Netflix Low-Brow Comedy Is An All-Timer That Will Leave You Weeping
Adam Sandler has appeared in a wide variety of low-brow comedies, often offering a bit of heart, an ensemble cast of his favorite collaborators, and some over-the-top juvenile humor. Some people love these films, and some people (particularly professional film critics) absolutely hate them. I’m biased toward many of Sandler’s early movies because I grew up watching them, though I would argue that his 1999 film Big Daddy is the finest of the bunch, and stands tall with no nostalgia necessary.
Big Daddy On Netflix
For those unfamiliar with the film, the narrative of Big Daddy centers on Sandler’s Sonny Koufax. Like many Adam Sandler characters, Sonny is a slacker and an obnoxious man-baby, barely functioning as his friends progress their lives all around him.
After dropping out of law school before the narrative begins, Sonny finds himself working part-time at a toll booth in New York City, just barely making enough to order frequent take-out dinners.
Life Turned Upside Down
Despite his carefree lifestyle, Sonny’s life is completely turned upside down when a 5-year-old child is left on his doorstep, with nothing but a note claiming that the child belongs to Sonny’s roommate, Kevin.
In a panic, Sonny calls Kevin to inform him of the situation, though the roommate is traveling abroad for a major business opportunity, and claims that it’s not possible for the child to be his. As the narrative of Big Daddy continues, Sonny agrees to watch over the young boy for a few weeks until Kevin returns home, in order to keep the child out of the foster care system.
A Big Kid And A Small Kid
The bulk of the film’s narrative sees Sonny and the little boy, Julian, bonding over a shared lack of adult experience, and engaging in a host of unhealthy habits like eating 30 packets of ketchup for lunch, tripping rollerbladers for fun, and ignoring messes rather than cleaning them up.
Julian is expertly played by the adorable twin team of Cole and Dylan Sprouse, while the rest of Big Daddy‘s cast is rounded out by the likes of Joey Lauren Adams, Josh Mostel, Leslie Mann, Rob Schneider, and The Daily Show legend Jon Stewart.
Great At Box Office, Bad With Critics
Like most Adam Sandler movies, Big Daddy made a ton of money at the box office, while infuriating professional critics everywhere. The film was nominated for five Razzie Awards including Worst Picture, Worst Actor, and Worst Screenplay, and currently touts a paltry 39 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Personally, I don’t understand how this is at all possible, since the film offers a lot of genuine laughs, heartfelt performances, and fascinating plot twists. Maybe I genuinely have horrible taste in movies, but I feel that this is one of Adam Sandler‘s best outings, even when placed next to his excellent dramatic projects like Uncut Gems.
Streaming Big Daddy
Luckily I’m not alone in feeling this way, as Big Daddy managed to score huge numbers at the box office, and served as Sandler’s highest-grossing film until it was dethroned by Hotel Transylvania 2 in 2015.
The general audience Popcornmeter offers a much more forgiving 74 percent score, which is far more in line with my personal view of the film. If you’d like to check this one out and make up your own mind about it, Big Daddy is currently streaming on Netflix.
REVIEW SCORE
