Owen Wilson's sports comedy is cliché, lame and... good?
I kind of hate Stick, but also kind of don't.
Around the halfway mark of every episode of Stick, I’ll turn to my wife and say, “I kind of hate this show.”. Then I’ll keep watching until the end credits roll and the ‘Next Episode’ button pops up, at which point I’ll ask if she wants to watch another one.
It’s a maddening loop, like being trapped in a low-stakes, low-effort Groundhog Day. But unlike Bill Murray’s character in that classic film, I won’t be freed by difficult self-improvement or acts of kindness. No. My redemption will only come after sitting through all 10 episodes of this easygoing, annoying, schmaltz-embracing dreck.
Please, have mercy on my soul.
Stick is a feel-good sports comedy, and boy, does it swing hard into the ‘feel-good’ part of that label. It stars Owen Wilson doing the most Owen Wilson-y performance of his career as washed-up, ex-golf pro Pryce ‘Stick’ Cahill. He’s joined by Marc Maron doing his engagingly cranky Marc Maron thing as Stick’s former caddie, Mitts. Together, they’re the show’s not-so-secret Sweet & Sour sauce.
If Stick were about these two has-beens hitting the comeback trail and trying to become, er, now-is’ (?) again, it’d be an undisputed winner. Sadly, it’s not.
Instead, it’s about Stick mentoring Santi, a mildly troubled teenage golf prodigy he talent-spotted at the driving range and transferred all of his broken dreams onto. And while the kid can whack the bejebus out of the ball, he’s temperamental and prone to disappearing into his head. A classic Achilles heel of many a golf pro and the hordes of wannabes who hit the links each weekend.
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The only hitch is that Santi has no interest. He doesn’t want to play golf because his father, who used to coach him, skipped out on the family. Golf is a painful reminder, so he wants nothing to do with the game, which I guess is why he keeps sneaking onto the driving range to spend hours whacking balls.
Well, we all deal with trauma in our own way, I suppose. But, as they say, there’s no show without Punch, so after Stick delivers an extremely Owen Wilson pep talk, Santi is all in.
Stick then has to convince Santi’s mum that he’s legit and should be allowed to take her son on an eight-week road trip around the amateur golf tournament circuit. She’s reluctant until he busts out the ol’ Owen Wilson charm — and a $100,000 cheque. Then she too, is all in.
With everyone onboard, the four of them get on board Mitts’ RV campervan and head off on a journey to fulfil Santi’s star potential and Cahill’s failed one. Out on the road, there’s light golf action, tepid confrontation, blossoming romance, breezy laughs, rousing motivational speeches and a relentlessly pleasant vibe that makes the whole thing mildly enjoyable.
Yes, it’s blatantly aping Apple TV+’s other feel-good sports comedy, Ted Lasso, which was a massive hit, and the whole thing is basically a tone-adjusted reimagining of Adam Sandler’s 1996 sports comedy classic, Happy Gilmore. But its cosy atmosphere gets it over the hump of its cheesier moments and seen-it-all-before plotting.
However, when going shot-for-shot against those two crowd favourites, Stick’s putt comes up short. It’s too obvious to outshine the former and not funny enough to out-lol the latter. But that’s not to say its shot has landed in the rough.
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It’s an undemanding watch that doesn’t outstay its welcome — something I appreciate more and more these days. Storywise, it keeps things moving, and while it never lands any laugh-out-loud gags, it offers a decent number of light chuckles.
The show’s watchability is entirely down to Wilson and Maron. Their performances as themselves verge on parody — especially Wilson, who milks his laconic drawl and engaging get-away-with-anything likeability for all its worth. But the pair have wonderful chemistry, with Wilson’s stoned positivity rubbing up against Maron’s weary curmudgeon schtick to create a dynamic that’s amusing and engaging.
They make the show tolerable during its more saccharine moments, clichéd story beats or whenever the show leans into situational drama, which is nearly every time Santi is on screen.
The teen is easily the weakest part of the show, despite being critically important to it. He’s an underdog who isn’t really. Before putting down his putter, he was winning tournaments, and he still carries a smug attitude about his skills. It makes it hard to root for the guy.
Stick is also processing trauma; there’s the fall from grace after a career meltdown on live television, his subsequent divorce and the tragic reason behind these two life-changing events. The difference being that you do root for Stick because Wilson is so damn likable.
And Mitts? You bet he’s got problems too. Really, Stick should be labelled a sports-dramedy.
These moments are when I kind of hate Stick. It can be so lame! But, it’s also smart enough not to linger on its melodrama and keep the ball rolling along the green towards the hole.
The biggest weakness in Stick’s game is that it sticks rigidly to the advice Stick gives Santi on the fairway: play it safe and don’t take unnecessary risks. Stick is all predictable and safe choices. This gets the show around the course, sure, but with little flair or excitement.
On the fairway, Santi ignores his mentor, instead choosing to wallop the ball over the obstructing trees and directly to the green rather than dropping an extra shot to go safely around them. It’s a bold and risky move that pays off handsomely.
If only the writers had shown some of their character’s imagination, they may have really been onto something.
Viewing info
Stick is streaming on Apple TV+. The first four episodes are available now, with new episodes landing weekly.
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