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
