Big Daddy

**Big Daddy** is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It was released on June 25, 1999.

## 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.

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, whom, despite being much older than her, she reveres as more motivated and intelligent with a "five-year plan". Sonny also introduces Julian to his deliver 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 behaviour 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 Nazo, Corinne, Mr. Herlihy, and the homeless man 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 realise he truly is Julian's biological father. Sonny then calls himself to the stand and asks his lawyer father Lenny, who is visiting from Florida, 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 unconvinced judge orders Sonny's arrest. Now able to explain that he is the father, Kevin 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 and Characters

* Adam Sandler as Sonny Koufax
* Joey Lauren Adams as Layla Maloney
* Jon Stewart as Kevin Gerrity
* Allen Covert as Phil D'Amato
* Rob Schneider as Nazo
* Josh Mostel as Arthur Brooks
* Dylan and Cole Sprouse as Julian McGrath
* Leslie Mann as Corinne Maloney
* Jonathan Loughran as Mike
* Peter Dante as Tommy Grayton
* Kristy Swanson as Vanessa
* Joseph Bologna as Lenny Koufax
* Steve Buscemi as Homeless Guy
* Carmen De Lavallade as Judge
* Geoffrey Horne as Sid
* Edmund Lyndeck as Mr. Herlihy
* Steven Brill as Ted Castellucci
* Jackie Sandler as Waitress
* Jillian and Jared Sandler as Jillian and Jared
* Dennis Dugan as Trick-or-Treat Giver

## Production

Principal photography took place in New York from September 24 to December 21, 1998.

## 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 out of 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 audience 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 favourites.