EJ Moreno revisits Big Daddy as it turns 25…
As I streamed Big Daddy this past weekend, it didn’t hit me that the film would celebrate its 25th anniversary this week. Not only did the shock that a film I loved growing up in the 90s was that old, but it was wild to look back and see that this was the last days of peak Adam Sandler.
Don’t get me wrong; there are still plenty of loveable, enjoyable, and fun Sandler performances after Big Daddy. It’s clear, though, when you look at his dominance in the 90s that this film closed out the decade and seemingly closed out a chapter in his career.
There’s no better way to finish the decade you ruled over with your comedy and wacky voices than by growing up, not that kind of Grown Ups.
The journey to make Big Daddy began before Sandler was involved. Writer Steve Franks crafted the original script, initially titled Guy Gets Kid, as a vehicle for Chris Farley. The tone would’ve been perfect for the Tommy Boy actor, but he passed away in 1997 before seeing it to fruition.
Around that time, writers Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler dominated the comedy scene. They had Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison under their belt. With Herlihy’s pitch-perfect style and Sandler’s ability to bring it to life, the two crafted original ideas that spoke to a generation. As the 90s came to a close, though, it was time to figure out what else they could do.
Their last film, The Waterboy, lives on as a classic for many, but it received abysmal reviews. The money remained for one more real-good attempt, so they’d turn to the Guy Gets Kid script for a new push.
Then Sony president Amy Pascal saw something in this script for Sandler and wanted the comedian to put his stamp on it. Herlihy and Sandler had never rewritten a script before but took this on as a new task. It wouldn’t be the only uncharted waters for the creative team.
Parenting isn’t easy and isn’t any easier to capture on screen. This was a new world for everyone. “None of us had children when we did Big Daddy, so we didn’t know what we were talking about,” Herlihy noted.
We had Sandler entering new territory with an unproven script. A secure thing for him was finding a director he once had success with, Happy Gilmore filmmaker Dennis Dugan. Looking back on that, I’d probably change only that. It could’ve stopped us from getting Jack and Jill if we only knew to avoid that hiring.
As much as we saw Adam Sandler trying something new, he surrounded himself with his usual gaggle of wacky side characters. This helped pad out the universe and gave him something to bounce off of when he had heavier material or when he was working with the 6-year-old Cole and Dylan Sprouse.
From what we can tell, the production seemed fine, allowing it to be a supportive space for the adult actors and young talent on set. It took around four months to film and became a summer 1999 release, dropping in June. It would be dropped between two comedy megahits in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. For further reference, how much this year rocked, American Pie was only a few weeks after this.
It was a great time for films and comedies, and this movie was no slouch. Big Daddy would go on to be the seventh highest-grossing film of 1999. It would also be Sandler’s highest-grosser domestically until Hotel Transylvania 2 in 2015.
The audiences embraced it, but the critical reception at the time was not so kind. Legendary critic Robert Ebert despised Sandler’s Sonny Koufax character and called it overall predictable. It would go on to be nominated for five Razzies, winning one for Worst Actor, and it currently sits at 39% on Rotten Tomatoes.
To make film lovers feel better, the hostile reception wasn’t from everyone in the industry. Paul Thomas Anderson would the film, which led the director to cast Sandler for Punch-Drunk Love. PTA said in 2018, “I love Big Daddy. Big Daddy had sensitive Sandler, but there’s a scene in it where he’s screaming at his father over the telephone that I used to rewind over and over. That’s when I really thought, ‘I have to find this person. I have to work with this person'”
With that reception, Adam Sandler closed the 1990s and entered the new millennium with a new path ahead of him. His following two comedies would be Little Nicky and Mr. Deeds, two duds that stunk up the early 00s. He’d have some highspots with dramatic work like Punch-Drunk Love, and his comedies weren’t all flops, but a 50 First Dates was rare.
Sandler couldn’t capture even the fan reception he had with Big Daddy. It wasn’t until 2019’s Uncut Gems that the actor came into his own again and found admiration on all fronts. But the fact still stands that there hasn’t been a comedy from Sandler like Big Daddy since, and it’s stunning.
Maybe it was comedy growing past the Sandler hijinx, or his era working with Dennis Dugan did unadjustable damage to his comedy stylings. Still, it’s safe to say it would take a new millennium-type renaissance to get him back to what 1999 was cooking.
Now, the question today would be: Does Big Daddy hold up?
It reeks of Gen X cynicism, but the meta commentary has Sandler and crew reflecting on whether they need to shake that off and move on with adulthood. Children will cause you to look at yourself and ask those questions, so little Frankenstein in Sonny Koufax’s life works perfectly.
Sandler’s performance feels removed from many quirks that would drive you mad, but he can still grate on you over time. The pace is uneven, and the film overstays its welcome, but the comedy timing is tricky. That’s truly the only negative in terms of filmmaking, as it’s the standard filmmaking we’d see at the time.
Narratively, some choices made either haven’t aged well or barely worked at the time. On the flip side, the look at single fatherhood, the compelling gay couple side characters, and the overall wholesome packaging all gel well. Compared to movies like Don’t Mess With The Zohan, you can appreciate the toned-down energy here.
Sandler and the Sprouse Brothers are a great team that feels believable even though the plot demands you to throw out logic a few times. It feels like the Sandman is just now recapturing his bright and fresh work with younger co-stars, given his releases like You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah and Hubie Halloween. If he leaned into the family film side more than the more crude adult-leaning works, he could’ve carved a niche till his eventual Oscar Bait revamp.
Despite what critics said, Big Daddy worked then and still works today. It’s the perfect mix of loud bro comedy and the pitch-perfect family film that died in the 90s.
For a belated Father’s Day or to revisit the glory days of 1999 Adam Sandler, grab Suba Steve and watch this happy little movie again.
What are your thoughts on Big Daddy? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
EJ Moreno
