Big Daddy (1999 film)

Big Daddy (1999 film)
Big Daddy is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Steve Franks, Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler based on a story by Franks, and starring Adam Sandler, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Stewart, Rob Schneider, Dylan Sprouse, Cole Sprouse, and Leslie Mann with supporting roles done by Allen Covert and Josh Mostel. The plot follows a 32-year-old man who gets dumped by his girlfriend for not accepting responsibility and then tries to be responsible by adopting a five-year-old boy who appears on his doorstep.
The film was released on June 25, 1999. Despite mixed reviews from critics, the film was a success at the box office grossing $235 million on a $34 million budget, becoming Sandler's highest-grosser domestically until Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015). The film was nominated for five Razzies and Sandler won the Worst Actor category.
Plot
In New York City, Sonny Koufax is a 32-year-old slacker and law school graduate who hasn't taken the bar exam, works one day a week as a toll booth attendant, and lives off a $200,000 compensation from a minor accident which he was involved in two years prior to the events of the film. His girlfriend Vanessa threatens to break up with him unless he takes more responsibility. His roommate Kevin Gerrity proposes to his podiatrist girlfriend Corinne before he leaves for China to work on a case for his law firm and she accepts. Corinne vehemently dislikes Sonny because he constantly teases her about her former job at Hooters when she was in medical school.
The next day, Sonny wakes up to find Julian McGrath, a five-year-old left at their apartment. A note states that his mother is no longer able to care for him and that Kevin is his biological father. Sonny contacts Kevin who is puzzled by the news. Despite his selfishness and lack of parenting skills, Sonny assures him that he will take care of Julian until Kevin returns from China. To win Vanessa back, Sonny introduces her to Julian. However, he discovers that she is now dating Sid, whomdespite being much older than hershe reveres as more motivated and intelligent with a "five-year plan". After ranting about it in his call to his father Lenny, Sonny introduces Julian to his delivery man friend Nazo and fellow bar patron Mr. Herlihy as they become acquainted with a homeless man.
Posing as Kevin, Sonny takes Julian to his social worker Arthur Brooks telling him that Julian should return to his mother. However, Brooks informs Sonny that Julian's mother died of cancer. Sonny then decides to raise Julian his own way. They develop a strong bond and Julian helps Sonny find a new girlfriend in Corinne's lawyer sister Layla. Brooks finds a foster home for Julian and leaves messages for Sonny, but is suspicious when he does not respond.
At a meeting at Julian's school, Sonny rethinks his parenting methods after Julian's teacher complains about the habits he has developed due to Sonny's influence. He turns Julian's behavior around, but then Brooks arrives to find out Sonny impersonated Kevin and threatens to arrest him if he does not hand over Julian. Sonny complies, but contacts Layla to help take legal action.
In court, Layla, Kevin, and Sonny's lawyer friends Phil and Tommy represent Sonny, while Mr. Herlihy, the homeless man, Nazo, and Corinne testify on Sonny's behalf and tell the judge he is a good father. Julian also testifies and provides information regarding his birth in Toronto, which sparks Kevin to realize he truly is Julian's biological father. Sonny then calls himself to the stand and asks father to question him. Despite Lenny's fervent belief that he is not father material, Sonny convinces him that he will not fail at being a father. Impressed by Sonny's sincerity, Lenny vouches for him. Nonetheless, the judge states that Sonny should be incarcerated for defrauding the city. Now able to explain that he is the father, Kevin tells the judge that he refuses to press charges against Sonny. Kevin is granted custody of Julian following a DNA test and Sonny promises him that he will always be there for him. He then passes Julian to Kevin and they start to bond. Julian often meets up with Sonny for activities such as basketball.
Fifteen months later, Sonny has completely turned his life around. He is a successful lawyer, is married to Layla, and they have a baby. Sonny is given a surprise birthday party at a Hooters, attended by his friends, including the happy family unit of Julian, Kevin, and Corinne. Sonny encounters Vanessa working there as a waitress with Sid working as a cook, revealing that his "five-year plan" did not go as she had hoped. Sonny's friends and Layla celebrate Sonny's birthday.
