Eight Crazy Nights

Plot synopsis:
In the small town of Dukesberry, New Hampshire, Davey Stone is a 33-year-old alcoholic troublemaker with a long criminal record, whose antics have long earned him the animosity of the town. Davey is arrested for refusing to pay his bill at Mr. Chang's Chinese restaurant and, while attempting to evade arrest ("Davey's Song"), destroying festive ice sculptures in the process. At Davey's trial, Whitey Duvall, a 70-year-old volunteer referee from Davey's former basketball league, intervenes and comes forward at his trial. The judge, at Whitey's suggestion, sentences Davey to community service as a referee-in-training for Whitey's Youth Basketball League. Under the terms of the community service, if Davey commits a crime before his sentence is completed, he will be sentenced to no less than ten years in prison.
The next day, Davey referees his first game, which ends in disaster. After Davey causes disruptions, Whitey suffers a grand mal seizure, and the game is abruptly brought to an end. Attempting to calm Davey down, Whitey takes him to the mall, where they meet Jennifer Friedman, Davey's childhood girlfriend, and her son Benjamin. Though Whitey reminds him that he lost his chance with her twenty years earlier, Davey still finds himself attracted to Jennifer.
As time progresses, Davey and Whitey's relationship becomes more strained, as Whitey's various attempts to encourage Davey are met with humiliation and assault - including but not limited to Davey knocking Whitey into an outhouse and then spraying him when he falls out with a hose, causing Whitey to be frozen in defecation. Upon arriving home ("Long Ago"), Davey finds his trailer being burned down by a man who lost a bet to him. Davey runs into the burning trailer to rescue a Hanukkah card from his late parents, then watches the trailer burn down. Whitey opens his home to Davey, who reluctantly accepts the invitation; also living in the house is Whitey's bald, diabetic fraternal twin sister Eleanore. The Duvall household has many complex rules (referred to by Whitey as technical fouls) ("Technical Foul"). Despite this, Davey seemingly overcomes them, and begins to turn his life around.
However, Davey's progress in reforming is stopped when Whitey recalls the events of what happened two decades ago: En route to one of Davey's basketball games, his parents were killed in a serious car accident when a truck skidded on black ice and crashed into their car, and Davey learned of their deaths when the police showed up at the end of his game to inform him. Devastated by the loss of his loving parents, Davey spent the next 20 years numbing his pain with alcohol and petty crime. Davey, uncomfortable with this reminder of his painful childhood, loses his temper and insults Whitey and Eleanor. As a result, Whitey revokes Davey's privilege to reside at his home, much to Davey's relief.
Davey spends the rest of the day drinking, and later that night breaks into the mall, which is closed. In a drunken stupor, he imagines the logos of various stores coming to life and confronting him about his inability to grieve for his parents, which they identify as the source of his alcoholism ("Intervention Song"). He finally opens his parents' Hanukkah card, which contains a message praising him for being a good son. Davey breaks down and cries, finally coming to terms with his loss. Just then, the police arrive to arrest him, but Davey escapes and boards a bus to New York City, just as the police are searching for him across. En route to the city, the bus is forced to stop when all eight tires are punctured by a single thumbtack in the road. Reminded of the Miracle of Hanukkah, Davey walks off the bus, intending to find Whitey and make amends with him.
Davey finds Whitey at the All-Star Banquet, an annual town celebration in which one member of the community is recognized for positive contributions to Dukesberry. Despite having vied for the award for over 35 years, Whitey is once again passed over. Heartbroken, he leaves, intending to move to Florida, where he can live out the rest of his life in anonymity. Risking arrest, Davey enters the hall and informs everyone of the selfless contributions that Whitey has made to Dukesberry over the course of his life. Ashamed, the townspeople acknowledge the error of their decision ("Bum Biddy"). Davey leads the people to Whitey, who has gone to the mall to "speak to it" alone. The townspeople thank Whitey for his service over the years and the Mayor officially grants him the Patch Award. All 32 (one had won three) previous recipients of the awards give theirs to Whitey. Davey and Jennifer reconcile, and Whitey goes into a seizure, which he calls "the happiest seizure of my life!".

Tags: humor, flashback

Review:
Boy, am I glad that I didn't watch Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights during the holiday season.
It's expected of Sandler to include scatological humor and slight-offensiveness in his films, sure, but it's unexpected of him to include such derogatory representations of his own culture and unnecessary rudeness in the time of the holidays.
He voices several characters in the film, one of them Davey, who he also resembles, a Jewish man in his mid-thirties, deeply loathing of the holidays and all the cheer they bring to people.
Whitey is a short, kind old man, who lives with his wife Eleanor (also voiced by Sandler), and whole-heartedly believes that Davey could do right if he put his mind to it.
