''Big Daddy'' is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and written by

Steve Franks Steve Franks is an American screenwriter, director and musician based in Orange County, California. He is best known as the creator of the USA Network original series ''Psych''. Education Franks graduated from the University of California, Irv ...

, Tim Herlihy and

Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1995, before going on to star in numerous Hollywood films, those of wh ...

based on a story by Franks. It stars Sandler, Joey Lauren Adams,

Jon Stewart Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz; November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, political commentator, and television host. He hosted ''The Daily Show'', a satirical news program on Comedy Central, from 1999 to 2015 and now hosts ''Th ...

, Rob Schneider, Dylan and Cole Sprouse and Leslie Mann. The plot follows Sonny Koufax, a 32-year-old man who gets dumped by his girlfriend for not accepting responsibility. Sonny then tries to be responsible by adopting a five-year-old boy named Julian who appears on his doorstep. Released on June 25, 1999, the film opened at No. 1 at the

box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...

with a $41.5 million gross in its first weekend. It went on to be the seventh highest-grossing film of 1999, and was Sandler's highest-grosser domestically until '' Hotel Transylvania 2'' (2015). The film was nominated for five

Razzies The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...

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. His girlfriend Vanessa threatens to break up with him unless he takes more responsibility. His roommate Kevin Gerrity proposes to his podiatrist girlfriend Corinne Maloney 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, an elderly man whom, despite being 36 years her senior, she reveres as more motivated and intelligent, with a "five-year plan". 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, numerous people, including Corinne, testify on Sonny's behalf and tell the judge he is a good father. Julian also testifies and provides information regarding his heritage. Sonny then calls himself to the stand and asks his lawyer father Lenny, 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. Kevin, realizing he truly is Julian's biological father, refuses to press charges against Sonny. Kevin is granted custody of Julian, and Sonny promises him that he will always be there for him. He then passes Julian to Kevin, and they start to bond. One year later, Sonny has completely turned his life around: he is a successful lawyer, is married to Layla, and they have a child of their own. Sonny is given a surprise birthday party at a Hooters, attended by his friends, including Julian, who is happy in his new family with Kevin and Corinne (and often meets up with Sonny for activities, such as basketball). Sonny then 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. Everyone but a frustrated Vanessa celebrates Sonny's birthday.

Cast

as Sonny Koufax, an unmotivated slacker who works in a tollbooth, despite having his law degree, and becomes Julian's guardian. * Joey Lauren Adams as Layla Maloney, a lawyer, and Corinne's sister. She becomes Sonny's new girlfriend. *

as Kevin Gerrity, Sonny's roommate and Julian's biological father, which he realizes was the result of a one-night-stand in Toronto. * Leslie Mann as Corinne Maloney, a podiatrist and Kevin's fiancé. Sonny frequently teases her about her past as a Hooters waitress during college. * Rob Schneider as Nazo: The delivery guy from Cozy's and Sonny's best friend. * Dylan and Cole Sprouse as Julian "Frankenstein" McGrath-Gerrity, the biological son of Kevin who was sent to live with his father after the death of his biological mother. * Jonathan Loughran as Mike, a lawyer friend of Sonny's. * Allen Covert as Phil D'Amato, a lawyer friend of Sonny's, and Tommy's boyfriend. *

Peter Dante Peter Francis Dante (born December 16, 1968) is an American character actor and comedian. He frequently appears in films from Happy Madison Productions alongside his friend Adam Sandler. Career Dante's roles are usually alongside Jonathan Loughr ...

as Tommy Grayton, a lawyer friend of Sonny's, and Phil's boyfriend. * Kristy Swanson as Vanessa, Sonny's ex-girlfriend, a party planner, who seeks an "oriented and focused" man. * Joseph Bologna as Lenny Koufax, Sonny's father, who Sonny describes as "one of the most respected lawyers in the state of Florida," and who chastises Sonny for his lack of motivation. *

Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...

