Big Daddy

Big Daddy is an American comedy-drama film directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Adam Sandler and Leslie Mann, which was released on June 25, 1999 by Columbia Pictures.

Plot[]

Sonny Koufax (Adam Sandler) is a carefree, unmotivated slob, who has declined to take on adult roles and responsibilities. He has earned a law degree, but has chosen not to even attempt to take the bar exam, since he was awarded $200,000 in an automobile accidentally years prior and lives off his restitution. He is employed, on a part time basis only, as a toll booth collector. His best friend is a kind-hearted delivery guy named Nazo (Rob Schneider) who stops by every so often. Sonny also has a habit of frequently harassing his roommate's girlfriend, Corrine (Leslie Mann) about her previous employment at Hooters buffet every chance he gets.

The film shows Sonny's friends, all former schoolmates at Syracuse University, are "moving ahead" in their lives. His roommate Kevin Garrity (Jon Stewart) decides to ask Corrine to marry him and that is another thing that irritates Sonny. Kevin decides to pop the question the day before he is leaving for China for his law firm. Two of his male friends from school, in contrast to their conduct in Sonny's experience while at school, are now revealed to be homosexual and in a committed domestic partnership. Sonny's girlfriend (Kristy Swanson), disgusted and perplexed at Sonny's contrasting and inconsistent conduct decides to end her romantic relationship with him. Not to mention find a new older man with more reliability.

Sonny quickly becomes occupied with a new series of events. Sonny wakes up to Kevin already at the airport to leaving for China. Kevin is revealed as having fathered an illegitimate five year old son named Julian (Cole and Dylan Sprouse). Julian is abandoned at Sonny and Kevin's apartment, with a written explanation that Julian's mother is now declining to care further for Julian. It is revealed at the Social Services office that Julian's mother was terminally ill with cancer, and later died. Kevin, at the airport ready to go to China, gets a call from Sonny informing him of the letter and the little boy. Sonny decides to handle the situation himself and in the process decides Julian will solve his problem with his ex-girlfriend. His plan back fires and at child services trying to give Julian back. Rather than give Julian to a foster home he decides to hangout with Julian until a new family is ready for him. Sonny, in caring for Julian, soon discovers a new purpose in his life and a deep connection with Julian as a father figure. But social services discovers that Sonny is posing as Kevin, and insists that he give up Julian. Social services takes Julian and decides to press charges against Sonny.

The case is brought to court, where Sonny has his friends as counsel, including Layla (Joey Lauren Adams), Corrine's sister and Sonny's new girlfriend; and late-arrivee Kevin. Despite positive testimony from his friends—even Corrine, who swore to disliking him from the day they met—and changing the opinion of his own father, also a prominent attorney, the judge is ready to sentence him to jail for kidnapping Julian and defrauding the state. At this point, Kevin steps forward as Julian's father and insists that no charges be filed, having remembered a drunken fling with a Hooters girl in Toronto during the (1993 World Series), and connecting that with Julian's earlier testimony of originally coming from Toronto and being born in July. The judge grants custody to Kevin to the dismay of Julian, who wants Sonny as his father. Sonny tells Julian that can never happen because his real father is present, but they can be friends. Sonny moves in with Nazo while Kevin gets to know his son.

One year, three months, and six days later, Sonny, now a lawyer and married to Lalya with a child of their own, is surprised with Sonny's birthday party at Hooters attended by all his colleagues and friends, including Julian, but is more surprised to find his ex-girlfriend working as a Hooters girl and her boyfriend with his so called five-year plan working the grill.

Reception[]

The film was a box office success, bringing in $163 million domestically in the U.S. The movie received mixed reviews from critics, many praised the film, while others gave the film negative reviews.

Cast[]

Character	Actor/Actress
Sonny Koufax	Adam Sandler
Julian McGrath-Gerrity	Cole and Dylan Sprouse
Layla Maloney	Joey Lauren Adams
Nazo	Rob Schneider
Corrine Maloney	Leslie Mann
Tommy Grayton	Peter Dante
Arthur Brooks	Josh Mostel
Phillip D'Amato	Allen Covert
Kevin Gerrity	Jon Stewart
Lenny Koufax	Joseph Bologna
Vanessa	Kristy Swanson
Homeless Guy	Steve Buscemi
Mike	Jonathan Loughran
Singing Kangaroo (Kangaroo Song)	Tim Herlihy
Sid	Geoffrey Horne

Soundtrack[]

