Channing Tatum (left) and Kirsten Dunst star in Paramount Pictures’ “Roofman.”
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(“Roofman” trailer courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
Americans have a history of supporting certain criminals and hoping they elude the law.
Bonnie and Clyde had a fanbase during their bank robbery run while the country struggled through the Great Depression.
Luigi Mangione has become a cult figure and sex symbol after his alleged murder of former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024.
In the true story “Roofman,” Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum, “22 Jump Street”) joins that company of lovable criminals who represent the struggles of the common man in a movie that covers a wide range of emotions from empathy, anger and happiness.
Thankfully, many sane Americans do not cheer for every criminal.
However, some Americans get behind criminals when they stick it to the man, or they commit crimes just to keep their heads above water and care for their families.
During the Great Depression, many Americans supported Bonnie and Clyde robbing banks because they believed that the banks had robbed many people of their money.
In the last year, many people have supported Mangione for allegedly murdering Thompson because many believe that the healthcare industry has killed their loved ones by denying coverage and care just so that they can turn a profit.
In “Roofman,” Jeffrey represents the common man enduring a common struggle.
He is a good dude.
He loves his children.
He loves their mother.
And he loves his friends.
But Jeffrey does not love that he cannot give his daughter the childhood that he feels she deserves.
Instead of giving his daughter Becky (Alissa Marie Pearson, “Evil Lives Here”) the bicycle she wants for her birthday, Jeffrey just regifts one of his old childhood toys to her, although it is a toy usually given to boys.
Well, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Jeffrey will do just about anything to provide a good life for his young family.
But the jobs he has been able to get after leaving the military have not been able to cut it.
His old buddy from the military, Steve (LaKeith Stanfield, “Get Out”), believes that Jeffrey just has not put his talents to good use.
Steve believes that Jeffrey is the smartest dumb “ninja” that he knows.
Furthermore, Steve believes that Jeffrey’s true talent is observation.
The average thing that another person would simply ignore stands out to Jeffrey and his perceptive mind.
Jeffrey only needs to find a way to use that skill set to make some real money.
Unfortunately, many brilliant and talented people use their gifts for nefarious purposes instead of doing something legitimate with their lives.
And in “Roofman,” Jeffrey’s desire to make some quick cash and immediately turn his family’s fate around leads him down a road of no return.
Or does it?
A wise man once said that a person can never go home again.
But after Jeffrey gets busted for robbing multiple McDonald’s and is sentenced to 45 years behind bars, his skill set might just make it possible for him to get a self-induced early release to go home and reunite with his children.
Even during his run as a fast-food restaurant stick-up kid, Jeffrey stands out from the regular run-of-the-mill criminal.
When he forces his victims to get into a McDonald’s freezer while he robs the safe, he gives the restaurant manager, Duane (Tony Revolori), his coat after he complains about being too cold.
Once he finds a place to hide after his prison escape, he cannot stop caring about people.
He cares so much that he begins dating a woman who works at his hiding place.
Jeffrey’s relationship with Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog”) and her daughters eventually brings him out of hiding, for better or worse.
“Roofman” wins because it does not take itself too seriously.
Yes, “Roofman” has its profound and loving moments.
But Jeffrey’s lighthearted personality, even while committing crimes, gives him and the movie their likability and connectivity.
Many people will agree that committing a crime is wrong.
But what should a person do if they cannot find a legitimate way to take care of their family?
On the song “Changes” by Tupac Shakur, the rapper/actor said, “I ain’t never did a crime I ain’t have to do.”
In “Roofman,” Jeffrey finds himself in the same position that Shakur found himself in approximately 30 years ago.
When it comes to a person’s family, many nonviolent people would actually kill if it were in the best interest of their family, especially their children.
As a result, as Jeffrey eludes the law, he does not become more threatening or menacing.
He becomes more relatable.
And Tatum is the perfect actor to play the relatable but charismatic figure.
He has the around-the-way quality that makes him more human than Hollywood.
Dunst is also common in the movie, which lends to the couple’s likability.
And for Generation X members, “Roofman” will be relatable for all the old school 1990s nostalgia, like jean shorts, Toys R Us stores and Blockbuster video stores.
Additionally, “Roofman” gives 1980s vibes with a Tom Cruise “Risky Business”—like scene in the Toys R Us.
The only frustrating thing about “Roofman” is one little quirk that Jeffrey possesses.
After robbing a McDonald’s, a witness told a news reporter that Jeffrey was like a genius and an idiot, echoing Steve’s thoughts on his longtime friend.
Jeffrey can get away with robberies and prison breaks.
But he cannot make good common-sense decisions when it comes to staying on the loose and out of prison.
Although many Americans fall in love with the lovable and charismatic criminal, many of those same criminals love to make the crucial mistake that blows their cover and blows up their entire operation.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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