as a homeless man, who ran away from his father, an Army veteran, and keeps encountering Sonny, who owes him a Sausage McMuffin after promising him one when he and Julian went to McDonald's for breakfast. * Josh Mostel as Arthur Brooks, Julian's social worker. *

Edmund Lyndeck Edmund Lyndeck (October 4, 1925 – December 14, 2015) was an American actor and musical theatre performer. He is best known for originating the roles of Judge Turpin in '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' and Cinderella’s Fat ...

as Mr. Herlihy, an older drunk regular at Blarney's, who constantly teases Sonny for "fighting like a girl". * Geoffrey Horne as Sid, Vanessa's new boyfriend, an older man who Vanessa boasts as having a "five-year plan". * Jackie Sandler as a waitress at Blarney's, a bar that Sonny frequents. * Helen Lloyd Breed as Ms. Foote. * Chloé Hult as a teacher. * Jared Sandler as Jared. * Jillian Sandler as Jillian. * Carmen De Lavallade as a judge. * Steven Brill as Castellucci, Brooks' legal representative. *Harold Olena as Diver Dan

Production

Principal Photography took place in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

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 4.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Adam Sandler acquits himself admirably, but his charm isn't enough to make up for ''Big Daddys 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 CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...

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 encecore 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 Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

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 Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...

(

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

cover) # " When I Grow Up" by

Garbage Garbage, trash, rubbish, or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or gaseous wastes, or toxic waste produc ...

# "Peace Out" by

(a sound clip from a scene in the movie) # "Just Like This" by

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...

# "

Only Love Can Break Your Heart "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" is a song written by Canadian-American singer-songwriter, musician, and activist Neil Young. It has been covered by many bands. Genesis and recording The song is the third track on Neil Young's album '' After ...

" by

Everlast Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage name Everlast, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter, who was the frontman for hip hop group House of Pain. He was also part of the hip hop supergroup La Coka ...

(a Neil Young cover) # "Ga Ga" by

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...

# " What Is Life" by

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

, 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 Yvonne Marianne Elliman (born December 29, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who performed for four years in the first cast of the stage musical ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. She scored a number of hits in the 1970s and achieved ...

# "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 Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

" by

Big Audio Dynamite Big Audio Dynamite (later known as Big Audio Dynamite II and Big Audio, and often abbreviated BAD) were an English band, formed in London in 1984 by Mick Jones, former lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the Clash. The band mixed various mu ...

# "Hooters" by Allen Covert (a sound clip from a scene in the movie) # " Babe" by

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

# "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

(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 Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio album, '' In the Garden'', in 1981 to little succ ...

* " Sweet Child o' Mine" a re-recorded version taken from a live version played by

mixed with a recording with the 1999

lineup.sweet child
/ref> * " Jump" by Van Halen background music on the answering machine message in Sonny's apartment * " Growin' Up" by

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

* "Save It For Later" by Harvey Danger (originally by The English Beat) * " Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" by

* "Night's Interlude" by

Nightmares on Wax George Evelyn (born 15 January 1970), better known by his stage name Nightmares on Wax or DJ E.A.S.E., is an English DJ and record producer from Leeds. His music has been released by Warp Records. He is based in Ibiza. Nightmares on Wax were or ...

(Song played during opening credits) * "

Fooled Around and Fell in Love "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" is a song written and performed by blues guitarist Elvin Bishop with Mickey Thomas on lead vocals. It appeared on his 1975 album, ''Struttin' My Stuff'', and was released as a single the following year. Backgro ...

" by

Elvin Bishop Elvin Richard Bishop (born October 21, 1942) is an American blues and rock music singer, guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter. An original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a membe ...

;Songs from the theatrical trailer not in the film * " Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)" by

Zapp and Roger Zapp (also known as the Zapp Band, Zapp & Roger) is an American funk band that emerged from Dayton, Ohio, United States, in 1977. Particularly influential in the electro subgenre of funk, Zapp were known for their trademark use of the talk-b ...

* " You Get What You Give" by

New Radicals New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Big Daddy (Film) 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