Written by Kelley Lauginiger
Will Ferrell has done it again. He’s making audiences laugh again. This time, Ferrell takes the green as Lonny “Hawk” Hawkins, the titular character in the new Netflix series, The Hawk.
Hawk is a washed-up former professional golfer with more character flaws than awareness, he is nostalgic for past victories and believes through it all that his best days lie ahead. He’s delusional. His ego is outrageous. He thinks inappropriate jokes about sex and gender from the early 2000s are hilarious. He is selfish and almost always does the wrong thing. Hawk is a farmers-tan-and-visor-wearing version of Ferrell’s SNL dad who yelled, “GET OFF THE SHED!” taken to an extreme. He traded the backyard for Pebble Beach, and because it’s a movie, yes he does become one tournament away from golfing immortality And honestly? Maybe that is exactly what people need right now.
At present, for most folks, it’s no secret the world feels a little bleak. Economic stress worldwide coupled with endless wars and bad news cycling 24/7, there are serious and real issues weighing on humanity. Alternatively, the question, “Does golf take itself too seriously?” is one only golfers would ask, because everyone else already knows the answer is ‘yes.’ Sure, its the ‘sport of kings,’ but who can afford such luxuries when groceries and heat are higher than ever?
Golf somehow transforms privileged men in expensive pants swinging a tiny club at a special ball into a pursuit treated with international importance. Ferrell understands the absurdity of that contradiction and in The Hawk, he takes a full swing at it.
On Amy Poehler’s podcast, Good Hang Poehler had her former SNL castmate and friend on to promote his new show. Discussing comedies, Poehler asked Ferrell, “Are you enjoying watching anything right now?” Not one to give a simple answer, Ferrell sighed and plainly said, “No.” They both laughed in sadness because they couldn’t find anything funny to watch. Two of the best comic actors of all time, during an age of endless streaming and TV, have not been able to find something funny to watch. The way Toni Morrison said, “If there’s a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it yourself,” feels relatable here. (Will Ferrell, if you’re reading this, is this the first time you’ve been in allegorical allusion to Toni Morrison?)
During the podcast, Ferrell went on to discuss the importance of comedy as a way to bring people together during difficult moments. When things are hard, sometimes laughter is what can bring us together. Maybe it’s how we share joy, but also process pain and other feelings that aren’t as easy to define. The complicated kind. The Hawk feels much like an extension of that idea: an ethos of laughter, and a reminder that sometimes audiences need a break from the gritty drama of real life. Right now, maybe people do not need another complicated antihero in entertainment.
Because isn’t that what it’s supposed to be? Entertainment?
At its core, The Hawk follows a familiar ‘sports comeback’ formula. Hawkins has one more shot to win the final tournament victory needed to clinch a Grand Slam title. Back in his heyday, Hawk came in second in the U.S. Open on a near-miss to one of the same competitors he would face in the final scenes of the series.
Additionally, Hawk was always in love with one woman who supported and encouraged his golf career (the inimitable Molly Shannon). Hawk took the life of someone close to him very early on in the series by a whacked golf ball on the course, who happened to be an older Black gentleman who coached Hawk for years. Hawk knew he wasn’t perfect, but still thought he was the best. He shared his irreverent and larger-than-life comeback story through golf analogies with his caddy (Fortune Feimster, Office Christmas Party) and dysfunctional family ties that can be mended through love and time spent. If this sounds like Happy Gilmore, the price is wrong! It’s a different story with different twists, and it almost felt like a wink and a nod to Adam Sandler’s movies.
Ultimately, The Hawk is about much more than a golf tournament. It is a story about aging, family, Molly Shannon remaining supreme and deserving an entire spin-off, ego, and the uncomfortable moments when the person in the mirror doesn’t match the expected reflection.
Whether or not Hawk takes the final trophy for his Grand Slam is almost besides the point. The mystery lies within his intentions, self-love, family values, and the ability to laugh at oneself along the way. Was Hawk fighting to reclaim his legacy, or was he finally learning how to let go?
Like any good golf story, the answer comes down to the final swing. With the way The Hawk ended, the audience is left wondering if he was aiming for the flag or for something else entirely, like getting his family back and living out the life he imagined.
