Is it just me, or do all Adam Sandler movies seem vaguely similar? I mean, come on–Adam Sandler plays a plucky young fellow who may or may not be a total jerk but usually has a heart of gold either out in the open or hidden under that jerkish exterior, and he’s going to have to take on some butt-kissing weenie before he can get what he wants, which is generally a hot chick. Look at it—Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, Mr. Deeds, Little Nicky, even Eight Crazy Nights to a lesser extent. All guys with hearts of gold, well-buried beneath cynicism or excess in some cases but there nonetheless, all out to get what they were after, but having to go through someone else to get it.
This, interestingly enough, will continue on with Happy Madison’s newest venture, the recently released to DVD film Bedtime Stories.
In this one, Sandler plays Skeeter Bronson, a young man who’s not exactly getting the happy ending his father’s old bedtime stories used to offer. His father owned a small motel, and Skeeter helped his father out in its operation and even in its improvement, offering up a nifty idea at one point that hotel rooms should come with a complimentary pair of socks as most travelers failed to bring sufficient pairs for their trip. So it seemed Skeeter would be just the type to take over for his father, but that all changed when his father sold the hotel, and Skeeter wound up the new handyman. Fast forward a few years, and Skeeter’s left taking care of his sister’s kids for the week while she goes job hunting due to the closing of the school where she’s principal. Unsure of what to do, Skeeter falls back on a reliable standby, telling the kids bedtime stories. But when the kids chip in a few ideas for the stories, they seem to have a strange way of coming true…in a roundabout fashion.
As much as I want to lay into Sandler for doing the same stupid movie over and over and over again until I want to either beat him with a shovel or hit MYSELF over the head with it instead just to make the pointlessness stop, I have to admit, Sandler’s got a good one this time around. Yes, it’s the same as most of his other ones, but when he brought the little kids into the mix, he stopped being some braying cretin designed to entertain brain-damaged teenagers and instead became a softer, almost clownish figure that makes the kids laugh with simple and unalloyed joy.
This was unexpected. I found myself joining in the laughs because of their simple, gentle clarity. This wasn’t Sandler’s usual brand of “hurr he got kicked in the balls hurr durr”….no, this was a simpler “hey that guinea pig’s got really goofy eyes” kind of funny. It’s no less simple than the groin kick, but at the same time, it’s actually less crass. And that’s kind of interesting coming from Sandler, who’s been trying to soften his image into a more family-friendly sort of concept. With this kind of movie he’s actually well on his way.
The stories, meanwhile, are solid enough if a bit childish, but considering they’re geared for children, that’s understandable. Longtime Sandler fans won’t be left out in the cold as a terribly familiar dog shows up, and Rob Schneider will also show up for his obligatory three-minute cameo and variation on “You can doo eet!” line.
All things considered, you could do a lot worse than Bedtime Stories, with or without the kids in tow to see it. It’s great if you want something simple, with some good laughs, that’ll represent a nice time at the movies.
Popularity: 1% [?]