Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore) plays Skeeter, a hotel handyman hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father, who has once the proud owner of the hotel which once stood on the very spot which the current hotel, in which he works, now stands.
Barry Nottingham, Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone), Skeeter’s employer and current hotel owner once made a promise to Skeeter’s father prior to the sale of the original hotel, that if Skeeter could show a good work ethic and intelligence, he would one day let him run the ‘Nottingham’. Despite Skeeter’s tireless efforts and unmatched loyalty to Barry Nottingham, he is overlooked for a promotion to take charge of the hotel by the conniving and ruthless Kendall, played by Guy Pearce (The Time Machine).
The down-trodden Skeeter experiences a change in luck whilst babysitting his older sister’s, Courtney Cox Arquette (Scream) two children. Through the telling of his bedtime stories, Skeeter is able, with the help of his nephew and niece, make the make-believe and improbable, possible. Soon Skeeter begins experiencing the strange twists in his stories added by his young niece and nephew, such as rescuing a damsel in distress, and then being kicking in the shin by a dwarf.
Sandler’s soon realizes the potential held by his niece and nephew, to completely re-invigorate his monotonous life, and exploits their love for a good story to start altering different facets of his life; mainly his career.
Soon, Skeeter finds himself in a fierce adversary with arch-rival Kendall, to demonstrate to Barry Nottingham, who has the best potential to bring the current hotel into the twenty-first century.
With the help of co-minder to his niece and nephew, Jill, played by Kerry Russell (Mission: Impossible III), and his best-friend Mickey, play by British comedian Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Skeeter embarks on a mission to consolidate the role which he feels he was always meant to fulfill; General Manager of the ‘Nottingham’.
Fun for Young and Old
Modern-day legendary comedian Adam Sandler, perfectly bridges the age gap in this film which has a little bit for everyone. Opposed to some children’s films which make themselves exclusively entertaining for their target audience, Bedtime Stories has a fruitful mix of silly slapstick humor suitable for children, complemented by implicit adult humor which is non-offensive. This seamless combination makes for a good laugh for not only children, but their parents and older audiences in general.
Of course, no Sandler flick would be complete without the odd cameo, and Rob Schneider, as always, is more than happy to oblige, once again playing an ethnic character role and demonstrating his impressive comedic range.
The Verdict
Overall this is definitely a movie anyone seeking some light hearted laughter á la Adam Sandler, show go and see. Despite its predictability, this film does not disappoint in terms of pure, feel-good entertainment.
4/5 Stars
Cast
- Adam Sandler
- Keri Russell
- Guy Pearce
- Courtney Cox Arquette
- Russell Brand
- Richard Griffiths
Writer: Matt Lopez/Time Herlihy
Producer: Jack Giarraputo/Adam Sandler/Andrew Gunn
Director: Adam Shankman
Walt Disney Pictures and Happy Madison (PG-95 Minutes)Filmography information sourced from www.imdb.com
