Written by: Susan Granger
http://www.susangranger.com

Following in the "grumpy," sarcastic footsteps of the late Walter Matthau, Tommy Lee Jones stars in this vapid, formulaic fish-out-of-water comedy.

Rugged, workaholic Roland Sharp (Jones) is a divorced, no-nonsense Texas Ranger with a 17 year-old daughter Emma (Shannon Marie Woodward) to whom he always meant to be a more emotionally-connected father. So when he's assigned to protect five booty-shaking University of Texas cheerleaders who witnessed a mob murder, he's forced to get in touch with his paternal inclinations. And it's the mission of the lip-glossed Longhorns cheerleaders to prove they can ponder more than just pom-poms. Perhaps to prove this, they prompt the humorless Roland through a Cynano de Bergerac date sequence with an English-lit professor (Anne Archer).

Obviously the toughest challenge that director Stephen Herek ("The Mighty Ducks," "Mr. Holland's Opus") faced was cheerleader casting. There's singer Christina Milian, who was in "Be Cool;" dumb blond Kelli Garner, a.k.a. Faith Domergue in "The Aviator;" street-smart Vanessa Ferlito, who played Kirsten Dunst's best-friend in "Spider-Man 2;" studious Monica Keena of "Freddy vs. Jason;" and saucy Paula Garces from "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle."

For comic relief, Cedric the Entertainer does his usual dance shtick as an ex-con-turned-preacher. And cantankerous Tommy Lee Jones ("The Fugitive," "Men in Black") at least has the grace to look sheepish for doing double-duty as executive producer. Undoubtedly, he was aware that - despite four credited writers - the best clips are in the Coming Attractions.

On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Man of the House" is a flimsy 4. Sis-boom-blah!

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