A cheap, trite ordeal, at only seventy-six minutes, it's an obnoxious pictures that gives a new meaning to the word "humbug." It's a blatant ripoff of A Christmas Carol, and tries to justify its mean-spirited qualities as the formula for a "reformation," change-of-mind story that we've seen time and time again in better, more tolerable films.Voiced by: Adam Sandler, Jackie Titone, Austin Stout, and Rob Schneider.
I'm sure this film had potential to be a decent comedy (like some of Sandler's live action films), and a good, touching holiday adventure as well, but it didn't really turn out to be either of these things, unfortunately.Davey Stone lives in the town of Dukesberry, New England.
Adam Sandler provides the voice for Davey, who looks just like him, as well as the voices for Whitey and his sister, Eleanore.
Knowing that Jon Lovitz had a voice-over role in this film, I am reminded of Jay Sherman, his character in the short-lived cartoon series, "The Critic" (a good show, in my opinion), and the character's catchphrase, "It stinks." I really think that catchphrase, though simple, is a good one to use to describe this movie.
I had never even heard of it before but when I sat down to watch it I thought it was a pretty funny movie that did a good job of capturing the holiday spirit.
Clearly, this was one of the worst animated films to come out in years, and this badboy was up against the likes of `Balto 2' and `The Penguin and the Pebble.' Davey seemed to embody everything Sandler wanted to be: a drunk loser with great basketball skills and killer abs.
I wanted to watch this movie in the past because I am a big fan of Adam Sandler and I love all his movies and his gross-out humor.
But, I finally saw this movie and I really liked it.Adam Sandler plays 30-year-old Davey.
I like animated films and I usually laugh at Adam Sandler....but this was a very unlikeable movie and I am not surprised in the least that it bombed at the box office.
Many times Sandler goes too far with his bathroom humor but he really goes overboard here - and in an animated film, no less!It's about an obnoxious 20-something-year-old guy in a small town who slowly is turned into a nice person and sees the good in the Hanukkah/Christmas season.
I think you get the gist of what I think of this holiday travesty of an animated motion picture.I'm not an Adam Sandler fan by any means, though I will admit he's had some good films earlier in his career.
In "Eight Crazy Nights", Sandler plays a character named Davey, a public drunk who pretty much hates everybody and has constantly gotten himself into a lot of trouble, to the point where he has a criminal record longer than Santa's naughty list.
The animation is indeed well-done, as it was done by those who used to work at Warner Brothers' animation department on films made in the late '90s like "Cats Don't Dance" and "The Iron Giant", but all of the good animation that was used in those movies has all gone to waste on a Happy Madison production that is not funny, disgusting at times, and is just downright mean-spirited all around.
Well, here's the thing, "Bad Santa" was funny, and even though the main character was also an jerk, he wasn't insulting or unlikable, and you can sympathize with him.If you're an Adam Sandler fan and still believe that this movie is funny, more power to you.
Either a person can watch this and say, 'that was the cruelest and most disturbing thing I've ever seen' or the other 'That was kind of weird but portrayed a message.' Okay I know what you are saying, a Sandler film with a point, NO WAY!
It's the holidays and Davey (Voiced by Adam Sandler) is a mean-spirited, spiteful young man with a criminal record.
Now he's back in court and about to be sentenced to jail when a kind-hearted, old man named Whitey (also voiced by Sandler) who offers to the judge to have Davey perform community service as an assistant referee for youth basketball.Davey thinks he's going to get off easy until Whitey begins to try and reform the young man.
The whole time, the movie keeps you guessing if he'll overcome the anger that built inside of him with the help of Whitey or be engulfed in it.The whole film I absolutely hated Sandler's character.
By the end of the movie I had gotten some good laughs from it and really felt better and realized how I should act around the holidays.Pretty much the film juxtaposes the two most opposite characters and shows what kind of affect they'll have on each other.
It is simply the worst movie musical ever made and the worst animated film ever made.The first problem is the star, Adam Sandler.
His voice is done, very annoyingly, by Sandler.Finally, the three biggest problems with this film are the dearth of funny jokes, the excessive scatology (I don't mind that kind of humor if it's done right, which it isn't here), and the utterly dishonest and forced sentimentality.
Sandler tries to make a holiday film with the heart that Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" had and Bob Clark's "A Christmas Story" had, but about Hanukkah, and he falls flat on his face.Avoid this movie at all costs.
Only reason is two words, "Adam Sandler."The film starts with Davey (voice of Adam Sandler) going on a muck through town on the first night of Hanukkah.
