Being a Dad Is Weird: Lessons in Fatherhood from My Family to Yours - Hardcover

Falcone, Ben

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 006247362X ISBN 13: 9780062473622

Publisher: Dey Street Books, 2017

Synopsis

A funny and intimate look at fatherhood from the actor and writer/director of The Boss and Tammy that combines stories about his own larger-than-life dad and how his experiences raising two daughters with his wife, Melissa McCarthy, who also penned the Foreword, are shaped by his own childhood.

Though he’s best known for his appearances in the movie Enough Said, as well as his hilarious role as Air Marshall Jon in Bridesmaids, Ben Falcone isn’t a big shot movie star director at home. There, he’s just dad. In this winning collection of stories, Ben shares his funny and poignant adventures as the husband of Melissa McCarthy, and the father of their two young daughters. He also shares tales from his own childhood in Southern Illinois, and life with his father—an outspoken, brilliant, but unconventional man with a big heart and a somewhat casual approach to employment named Steve Falcone.

Ben is just an ordinary dad who has his share of fights with other parents blocking his view with their expensive electronic devices at school performances. Navigating the complicated role of being the only male in a house full of women, he finds himself growing more and more concerned as he sounds more and more like his dad. While Steve Falcone may not have been the briefcase and gray flannel suit type, he taught Ben priceless lessons about what matters most in life. A supportive, creative, and downright funny dad, Steve made sure his sons’ lives were never dull—a sense of adventure that carries through this warm, sometimes hilarious, and poignant memoir.

About this title

About the Author

Ben Falcone is a film director, writer, and comedic actor. He lives in Los Angeles with his family.

From the Back Cover

Being a dad is weird… but also great.

Ben Falcone has had some strange moments in his journey as a father of two daughters. He’s been in the kitchen making gluten-free pancakes while overhearing his daughters discussing the mysteries of God. He has felt the guilt of not having candy for the leprechaun trap made by his kindergartner, or even knowing that there was such a thing as a leprechaun trap, or that St. Patrick’s Day was a holiday that required candy, or celebrating for that matter. He has felt the boil of anger as he struggled to catch even the tiniest glimpse of his child during a school performance through a sea of iPhones. Through these, and all the other strange and often infuriating moments of parenthood, Ben’s role model has been his own father. Known for his long and involved stories, his competitive nature on the basketball court, a propensity for funny hats, and a somewhat casual approach to employment, Steve Falcone was a dad like no other.  

Ben learned everything about being a man, a husband, and a father from his own dad. So what if his dad drove the ugliest, biggest-piece-of-junk car in the neighborhood with pride, much to Ben’s chagrin? So what if he always ate the ears off of the chocolate bunny Ben got for Easter? So what if he took Ben on the road trip vacation from hell, eventually landing on godforsaken Ocracoke Island, known for bird-watching and natural beaches, and where everything closes at 7:00 p.m.? So what if he had one mimosa too many before the big soccer game, and cheered Ben and his teammates on with some rather colorful language? Steve Falcone taught Ben that being a dad is all about showing up in the most important moments, and always making sure your kids know that you love and support them—even when your kids do really dumb, disappointing, or just plain weird stuff. 

In this charming and hilarious collection, Ben Falcone offers intimate and relatable stories about his adventures as a parent to his two daughters with wife Melissa McCarthy, but also his own childhood, and all that is wonderful and weird about life in the trenches as a parent.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dey Street Books
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 006247362X
• ISBN 13: 9780062473622
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240