The Benchwarmers -

Let’s be real. If you walked into The Benchwarmers expecting Citizen Kane , you were doing it wrong. You walked in expecting three grown men in ill-fitting little league uniforms, a giant steroid-fueled bully named Carlos, and a third act that involves a mechanical pitching machine set to “murder.”

The plot begins when Gus (Rob Schneider) and Clark (Jon Heder) rescue a boy named Nelson from a group of bullies on a baseball diamond. After Gus displays surprising skill, they attract the attention of Nelson's billionaire father, Mel (Jon Lovitz). Mel, a former nerd himself, sponsors a round-robin tournament where the trio competes against the state's meanest youth teams to win a state-of-the-art stadium for misfits. The Benchwarmers

Riding the wave of his Napoleon Dynamite fame, Heder excels as the socially awkward, helmet-wearing paperboy who eats sunscreen and fears "the sun." Themes: Bullying and Redemption Let’s be real

In Defense of The Benchwarmers : The Stupid, Sweet, Underrated Gem of 2000s Comedy After Gus displays surprising skill, they attract the

Finally, there is Clark, played by Jon Heder. Fresh off the massive success of Napoleon Dynamite , Heder reprises a variation of his iconic role—awkward, mumbling, and physically uncoordinated. Clark is the ultimate benchwarmer; he doesn't just lack skill, he lacks basic hand-eye coordination. Yet, he is the most enthusiastic member of the trio. His journey from the kid who eats sunflower seeds on the bench to a player who literally catches a ball with his face provides some of the film's biggest laughs.