Down and Derby

Down and Derby is a family comedy about a small town Pinewood Derby competition that transforms an average group of dads into an awkward bunch of competitors. On the outside, Phil Davis is the typical dad and friendly neighbor. On the inside, he is unresolved and at a breaking point with his childhood rival, Ace Montana. Desperate for the elusive first place, Phil sees his son's Pinewood Derby race as a breakthrough opportunity to beat Ace, who also has a Cub Scout son. Surrounded by more overzealous dads in the same cul-de-sac, they all disregard the event's ideals and completely take over the design, planning and construction of the cars. In the crazed world of derby fever, the kids are lucky if they get to pick the paint color or attach a decal. Hilarity builds as the dads teeter on the edge of insanity and resort to backstabbing, cover-ups and sabotage. Wives, families and jobs are ignored with extreme consequences. The farce reaches comical and outrageous levels when in the end, the young scouts prevail in a surprise twist, reminding us to never take ourselves too seriously or underestimate what kids can do. This comedy satirizes the desperate behavior of parents who compete with one another through their children, a social dynamic seen in everyday activities ranging from little league to science fairs. —Stone