Man of the House 2005

At the film’s outset, two Texas Rangers, Roland Sharp and Maggie Swanson, venture to a church to question Percy Stevens about the location of his former prison mate, Morgan Ball, who’s vital for testifying against the organized crime boss, John Cortlin. Percy, however, adamantly claims to be a “man of God,” asserting he’s had no contact with Ball for years. The situation intensifies when Percy’s cellphone unexpectedly rings, revealing Ball’s name, prompting Sharp and Swanson to locate him at a nearby warehouse. Instead of cooperating, Ball attempts to bribe Sharp with a key, but the Ranger takes the key and forces him outside. Just then, chaos erupts as a sniper begins firing, injuring Swanson and enabling Ball to escape amid the ensuing confusion. The chaos continues as a group of cheerleaders from the University of Texas at Austin witness the murder, while FBI agent Eddie Zaine is discovered next to Ball’s body, wounded but claiming he saw nothing.

Later, cheerleaders Anne Christina Milian, Teresa, Evie, Heather, and Barb Kelli Garner are taken to the police station, where their conflicting accounts of the shooter create further complications. Sharp is assigned to protect the girls after their frantic fathers express concern. The Governor of Texas, portrayed by Rick Perry, relays this urgent information. As Sharp’s unfolding narrative reveals, he is a divorced father of a high school daughter named Emma, who feels neglected by her father. Compounding the urgency, it becomes clear that Cortlin has been exonerated due to insufficient evidence.

In a revealing twist, we learn that Zaine is colluding with Cortlin, having orchestrated Ball’s murder while wounding himself to cover his tracks. Cortlin reprimands Zaine for leaving loose ends, compelling him to hunt down Sharp and the cheerleaders for their potential testimony. With Swanson recovering in the hospital, Sharp, alongside another pair of Texas Rangers, steps into the role of protector by moving in with the girls and overseeing their safety, including securing their sorority house.

Sharp establishes stringent rules, including banning cell phones and insisting that they dress modestly in his presence. The school setting introduces humor as he pretends to be a cheerleading coach, leading to amusing encounters, including tackling an opposing mascot during a football game. As the rapport between Sharp and the girls deepens, Barb starts to develop a crush on him. At the same time, Sharp finds himself drawn to Barb’s English teacher, Molly, leading to a charming dinner scenario aided by the girls’ coaching through a hidden earpiece.

However, as secrets surface, tensions rise when Sharp discovers that his daughter has been contacted by Zaine, who reveals dangerous demands via their phone conversation. In a nail-biting sequence, Sharp attends a “spirit rally,” where he passionately delivers a speech, finally connecting with the girls. Yet the evening turns grim when Sharp uncovers a bomb planted on their van, just in time to save Teresa from a near-fatal accident. Following this, he learns from Evie about the precarious situation involving Emma and Zaine.

The climax nears as Sharp follows Zaine’s directives to retrieve cash in exchange for his daughter’s safety. After being handcuffed to the steering wheel pursuant to Zaine’s threats, he nears a confrontation that leads to a chaotic escape on a bus, culminating in an adrenaline-fueled rescue mission by the cheerleaders. Sharp reclaims Emma, crucially disarming Zaine in the process.

In a heartwarming conclusion, Sharp and Molly unite in marriage as they celebrate alongside Emma and the cheerleaders, highlighting a story that intertwines courage, redemption, and familial bonds.