Joe Somebody (2001)

19% of critics liked it
(84 reviews)
30% of users liked it
(30,791 ratings)

Following their television series Home Improvement and the features The Santa Clause (1994) and Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), the actor/director team of Tim Allen and John Pasquin collaborate once again on this high-concept comedy. Allen stars as Joe Scheffer, a nice guy video specialist for a Minneapolis… More Following their television series Home Improvement and the features The Santa Clause (1994) and Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), the actor/director team of Tim Allen and John Pasquin collaborate once again on this high-concept comedy. Allen stars as Joe Scheffer, a nice guy video specialist for a Minneapolis pharmaceutical company who's plodding through both his thankless job and an unhappy divorce from his ex-wife Callie (Kelly Lynch). When Joe brings his daughter Natalie (Hayden Panettiere) to the office with him on Take Our Kids to Work Day, he's humiliated in a spat with company bully Mark McKinney (Patrick Warburton) over a parking space. It's the last straw for the mild-mannered Joe, who challenges McKinney to a rematch, hires a has-been action movie star (Jim Belushi) to instruct him in martial arts, and pays a stylist to make over his wardrobe and hair. As Joe's image improves and the big day approaches, he finds his new self-respecting stance has positive effects in both the workplace, as he lands a long-overdue promotion, and in his romantic life, as both Callie and a cute "wellness coordinator" (Julie Bowen) start warming up to him. The levelheaded Natalie, however, seems to prefer the previously non-confrontational dad she already loved. Joe Somebody (2001) is the feature debut of screenwriter John Scott Shepherd, who actually worked as a corporate filmmaker in Minneapolis. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: John Pasquin
Written By: John Scott Shepherd
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 21, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Aug 20, 2002
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Not something to write home about.
Jason Anderson, Globe and Mail
Has the look and feel of an extended sitcom episode.
Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle
While never truly funny or insightful, the movie works intermittently by digging a little deeper than you might expect.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
I'd rather see a whole movie about an aging B-movie actor and forget about all the stuff with Tim Allen.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
The movie makes smart use of the small-screen big-charm appeal of former Home Improvement star Tim Allen.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
One of the best family films around.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Talented actors are wasted on bad script.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
O arco dramático vivenciado pelo personagem de Tim Allen consegue, por vezes, comover e despertar uma identificação com o espectador. Pena que o filme, em sua insistência em se afirmar como comédia, tente criar piadas tão vazias e mal-sucedidas.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
Much of the running time is devoted to dramatic subplots and other such misguided attempts at pathos.
John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
Bearing clear marks of a film made strictly to pay the bills, its performances are phoned in and its direction is eminently average.
Heather Wadowski, Film Threat
A cliched-filled family film with lines and situations so predictable, audiences will be left groaning rather than laughing.
Gareth J. Von Kallenbach, Film Threat
An entertaining diversion and if you want a light film to just sit back and relax to, then this might just be your movie.
Ben Falk, BBC
The sort of feeble redemption story Hollywood often palms off on the film-going public.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
It has a lot of heart and offers enough amusing situations and lines to keep most viewers happy, at least the female ones.
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
Pure sitcom material that could easily be polished off in 30 minutes, with laugh track.

Read all 15 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lenny M

Saw it in the theater, only one in there. Movie drags, Tim Allen movies have very little mojo but he always give good performances.
KJ P

Very oddly plotted and thought out, but it has points that make you chuckle, and other points where you want to punch yourself in the face! Both ways are very balanced out, therefore, I sort of liked it I guess!
Martin S

Joe...Schmo. Average, Predictable and half-boring movie. Good cast though
Dean M

Not a bad family comedy with Tim Allen turned himself as nice guy into tough guy for his chance to fight against a bully at work. The warm-hearted relationship between Allen and Hayden Panettiere makes this a winner for pre-teens.
danny d

simple family flick, not really defined. not a comedy, not a drama, decent watch though
Yinalí R

Cool.