Credits Director : Tim Hamilton Starring : Diane Keaton, Jon Heder, Anna Faris, Jeff Daniels Our Score :

By Clint Morris

“Is there anything in here that’s not utterly repugnant?”

Jon Heder’s looking at a café menu when he utters those words – but he could easily have been viewing the storyboards for his latest comedy “Mama’s Boy”.

So is there anything not utterly repugnant in here? No, there’s not – unless, of course, you include the beautiful cheekbones of one Anna Faris.

Another of these A-list comedy vehicles (They usually star Billy Bob Thornton – sadly enough) that would otherwise have gone the fast route to DVD had it not been for its big-name attachments, “Mama’s Boy” centers on a 29-year-old spoilt douche bag (Jon Heder of “Napoleon Dynamite” fame) who still lives at home with his doting mother (Diane Keaton – who, for once, isn’t wearing turtle-neck sweaters!) and has no immediate plans to move out… or grow-up. When Mama meets the man of her dream, a motivational speaker (Jeff Daniels), son does whatever he can to make sure the courtship doesn’t run smoothly. The abovesaid Ms Faris (“Scary Movie”) plays a potential love interest for Heder’s character – a bright-eyed beauty who, for no intelligent reason, is attracted to whiny little buggers.

This could’ve worked, I’m sure, but it just doesn’t – it isn’t funny, it isn’t inspired and Heder – who’s still got a long way to go to prove he’s more than a one-hit wonder whose only still working because the indy film he made his debut in has taken on cult status form - is quite simply, unlikable in the main role. His character isn’t just downright cruel, but more so creepy – you almost expect him to pick up a hatchet and take a wedge out of Daniel’s character. Keaton, Daniels and Faris fare better – and their characters are much more likeable, but in turn that only makes Heder’s character all the more pitiless. By the time the film reaches the point where Heder’s character is supposed to cut the apron strings and ‘find himself’, you’ll all be half-way home.