Cast
In addition, Carmen De Lavallade appears as the judge during the custody hearing, Geoffrey Horne appears as Vanessa's current boyfriend Sid, while other Adam Sandler film repeat regulars include Edmund Lyndeck (as an elderly bar patron named Mr. Herlihy who claims that Sunny "fights like a girl"), Steven Brill (as lawyer Ted Castellucci who assists Brooks at the custody hearing), Sandler's wife Jackie Sandler (as a waitress at the bar Sonny frequents) and his niece and nephew Jillian and Jared Sandler as two people named Jillian and Jared. Dennis Dugan has an uncredited appearance as a reluctant trick-or-treat giver.
Production
Principal photography took place in New York from September 24 to December 21, 1998. Pete Davidson auditioned for a role.
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, Big Daddy has an approval rating of 39% based on 93 reviews, and an average rating of 4.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Adam Sandler acquits himself admirably, but his charm isn't enough to make up for Big Daddy'''s jarring shifts between crude humor and mawkish sentimentality." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 41 out of 100, based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B+.
Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club called it "Sandler's best movie", noting that "Sandler possesses an innocence that makes the mean-spiritedness inherent in much of his work surprisingly palatable." Robert Koehler of Variety called it "a step forward for Adam Sandler, as well as a strategy to expand his audience. While the loyal male-teen aud[ience] core will not be disappointed with the spate of gags just for them, story contains solid date-movie material."
Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said: "There's no doubt Sandler is talented, but if he persists in believing that, like Elvis, his presence alone covers a multitude of omissions and inconsistencies, he will squander his gift and make a series of forgettable films in the process." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times'' gave the film one-and-a-half out of four stars, describing the main character as "seriously disturbed" and the story as "predictable", although he did praise Joey Lauren Adams's character as "entertaining".
Director Paul Thomas Anderson is a noted fan of the film, considering it one of his favorites.
Accolades
Soundtrack
The film won a BMI Film Music Award. The soundtrack included the following:
Track listing
"Sweet Child o' Mine" by Sheryl Crow (Guns N' Roses cover)
"When I Grow Up" by Garbage
"Peace Out" by Adam Sandler (a sound clip from a scene in the movie)
"Just Like This" by Limp Bizkit
"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" by Everlast (a Neil Young cover)
"Ga Ga" by Melanie C
"What Is Life" by George Harrison, covered in movie by Shawn Mullins
"The Kiss" by Adam Sandler (a sound clip from a scene in the movie)
"Instant Pleasure" by Rufus Wainwright
"Ooh La La" by The Wiseguys
"Sid" by Adam Sandler (a sound clip from a scene in the movie)
"If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman
"Smelly Kid" by Adam Sandler (a sound clip from a scene in the movie)
"Passin' Me By" by The Pharcyde (a sound clip from a scene in the movie)
"Rush" by Big Audio Dynamite
"Hooters" by Allen Covert (a sound clip from a scene in the movie)
"Babe" by Styx
"Overtime" by Adam Sandler (a sound clip from a scene in the movie)
"The Kangaroo Song" by Tim Herlihy (made specifically for the movie)
"The Best of Times" by Styx (only a portion of the song)
Other songs used in the film
"Dancing in the Moonlight" by The CrownSayers (originally done by King Harvest)
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Eurythmics
"Sweet Child o' Mine" a re-recorded version taken from a live version played by Guns N' Roses mixed with a recording with the 1999 Guns N' Roses lineup.
"Jump" by Van Halen background music on the answering machine message in Sonny's apartment
"Growin' Up" by Bruce Springsteen
"Save It For Later" by Harvey Danger (originally by The English Beat)
"Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" by Styx
"Night's Interlude" by Nightmares on Wax (Song played during opening credits)
"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" by Elvin Bishop
Songs from the theatrical trailer not in the film
"Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)" by Zapp and Roger
"You Get What You Give" by New Radicals
Notes
References
External links
1999 films
1990s American films
Columbia Pictures films
1990s English-language films
1999 comedy films
American comedy films
Films about father–son relationships
Films about adoption
Films about parenting
American LGBT-related films
1999 LGBT-related films
Films directed by Dennis Dugan
Films scored by Teddy Castellucci
Films set in New York City
Films shot in New York City
Films with screenplays by Adam Sandler
Films with screenplays by Tim Herlihy
Golden Raspberry Award winning films