It seems dreams do come true, since the Will Ferrell-Kristen Wiig Lifetime movie A Deadly Adoption premieres on Saturday, June 20 at 8 p.m. While there hasn't been a lot of information released about the movie, Ferrell has been in movies like A Deadly Adoption before. The actor has starred in so many successful films over the years that it’s easy to forget he got his start on television. Well, OK, anyone who was a fan of Saturday Night Live during the Ferrell days will never forget the Spartan Cheerleaders, Robert Goulet, the Love-ahs, or Alek Trebek. But, you know, his fame has transcended the iconic sketch comedy show. Ferrell already showed he was game to tell melodramatic tales on TV as writer/director Eric Jonrosh in IFC's The Spoils of Babylon, but it’s now time for him to move from auteur to star on Lifetime with A Deadly Adoption.
If A Deadly Adoption seems like a departure for one of the greatest comedic actors working today, that's not actually the case, since there are many themes in the Lifetime film that Ferrell has covered in his other movies. Although details about the movie have been scant, the official trailer and description from Lifetime offers some insight. Wiig and Ferrell are a happily married couple who invite the young woman (90210's Jessica Lowndes) carrying the baby they are planning to adopt to live with them. Drama ensues, as it appears Ferrell's character falls for the pregnant woman. Ah, nobody does love gone wrong as well as Lifetime.
Based on the above trailer, I have chosen some of the more obvious themes A Deadly Adoption will be tackling when it premieres on Saturday, June 20 and compared them to other Ferrell works. Here are seven plot points from A Deadly Adoption that Ferrell is no stranger to.
Adoption
In one of the most lovable Christmas films of all-time, Ferrell portrayed Buddy the Elf in Elf, who had been adopted by Papa Elf in the North Pole. Buddy's mother had given him up for adoption at birth and Santa accidentally took him from the orphanage to the North Pole with him on Christmas. When the truth is revealed to adult Buddy, he takes a magical adventure through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest to New York City to meet his birth father (portrayed by James Caan).
Adultery
In A Deadly Adoption, Ferrell appears to be the one who is cheating on his spouse, but the tables were turned in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. After his successful race car career had seemingly ended, his wife Carly left him for none other than his best friend — John C. Reilly’s Cal. Betrayal stings, but now it may be time for Ferrell’s character to be the cheater.
Car Drama
Toward the end of the trailer for A Deadly Adoption, Ferrell is seen diving to avoid being hit by a truck. He knows the roadway can be a dangerous place — something he memorably discovered in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. When he threw his delicious, yet filling burrito out the window and hit motorcyclist Jack Black, Ron had to pay the ultimate price: Getting his beloved dog Baxter punted off a bridge. Beware the road, Ferrell!
Strange Living Situations
In his brief cameo in Wedding Crashers, Ferrell revealed himself to be the legendary Chazz, who used to be king of the wedding crashers. At the end of the film, Chazz, far from his glory, has taken to crashing funerals and still lives with his mom. That’s about as strange as getting involved with the pregnant woman living in your home. I just hope Lowndes knows how to make a good meatloaf.
Infatuation
Although Ferrell may start an affair with Lowndes, what pushes their taboo relationship over the edge is the fact that Lowndes seems to become completely infatuated with him. Ferrell is used to being an object of desire for beautiful women in the underrated gem The Other Guys. In the buddy-cop comedy movie with Mark Wahlberg, Ferrell's character Allen reveals that he had a past as a pimp in college and also has a fascinating knack for attracting gorgeous women — something that mystifies Wahlberg's Terry.
Lustful Glances
Ferrell gets busy checking out pregnant Lowndes sunbathing in his backyard in the trailer for A Deadly Adoption, which makes me reflect on the fact that somehow the ridiculous characters he plays always have a love interest. In Step Brothers, his character Brennan is forced to go to therapy, where he promptly falls for his therapist. Although Brennan may not be so suave in real-life, in his therapist’s lumberjack fantasy of him while at the Catalina Wine Mixer, lustful glances abound! (It was the Catalina f***ing Wine Mixer after all.)
Baby Drama
Though The Campaign is my least favorite Ferrell movie on this list, he did punch a baby square in the face (accidentally) in his movie with Zach Galifianakis. There's an unborn baby at the center of the drama in A Deadly Adoption, and this time, I wouldn't be surprised if a few punches are thrown (intentionally) Ferrell's way.
Images: Lifetime; Giphy (6); jennybeckman/Tumblr
