Big Daddy Review
by Robert Workman (DarkFalcon AT webtv DOT net)July 8th, 1999
The Happy Bastard's 30-Second Review
BIG DADDY
Happy Gilmore as a father? Of course! That's the latest scenario presented by Adam Sandler in the new movie Big Daddy, a movie that's passable but isn't really considered some of Sandler's best work.
He doesn't actually play Happy Gilmore in the movie, but a variation of him. He's Sonny Coufax, a man who's living off a settlement he got for a cab running over his foot and his one-day-a-week gig as a tollbooth man (Tollbooth Willie?). His girlfriend (Kristy Swanson) is fed up with his lifestyle and demands a change before she leaves him. Enter a 5-year old kid, who's mysteriously dropped at his doorstep and intended for his preppy roommate (Jon Stewart), who's off in China on a business trip.
From there, Coufax basically acts as the kid's father, teaching him different things like peeing on the side of a building and tripping up skateboarders with sticks. He even manages to use the kid in a sort of con game to get the attention of a beautiful law office worker (Joey Lauren Adams), but, somehow, he also garners the attention of Social Services, who aren't particularly pleased with Coufax's actions, as he pretends to be his roommate to keep the kid.
The reason I say it's not really Sandler's best work is because it gets really sappy towards the end of a movie, showing some odd feelings that somehow didn't really belong in a Sandler vehicle. I mean, it fits the movie's tone and everything, and Sandler handles it well, but it's just oddly placed, that's all. Fortunately, it doesn't destroy the goofy glee path it's been following and it still makes you feel good.
Sandler does a good job here, as he does in most of his movies. Rob Schneider, however, is irritating as his friend, an immigrant delivery boy who can't read. Stewart, in his minor time on screen, is great, and Adams remains a joy to watch. Look for Steve Buscemi as well as a homeless bum. He's a hoot.
Directed by Dennis Dugan (director of Happy Gilmore), the movie remains a good couple of hours to pass the time with. Again, there are faults, but, hey, everyone needs to get emotional sometimes.
RATING: 7 (out of 10)
The Happy Bastard
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