This is a terrifically well-cast and well-written film. The story is off-beat, meaning out of the ordinary. The action centers around a butter sculpting competition in Iowa, where the wife of the 15-year winner squares off against a butter-sculpting super fan, a stripper, and a young girl.
Ty Burrell plays the part of Bob Pickler, the butter carving king who has been asked to step aside so that others might have a shot at winning. His wife, Laura, is played by Jennifer Garner. She is a type A personality who wants to parlay butter sculpting into a political career, as people do. The stripper, Brooke, is played by Olivia Wilde. And the young girl, Destiny, is played by Yara Shahidi.
Garner and Wilde have the meatiest roles, and they make the most of them. Laura Pickler might remind you of the aggressive, southern cheermothers depicted in other films. Brooke is a wily, in-your-face woman for whom everything has its price, though she seems to offer daily specials.
The comedy of the film is mostly satire, and there is plenty to poke fun at. Destiny is the counterpoint to the Picklers. A lifetime victim of the foster care system, she longs for normality and consistency, never unpacking her suitcase when she moves to a new home.
The viewer might perceive many targets for lampooning, from butter sculpting itself, to government bureaucracy, to religious conventions (A subtitle could be "Praying as a Competitive Sport"). Whatever the target, this film does entertain.
Ty Burrell plays the part of Bob Pickler, the butter carving king who has been asked to step aside so that others might have a shot at winning. His wife, Laura, is played by Jennifer Garner. She is a type A personality who wants to parlay butter sculpting into a political career, as people do. The stripper, Brooke, is played by Olivia Wilde. And the young girl, Destiny, is played by Yara Shahidi.
Garner and Wilde have the meatiest roles, and they make the most of them. Laura Pickler might remind you of the aggressive, southern cheermothers depicted in other films. Brooke is a wily, in-your-face woman for whom everything has its price, though she seems to offer daily specials.
The comedy of the film is mostly satire, and there is plenty to poke fun at. Destiny is the counterpoint to the Picklers. A lifetime victim of the foster care system, she longs for normality and consistency, never unpacking her suitcase when she moves to a new home.
The viewer might perceive many targets for lampooning, from butter sculpting itself, to government bureaucracy, to religious conventions (A subtitle could be "Praying as a Competitive Sport"). Whatever the target, this film does entertain.