The judge allows Whitey, a kindly old man (also narrated by Sandler), to try to straighten out Davey.Sandler is incredibly popular - and has had some hilarious movies in the past, that is what made me want to see "8 Crazy Nights." But I was appalled by this film.
Despite what you may read here, THIS is NOT a typical Adam Sandler movie and is nowhere near some of his best work (Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison)..
Eight Crazy Nights seems like Adam Sandler's version of a holiday X-mas special.
That really puts me in the spirit of the Holidays (and undoubtedly the trite, idiotic ending would be that Sandler learns a valuable lesson, probably through the love of a woman that completely ignores what a jerk he is, and changes his ways, like he does in all his movies...).
Let me say two things up front: 1)There are more then eight funny minutes in the movie 2)This is one of the worst animated films ever madeThis is "feel good" holiday movie is bound to give a viewer whiplash as each funny moment is followed by one of the worst on screen moments in history followed instantly by another funny moment and then another visit to the sewer, and so on for the entire running time.This movie doesn't need an editor, it needs a shrink.
There are laughs to be had throughout the entire film, the songs are great, the story is good and there are some great quotes.O.k so it is an Adam Sandler movie, and I know he has his detractors, but he isn't gonna change for you guys, because he has plenty of fans of his work who like watching screwball, goofy comedies.
I personally think that this is one of his two best films (the other being Mr Deeds, it was a good year for him)and if you like Adam Sandler I am sure you will agree that this is a great film.Watch it, laugh, don't think too hard about who might be offended by it and get on with your lives.
"Eight Crazy Nights" is the first animated Adam Sandler movie, and the first holiday movie to focus on Hanukkah.
For the most part, "Eight Crazy Nights" is a combination of scatological humor and saccharine sentiment (well, about as much as you could expect from an Adam Sandler movie!).
It's rare that a comedy manages to be this unfunny.I rarely like Adam Sandler but I've seen the occasional movie with him that I've enjoyed, and it has a small role with Rob Schneider in it and he's usually quite funny.
Anytime Whitey spoke I wished I had been struck deaf.I used to like the occasional Adam Sandler movie before this one.
The film is centered around a young boy who lost his love of life and became a vile, mean person known as Adam Sandler.
The animated film incorporates characters Sandler featured in his Comic audio CD's and gives some story to the elder Whitey Duvall (voiced by Adam Sandler), a soft-spoken senior who lives with his fraternal twin sister, Eleanor.
What seems to be a film centered on the animated character that looks awfully similar to the real life Adam Sandler, in reality, it is about the elder Whitey who takes in the distraught Davey Stone (also voiced by Sandler).
It's just a waste of good money and animation to try to make a movie of the unlikeable recurring Adam Sandler character "maladjusted, sullen, self-obsessed guy who doesn't get women at all".
The only people that I can think of that would like this film are the absolute biggest Adam Sandler fans, but even then, they and every one else would be better off watching something else..
Sure, it has a plump humour, crude to be honest, and the story line is a lot like many of Adam Sandlers movies, below average, but this movies has lots of heart, and it gives a lovely perspective on both the human experience and what it is to be human.
Just watch the film, get a good laugh out of it, like me, and go on with life, because that's all that comedies do.
Take, for instance, the scene towards the end, when the mayor of Dukesbury (voiced by Kevin Nealon) cracks a very unfunny joke in the town hall, and the citizens of Dukesbury start to snort snot all over their tables, and some deer outside get in such a violent fit of laughter that feces squirts from behind their tails with little *splurt* sounds.Does that sound like a good-natured family comedy to you?
He picks up the lid of a trashcan and slides down a railing like Vin Diesel did in "xXx." It's funny to see a limitless and physically fit Sandler, yes, but right as the scene starts to become fun, we get a worn out gag involving squeezed melons that has been done countless times before, including last year's "Austin Powers in Goldmember." Davey resents the holidays, and he especially resents the "eight crazy nights" of Hanukkah, because when he was 12 years old his parents died on their way to his basketball game.
it's a long ride of prank after prank, to going back to the reason why he started acting like a delinquent in the first place.Note to parents: this movie should not be rated PG (Canadian rating, but i'm sure it was PG-13 in the states) because there was a lot of bad bathroom humor.
Adam Sandler's first (and to date, only) animated feature, "Eight Crazy Nights," takes a cue from his infamous "Chanukah Song" in celebrating the Jewish holiday -- as well as good old commercial Christmas -- musical style.
Slowly, Davey starts to redeem himself and even takes a stab at winning back the girl who got away from him.Aside from being typical Adam Sandler fare, "Eight Crazy Nights" is rather vibrant in both its animation style and its musical numbers.
Eight Crazy Nights is the thrid back to back unfunny movie that Adam Sandler has made in the past two years.
