One of the many amazing things about movies is that it can take you from a rainy, no beach, Columbus holiday to a butter sculpture contest at the Iowa State Fair. tA wife, Laura Pickler (Jennifer Garner), of the ma, Bob Pickler (Ty Burrell), who won it for 15 years in a row and has been sort of pushed not to enter this year, finds herself in a ‘butter-off’(?) with an 11 year old African-American foster child, Destiny (Yara Shahidi).

“Butter” is a parody but of just quite what is hard to tell. With it’s R-rated language and a couple of sex scenes is it trying to sure that corn fed people can be as crude and rude as those in New York City, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale? Could it be a take off on bitter trophy wives who want more? Maybe it is taking a shot at the foster care problems everywhere? Hey it might even be taking a pot shot at smart strippers who does the right thing in the wrong way. Along with all this let’s get Hugh Jackman to make fun of dumb, horny car salesman.

The problem with “Butter” is that while the shots land now and then they scatter too much to add up to anything. The cast is first rate with Yara Shahidi a stand out as is Olivia Wilde as the stripper. The butter sculptures are impressive and the bureaucracy who follows the rules and regulations is represented by Corena Shase as Mrs. Schwann. Alicia Silverstone and Rob Corddy as the foster parents, Jill and Ethan Emmit, of Destiny are the ‘hippies’, in their thinking, of Iowa.

The director, Jan Field Smith, allowed first time screenwriter, Jason Micallef, to let loose without reigning him in when, obviously, he should have been. For a 90 minute movie there was way too many targets, consequently none got hit.

By the way when the movie was over the rain had stopped, the sun was out and Columbus Day had become a beach day!