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

Do Wah Ditty by Zapp and Roger (not in the movie itself, but in the TV Trailer)
You Get What You Give by New Radicals (in one of the trailers)
Dancing In The Moonlight by The CrownSayers originally done by Kings Harvest
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (the title track from a 1983 album by Eurythmics)
Instant Pleasure by Rufus Wainwright
Sweet Child O' Mine a re-recorded version taken from a live version played by Guns N' Roses mixed with a recording with the new Guns N' Roses
When I Grow Up by Garbage
If I Can't Have You by Yvonne Elliman
Jump by Van Halen background music on the answering machine message in Sonny's apartment
Growin' Up by Bruce Springsteen
Blue Collar Man by Styx
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
Night's Interlude by Nightmares on Wax (Song played during opening credits)

From the official soundtrack:

Sweet Child O' Mine by Sheryl Crow (a 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
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 Wise Guys
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)
Passing 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)

Trivia[]

Cole and Dylan Sprouse features on the movie poster, when he has more screen time overall.
Cole and Dylan Sprouse both lost baby teeth during production and had to be fitted with temporary replacements. One tooth fell out in the middle of a take. Near the end of the movie, just after entering Hooters for Sonny's birthday party, Sonny makes a reference to Judith about dealing with a missing tooth.
In the courtroom scene, Mr. Brooks' attorney is named Ted Castelucci. This is also the name of the film's composer, Teddy Castellucci.

The "Scuba Steve" action figure in this movie is a fictional doll made up by Adam Sandler. "Scuba Steve" is based on a doll that Adam Sandler owned when he was a child, called Diver Dan. Diver Dan can be seen briefly in the intro scenes of another Dennis Dugan film, Problem Child (1990).

Arthur Brooks is named after Adam Sandler's producer Brooks Arthur, who produced all of Sandler's albums as well as the score for this movie.

Allen Covert has appeared in fourteen Adam Sandler films.

Sonny's friend, Mr. Herlihy, is named after the film's co-writer Tim Herlihy who also plays the singing kangaroo.

Adam Sandler provided the voice of the rollerblader who fell over a stick and yells "Goddamn stick!"

Dennis Dugan, the director appears as the guy unprepared for Halloween, and he is also on the boat behind Columbo.

Adam Sandler's wife, Jackie Sandler (Jackie Titone), plays the waitress in the bar that gets Julian a root beer. This was her first movie with her husband.

Goofs[]

When "Frankenstein" accidentally vomits on the floor, it is partially on the floor and partially on the carpet. Later, it is totally on the floor with none on the carpet

When Sonny's gay friend Tommy is discussing Julian with him (and Julian is eating 3 packets of ketchup), Tommy changes the direction he's facing between shots.

The skater that trips on the stick is shown skating past the kid before he throws down the stick.

The game Julian is playing is Twisted Metal III (1999) (Video Game). However, the sounds we hear while he's playing are generic "boop-boop-beep" arcade noises, and not actual sounds from Twisted Metal III.

When Julian accidentally spills the milk on the floor the milk is spreading towards the back of the room. Then when the camera switches back to Sonny the milk is a circular pool before Sunny put the newspaper on it. The newspaper never gets wet.

Sonny's meeting with Julian's teacher takes place a significant amount of time after Halloween, but the classroom is still decorated for Halloween

When Sonny is walking back to couch after tuning the television and says, "Let's do it, Rangers," he places his Pepsi behind the Chunk Chip bag. In the next shot when he says, "How you doing?" to Julian, the Pepsi is to the right behind the Cheetos Bag.

When the skater coming down the path in the park hits Sonny's stick, he careens down the hill into the pond between two large rocks. The smaller rock on the right lifts and floats a little to the right.

When Sonny is watching the Hockey game, the pillow on the left of him changes from being up, and down in between shots.

When Sonny is pouring milk into the lotion bottle for Julian to put it on his cereal, the bowl is heaping with cereal but in the next shot, it is level.

When Julian won't stop talking to the homeless man before going into McDonalds, the homeless man asks Sonny to get him a Sausage McMuffin. When Sonny and Julian come out from McDonalds the homeless man asks Sonny where his Egg McMuffin is.

When Sonny accidentally arguing with Julian over what to order in McDonald's, the man behind Julian (who later comments about Sonny's parenting) turns towards Sonny. When we cut back to Julian, the same man turns again.

When Sonny does the wrestling move on Nazo, and he passes out, Nazo's head is first turned to the left. In the next shot, it is turned to the right. Then turned to the left again.

When the bum asks one of the guys in the courtroom if he can use his phone, he gives him a look of disgust, as if he doesn't want to let him use it. But the next time we see the bum, he is using the phone.

When Sonny and Julian are shopping at the store, Sonny starts denting Spaghetti Os cans to save money. The second can dropped moves from the left of Sonny to the right. At both times before the shot the can was stationary.

At the end of the movie when they gather at Hooters, Sonny kisses Layla and his baby which looks real, then right after Sonny insults his ex Vanessa, Layla is leaning over the table of food with an obviously fake baby.