“Having a kid is great… as long as his eyes are closed and he’s not moving or speaking.”

Justin’s rating: I wasted the good review on you!

Justin’s review: Late ’90s Adam Sandler was quite the phenom, back in its day. He’d hit on massively popular approach of playing a man-child whose id often raged out of control yet whose heart was generally sweet and caring. Sandler’s willingness to be incredibly physical and engage in mood whiplash garnered him a swelling fandom who quoted his flicks and proclaimed his output as the best comedies of all time.

I’m certainly not willing to go that far, but I’m not so highbrow that I’ll deny being amused by these films. And while Big Daddy couldn’t top Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, or The Wedding Singer as peak Sandler, it was — and is — a stealth charmer with a lot of solid laughs.

Sonny (Sandler) is a NYC slacker who’s coasting off the settlement from a car accident instead of passing his bar and becoming a lawyer. Fearing that his lack of ambition and responsibility is driving his girlfriend Vanessa away (spoiler: it is), Sonny leaps at the opportunity to “adopt” a five-year-old kid named Julian. This convoluted premise is made possibly only because the mother abandons him to Sonny’s roommate father (John Stewart) while his roomie is out of the country for an extended period of time.

In short, it’s a slacker who’s thrown into the deep end of the parenting pool, making a glorious mess as he tries to figure things out with no real guidance. And because this is a film, it doesn’t end with horrific neglect but Sonny getting the kick in the pants he needs to grow up and actually care for someone other than himself. He even makes a halfway decent dad, in an unconventional way.

As a parent to no fewer than four children, Big Daddy gives an extra degree of humor by watching a wannabe parent flounder so badly. Sonny lets Julian rename himself “Frankenstein,” lays down newspaper on top of bedwetting stains, and teaches the kid how to be an antisocial misanthrope. It’s not awful, because Sonny means well and the kid is genuinely cute for his limited role. And there’s some good commentary here on those little parenting moments, like trying to be extra-quiet so you don’t wake up a napping child.

This being an Adam Sandler flick, many of his recurring helpers show up in supporting roles, including Allen Covert, Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi, Steven Brill, and Edmund Lyndeck. We’ve also got so many blonde ladies parading through here: Kristy Swanson (Sonny’s ex-girlfriend), Leslie Mann (Sonny’s roomie’s fiancé and sort-of archnemesis), and Joey Lauren Adams (Sonny’s new love interest).

Big Daddy reminded me how much I appreciate that Adam Sandler movies are all about the full entourage. Sure, Sandler gets the big part, but so many of these side characters have great moments where their personalities and humor shine.

None of this story is even remotely believable — including the gigantic NYC loft that even the full cast of Friends wouldn’t be able to afford. It doesn’t matter, as long as there are lots of laughs (there are), great running gags (they get a lot of mileage out of Hooters), and a good shot of feel-good sentimentality (there is). As a bonus, Big Daddy also sports a pretty solid soundtrack.

It’s not in my top three Sandler flicks, but, y’know, maybe a top seven? It’s a good overall package and a bittersweet reminder of a time when we actually had fun at the movies.

Intermission!

• Director Dennis Dugan is an Adam Sandler mainstay, also helming Happy Gilmore, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Grown Ups, Jack and Jill, Just Go with It, and Grown Ups 2.
• Naps in a rowboat look very uncomfortable
• “What do you need, a father figure? STOP PULLING YOUR SISTER’S HAIR!”
• “We wasted the good surprise on you!” ahhaaha
• “You’re not proposing, are you?” “Well yeah Sonny, I am.” “Well… think about it.” “God Sonny SHUT UP.”
• The rooftop putting scene is a nice nod to Happy Gilmore
• Always fun to watch the rollerbladers fall down
• That’s quite the nightlight
• So much ’90s fashion on display here
• Kid pee the bed? Just lay down some newspapers.
• Kids DO love asking “why?”
• Back when McDonald’s in its teal phase
• The singing kangaroo song will be in my head all week
• “Only you and my grandfather need to go every 30 seconds.”
• “He has a five-year plan.” “What is it, don’t die?”
• Hearing Garbage on the soundtrack made me ridiculously happy
• That’s a lot of dead birds
• Life cereal, CDs, and a watch for Halloween
• “Initiating the conversation is half the battle.”
• Scuba Steve gets a kiss!
• Back when we used to create fun answering machine messages
• Dented cans are half-price
• “Scratching spreads rashes.” “Oh so this is something you learned at Hooters!”
• All of Julian’s hats
• “Did I just show up for the first kiss?” “Wash your mouth out, he’s dirty! He’s poor!”
• Where the heck did he get that fully Scuba Sam outfit?
• The milk squirter is a good idea