Get a Life: Dadicus (1990)

Chris (Chris Elliott) is down at the coffee shop, regaling his fellow newsboys with tales of his sexual conquests, when the subject of the Newspaper Boy Semi-Annual Father and Son Day comes up. Chris reminisces about he and his dad, Fred (Bob Elliott), competing in the event when he was a boy, but he says it would be unfair to the younger newsboys to enter it now, "kinda like Meryl Streep showing up at Star Search." When young Otto (David Tom) calls Chris' courage into question, Chris claims he just has better things to do -- "adult things, like playing with matches, and eating candy from strangers. That's right -- strangers -- who, by the way, have the best candy, but I guess you wouldn't know that, would you?" Chris eventually caves in, but then he has to convince Fred to enter the competition with him, despite their history of being humiliated, and his advanced age. Gladys (Elinor Donahue), Chris' mom, thinks it's a grand idea. Fred is dead set against it, but Chris brings out the heavy ammo -- "the face." After three days of being subjected to Chris' childish pouting, Fred relents and the two start training. They practice sack racing and egg racing, but when the day of the event arrives, it turns out to be a brutal, American Gladiators-style battle, emceed by James Hampton (who played Dobbs on F-Troop) as Fletcher. Otto and his dad, the returning champs, insult Chris and Fred throughout the events, and Chris discovers a way to make crashing to the ground again and again less painful. "Just let your face catch the brunt of it," he tells Fred, "It's nature's shock absorber." ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi