Bedtime Stories (2008)

Believe it or not but Adam Sandler can be tamed! Leave it to the family-friendly folks at Disney to put the perennial man-child in his place. Perhaps they had to put him in some sort of decompression device or just severely medicated him during filming. Whatever the cause, the effect is a kinder, gentler Sandler flick that’s safe to show your children without totally diluting his signature goofiness.

Skeeter Bronson (Sandler) grew up helping his father run the family hotel. His father promised to make him manager some day but the hotel was sold to new ownership. They’ve kept Skeeter around as handyman and he is enticed at the prospect of managing a new hotel for the chain. Standing in his way is Kendall (Guy Pearce), the current #2 and major suck-up to the boss.

Skeeter’s sister (Courtney Cox) heads out of town for a job interview and needs him to watch her two children for the week. Her friend (Keri Russell) pitches in to help the kids get to and from school for the week and it’s clear that she is unimpressed by Skeeter. The kids take to his imaginative bedtime stories though. Injecting his own management dreams into the stories (with a few added twists from the kids), Skeeter begins to see parts of his stories coming true. This leads to an escalation in the grandiosity of his tales in an attempt to force his dreams into reality.

In several ways, this film echoes Billy Madison. Sandler plays a supposed heir-to-be for the family business but is blocked by a corporate butt-kisser. Helping Sandler’s character rise to the top are some kids. He teaches them a few things and they return the favor. There is also an unlikely romance that develops for the immature lead. There are enough differences though to avoid being a retread. The resolution pans out in a completely different way, the main character is actually fairly responsible and capable, and the film never goes over the top.

Long-time Adam Sandler fans run the risk of being horribly disappointed with this film. If you come into Bedtime Stories expecting the typical frat house humor Sandler is known for, you will have wasted your time. This is not Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore 10 years later. This is Sandler doing his best impression of (mostly) normal family-oriented comedy. This is PG territory, so brace yourself for a bit of a shock.

If you’re not a Sandler fan, this isn’t a must-see film. If you’re willing to give the man a shot though, this is a decent film to start with. It won’t corrupt your kids either. I for one enjoyed the kinder, gentler Adam Sandler. His zaniness comes out during the bedtime story sequences and that keeps the film fun. They are full of imaginative characters and special effects. Kids will especially get a kick out of these parts because Skeeter’s niece and nephew constantly change elements of the stories, leading to abrupt and humorous changes to the visualizations as they play out.

Bedtime Stories fits the mold of most family-oriented comedies- kids will probably enjoy it more than parents; parts of the film are fairly predictable but there is enough random weirdness in play to keep a few things secret until the end; and most of the humor is aimed at the kids but there are a few one-liners and comments there for the adults in the room to smile at.

The end result is a tame Adam Sandler movie but is that such a bad thing? How much longer can he try to play goofy immature roles? The man is 44 years old for crying out loud. Bedtime Stories didn’t usher in a new era for Sandler’s career but it is nice to know that he can tone it down a few notches. It shows that, while his popularity may wane, he will still be able to take on comedic roles in the future. Few people will be able to remember much about this film but give Sandler some time to hone a new craft and he will probably deliver a zinger or two in time.

RATING: 3.25 out of 5

Cinderella (1950)

From August of 1942 until the end of the decade, Walt Disney and his animation studio were in a kind of Dark Ages. Half of their animators were being used to make pro-Allied Forces propaganda films for the US military. After the end of World War II the studio didn’t have the funds to pull off a full-length stand-alone story. Thus they were stuck with the cheap-to-make package films that modern audiences have all but forgotten entirely. Walt Disney took a chance and nearly broke the bank to produce Cinderella. The rest is history.

If you don’t know the story of Cinderella then you have either been living under a rock or led a horribly sheltered life. Just in case anyone does fall into either of those categories, I will summarize. A beautiful young woman is mistreated by her step-mother and ugly step-sisters. The prince of the kingdom seeks a wife and the poor maiden gets help from her animal friends and a fairy godmother to transform her from a servant into beautiful woman. She captures the heart of the prince but leaves her suitor before the enchantments end at midnight. The prince is left to search the countryside for the maiden who fits a glass slipper left behind at the castle.

The motto ‘go big or go home’ may seem clichéd now but you can’t help but look back at history and point to instances of this motto working in magnificent ways. Cinderella is one such event. Had the film tanked, Disney was prepared to close up shop. Can you even fathom a world without Disney films? What a sad existence that would be! It’s hard to believe that that was a possibility, but it was.

Thank goodness Disney pulled out all the stops. The animation may not be as layered and gorgeous as Snow White or Pinocchio but Cinderella has enough colors and textures to dazzle the eyes. In fact, the animation has very little to do with the success of the film. That credit belongs to the following factors: a timeless story, charming characters and unbeatable music.

While this film version now serves as an introduction for most young people to the classic fairy tale, Cinderella has been around for hundreds of years. Operas, plays and even ballets have been written and produced to tell this timeless tale of love breaking through the boundaries of class and status. Even a half-dozen incarnations of the story were committed to film before Disney had his animators ink the tale in Technicolor. Returning to popular lore was the first step toward success. Cinderella exists in the hearts and minds of everyone. It’s a tale that resonates with just about all of us. Who doesn’t want to rise above their current situation and fulfill a dream? That’s the stuff Cinderella is made of.

With all the success Disney’s animators had over the years with bringing animals to life, it makes perfect sense for them to include anthropomorphic critters to the tale. Sure, it’s only the mice that walk, talk and sing like people, but the collection of personalities enhances the story instead of distracting from it. Plus, kids are easily entertained by animals doing human-like things. The trials and tribulations of Cinderella’s mouse friends are added in the right places, providing an extra dramatic kick or a much-needed dash of humor at just the right times. The step-mother and step-sisters are also developed with the right aura of coldness and haughtiness as to prevent them from being likeable in any way.

Finally there is the music. Virtually all of the songs in this film are memorable and fun to listen to. “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” is still among the greatest Disney film songs of all time. On top of this rollicking treasure are other signature classics like “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” “Sing Sweet Nightingale,” and “The Work Song” as sung by the mice to relay Cinderella’s plight. The only Disney film to this point to feature so many songs that have stood the test of time is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Everything about this film is iconic. Along with Snow White, Cinderella helps define Disney. The stars aligned for Walt and his crew and this film gave new life to the company. This film furthered their move towards a simpler animation style but it grips you where it matters most. Sixty years after its release, Cinderella hasn’t lost an ounce of its magic.

RATING: 4 out of 5