing everything in Wade’s house. Drillbit is distraught after losing the kids, and Miss Zachey (Leslie Mann), his love interest, who he confesses everything to. He revolves back to having nothing and nobody, which could point to the reason he was so desperate to maintain the relationships he established, rather than jetting off to Canada (his supposed sole goal).
Overall, the film is a belly of laughs, with a crucial underlying protest towards bullying also there…at least if you want it, anyway. Owen Wilson, and most of the cast, are on top form and combine to create an underrated gem.
Rating: 5/5
