Big Daddy (film)

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For other uses of the name Big Daddy, see Big Daddy.
Big Daddy
Directed by Dennis Dugan
Produced by Joseph M. Caracciolo
Allen Covert
Michelle Holdsworth
Adam Sandler
Robert Simonds
Written by Steve Franks
Tim Herlihy
Adam Sandler
Starring Adam Sandler
Joey Lauren Adams
Jon Stewart
Rob Schneider
Cole Sprouse
Dylan Sprouse
and Leslie Mann
Music by Teddy Castellucci
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date(s) 17 June 1999
Running time 93 min.
Language English
IMDb profile

Big Daddy is a comedy film starring Adam Sandler that was released in 1999.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Sandler plays 32-year-old bachelor Sonny Koufax, a carefree slob who has never much taken to adult responsibilities. He studied law in school but never pursued a career and didn't finish his exams. However, as his old buddies start getting married and drifting away and his girlfriend leaves him for an older man, Sonny realizes that if he doesn't do something soon, he could end up all alone for the rest of his life.

Sonny finds himself in charge of a 5-year-old child. The boy was moved by his dying mother from Buffalo to be with his father, Sonny's roommate. The boy was dropped off at Sonny's door when his roommate was away on a business trip. Sonny contacts his roommate to inform him of the news, but instead of asking his roommate to come back home, he insists that he can handle the situation until he returns.

Sonny gets to know the boy, Julian. They begin having a lot of adventures together. Sonny, in traditional irresponsible-adult style, tells Julian that he basically can do whatever he wants. For example, when Julian (or, as he named himself, Frankenstein) wets the bed, Sonny simply uses newspaper to soak up the mess and tells Julian to go back to bed.

However, over time Sonny comes to love the boy and wants to keep him. He presents himself as Kevin Gerrity, his roommate, to NYC Social Services, so that he can keep the child. He then enrolls Julian in school.

During an afternoon, Sonny spots a woman in the park and takes an interest in her. He convinces Julian to pull a prank on her to get her attention, and then convinces her to come over to his apartment for the evening. They get to know each other, but Layla, who incidentally is Kevin's fiancee's sister, is uninterested in a relationship as she is very busy with her job in her law firm and does not have much time.

After a meeting with Julian's teacher, and being told that Julian is not only lacking hygiene but is exhibiting odd behavior, Sonny decides to take back his "whatever you like" stance and begins to help Julian shape up. He helps Julian take a bath, and also helps him with his school studies. Following this, Julian gives an excellent performance at a school presentation representing the Declaration of Independence signing. Layla attends the performance with Sonny, and the entire audience applauds Julian.

Social Services in the meantime has finally caught up with Sonny's tricks and discovered his true identity. A social worker shows up at Sonny's apartment to take Julian away. Julian is devastated and doesn't understand the situation, believing Sonny is giving him up intentionally. Sonny finds himself depressed and is desperate to get Julian back. He asks Layla to help him with the case, but she tells him that she is unable to do so because she has other work planned and that this explains her reasons for not wanting a relationship: she doesn't want to have to make changes to her life.

Sonny goes to court to try to regain custody of Julian. Surprisingly, Layla does show up at court and admits she does have feelings for Sonny and that she understands that helping someone you care for is worth it. Sonny and his friends all testify in favor of Sonny. The court declares that it does not make sense that only Sonny's friends are testifying, so Sonny calls Kevin's fiancee, whom he despises, to the stand. She states openly that she dislikes Sonny but does agree that he is a good father. Julian himself is then called to the stand, and expresses his desire to be Sonny's son and talks of all the adventures they had together.

Finally, Sonny calls himself to the stand, and asks his father to examine him. His father had previously expressed his disapproval of Sonny's situation, and states that he will be honest and straight up during the examination. Sonny tells the full truth under his dad's questioning, about not only the case itself but about past incidents where he demonstrated irresponsibility. Sonny's dad, Lenny, states that it would be absurd to grant custody to Sonny.

However, Sonny then takes his father's hand, and explains that he understands love for others. He said that he understands even his father's harshness to be love, because people who love each other are scared for each other's safety and well being. He says that this is the feelings he has for Julian and that he knows in his heart that he could change his irresponsible ways because he would be doing it not only for himself but also for Julian. This has a profound effect on just about everyone in the room, and people are seen calling their parents on their cell phones just to say "I love you." Sonny's dad ultimately declares that Sonny would indeed be a good father and that he should be granted custody.

However, the judge declines to grant custody to Sonny, and states that she wishes to jail him for his fraud. However, Kevin declares that he refuses to press charges against Sonny, and admits to his fiancee that he indeed did father the child with a girl at a party. The final agreement is that Kevin will remain Julian's father, but that Sonny will not have any limitations on seeing Julian.

About a year later, Sonny has finally taken his legal exams and become a successful lawyer. He is invited by his friends to Hooters and thrown a surprise party. While there he discovers his ex-girlfriend is actually working as a Hooter's waitress, instead of being hugely successful as she wanted to be.

Spoilers end here.

The film won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedy Motion Picture and Sandler won both an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance and a Razzie Award for Worst Actor. The film and its cast and crew also earned nominations for four additional Golden Raspberry Awards.

At the box office Big Daddy has proven to be Sandler's biggest hit. Grossing $163.4 million in the United States and $234.8 million total worldwide.

[edit] Cast

  • Al Cerullo - Helicopter Pilot


[edit] Trivia

  • As Sonny putts on the roof of his apartment building, Kevin reminds him that it "breaks to the right". This is a reference to Happy Gilmore, in which Sandler's character is told the same thing by his homeless caddy.
  • If you listen carefully, throughout the film you can hear songs by Styx.
  • When Sonny meets Layla in the park, he makes a reference to the Eric Clapton song of the same name "I like your song"
  • In the credits, the first actual recording of the 'new' Guns N' Roses can be found. The new band plays the second half of Sweet Child O' Mine.
  • The World Trade Center can be seen in the background when Sonny and Julian picnic in Central Park. This scene was deleted after 9/11.
  • When Nazo is unconscious, his head turns multiple times between film shots.

[edit] Soundtrack

The film won a BMI Film Music Award. The soundtrack included the following:

This song or music-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

From the official soundtrack:


 v • d • e Adam Sandler
Filmography

Films: Going Overboard  · Airheads · Mixed Nuts · Billy Madison · Happy Gilmore · Bulletproof · The Wedding Singer  · Dirty Work · The Waterboy · Big Daddy · Little Nicky · The Animal · Punch-Drunk Love · Mr. Deeds · Eight Crazy Nights · Anger Management · Pauly Shore Is Dead · 50 First Dates · Spanglish  · The Longest Yard · Click · Reign Over Me
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