And for those unfamiliar with the word Shonda, it's Jewish for shame, because when it comes down to it, that's what 8 Crazy Nights is...It's odd that 2002 gives Sandler a paradox - first he had Mr. Deeds, his usual brand of funny (Live Action), juvenile humor squeezed into a formulaic storyline - second was from last month, Punch Drunk Love, which finally gave a challenge with his usual persona and he pulled it off as his best performance to date - third is this, an animated "treat" to his fans both young and old.
And of course, I enjoyed the third version of Adam Sandler's Chanukah song over the end credits, but then again, you can just download the video of him and Rob Schneider performing it on "SNL" at Sandler's official site.There's some attempt at heartwarming fare, as Davey begins to address the cruel way he and the rest of the town have treated Whitey and Eleanor, but the problem is that it's so damn depressing the way the movie makes you slog through 90 minutes of abject cruelty toward them in order to get there.
Hell, the film is so cynical that I even noticed several PRODUCT PLACMENTS, for cryin' out loud, the first time I've ever noticed them in an animated movie.I feel sorry for Jewish parents and children who might've liked to have a heartwarming holiday cartoon.
Basically it's the typical Christmas story about the bitter guy that hates everyone in the town and while the story advances ,he learn the meaning of Christmas .In other words , "Eight Crazy Nights " it's "How the Grinch Stole the Christmas " but with cursing and toilet humor .This actually could have been something funny but with a retarded script and obnoxious characters the result is just embarrassing .
Maybe there are some unsavoury scenes in this movie.Maybe some of the characters were a little far fetched.Perhaps the animation wasn't as high budget as what we have now come to expect.But all up this was a really good film with some great belly laughs in it.Sandler doing the voices of ..
In Adam Sandler's racous new comedy Eight Crazy Nights, he voices Davey Stone, 33.
The movie captures Adam Sandlers mischief in a cartoon so if you like Big Daddy, Happy Gilmore etc and your a cartoon fan, this is the perfect mixture.
by Dane YoussefNow here is a movie that will put you out of the Haunakah spirit as quickly as Ron Howard's live-action remake of "The Grinch" put people out of the Christmas spirit.A nasty piece too goofy to even be animated, it's Adam Sandler's first full-fledged animated musical "8 Crazy Nights."Every year, just about every TV show grinds out a puke-worthy Christmas special where the formula is something like this: Characters have spirit, something bad happens everyone has misfortune.
His worst, by far, was "Little Nicky," but this movie is the equivalent of a reindeer turd.Adam Sandler stars (or rather, voices) as Davey, a delinquent who's gone downhill a life of crime and vandalism ever since early in his youth.
Like I said, there are a handful of funny jokes and catchy songs, but the bad far more than outnumbers the good.I hope Sandler chooses to evolve his style...
And the story of Sandler's character, Davey Stone, getting his life back in line was also pretty good.
Adam Sandler voices three of the main characters: Davey, Whitey, and Eleanore.
Rated PG-13 for frequent crude and sexual humor, drinking and brief drug references There are plenty of Christmas movies out there but very few Haunukah movies.This is an animated Hanukkah movie starring Adam Sandler.It has a low score on IMDb but I think its a pretty good film.It has some very funny moments but also drama and some catchy songs as well.The film is basically about a drunk loud-mouth who is forced to help coach the Jewish basketball team with a loving coach named Whitey who wants tow in this coaching award before he retires.The man used to be a nice boy until his parents died and then he became what he was.Eight Crazy Nights is a funny and good Haunukah film and Sandler fans should check it out..
Eight Crazy Nights, One of the best Adam Sandler movies..
Eight Crazy Nights is the first animated film made by Adam Sandler that while not being as good as Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore is definitely one of hes best.
Fans of Adam Sandler will be pleased with his efforts in this movie as it is good old Sandler back again for more laughs.
Overall, good movie with a lot of heart also it is laugh a minute comedy ( one bit in middle had me laughing for 5 minutes) and once again I end with GO ADAM SANDLER YOU ROCK..
I hate Adam Sandler (sans Punch Drunk Love) and I'm really not the biggest fan of the holiday movies..
I'm a big fan of of adam sandler and i loved this movie.
For the adam sandler fans who did't like the movie, i don't understand you guys, so what if he's animated..
Adam Sandler's "Eight Crazy Nights" made me laugh more than I have in a really long time.
It's not exactly the best Holiday movie, but it is a very funny comedy that I would recommend to people who enjoy Adam Sandler's sense of humor..
The worst Adam Sandler movie I've ever seen.
The plot of this movie is almost (not quite, but almost) the lamest plot of any Adam Sandler film, which is the first big wasted opportunity.