Starring record-shattering comedian Nate Bargatze in his first feature film, The Breadwinner stars Bargatze as salesman Nate Wilcox and Mandy Moore as his wife, Katie. To Nate and their three children, Katie is the ultimate mom – she manages their comically chaotic household with equal parts efficiency and love, and everything runs perfectly. But when Katie’s household invention leads to a once-in-a-lifetime deal on Shark Tank and takes her on a prolonged business trip, Nate has to figure out how to keep the house from (literally) falling apart. He and his kids soon learn that while he may not do it like mom, he can figure out how to do it his way. Welcome to the dad era.

For in-depth thoughts on The Breadwinner, please see my colleague Phoenix Clouden’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

The Breadwinner debuts on Blu-Ray with a dazzling 1080p presentation in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio that really makes the most of the format. The movie itself has a crisp, natural color palette that is very vibrant throughout with an excellent amount of detail and clarity. The movie utilizes deep black levels, yet there is a hint of digital noise at a few points. Highlights never get too hot or unwieldy. Objects hold up favorably in the shadows and retain their shape and depth. Throughout this story, you are taken to different spaces with bright interiors that reveal fine texture within the clothing and production design. There is no damage detectable in this transfer. Sony has treated this one well on disc with a strong encode that should please fans.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray arrives with a mighty DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that executes the sonic intentions with ease. While there is a focus more on the comedy side of the equation, there is a surprising amount of domestic chaos which kicks things to life when you need it. The low end of the track wakes up when the horse gets loose or the house starts falling apart. Dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with the soundtrack where nothing gets lost in the track. Surround channels are used effectively to enhance the environment and create a more three-dimensional space. Sony has come through when it comes to this audio presentation. Optional English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Eric Appel provides insights into the production of the film.

Making Of: A six-minute featurette which takes a look at the origins of the movie, how closely it skews towards the standup routines, the exploration of fatherhood, and more.

Daditude, Sharks, and a Horse – Casting The Breadwinner: A five-minute look at the ensemble and creative team assembled for the film.

More Bloopers: A two-and-a-half minute collection of flubbed and forgotten lines, ruined takes, uncontrollable laughter and more.

A Standup On Set: A three-minute humorous featurette that takes a look at Nate’s issues with leaving his standup life behind.

Line-O-Rama’s: Three segments totaling five minutes of alternate jokes thrown out.

Deleted Scenes: Six scenes of unused material totaling five minutes are provided here. There are some amusing moments, but it makes sense why they were cut for time.

Previews

Final Thoughts

The Breadwinner feels like a relic from several decades ago, and not in a good way. The “dumb guy doesn’t know how to do domestic work” trope is extremely tired, and the movie does not even attempt to do anything interesting with the premise. The film is at least fifteen percent commercial (Toyota, KFC, Wal-Mart, The Tennessee Titans…), but the bigger crime is that it wastes a truly talented ensemble who are doing everything they can to squeeze some laughs out of the situation. A few stray chuckles slip through, but the effort is very forgettable. If you are a fan of Nate, you will probably have a good time with it, but newcomers will struggle. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray disc that sports an excellent A/V presentation and a good array of supplements for those who do decide to check it out.

The Breadwinner is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.