Bedtime Stories (film)
Encyclopedia
Bedtime Stories is a 2008 American
family
-fantasy
-comedy film
directed by Adam Shankman
that stars Adam Sandler
in his first appearance in a family-oriented film. Sandler's production company Happy Madison
and Andrew Gunn
's company Gunn Films produced the film for Walt Disney Pictures
.
) is a hotel handyman who was promised by his father, Marty Bronson (Jonathan Pryce
), to be the manager of the family hotel. A germ fearing man named Barry Nottingham agreed to keep that promise when the Bronson family sold their hotel to him - then built a new hotel instead. When the story begins, an adult Skeeter is the new hotel's handyman while management is held by Kendall (Guy Pearce
). Barry's new hotel, the Sunny Vista Nottingham Hotel, is a hit, but he's got plans to build an even more elaborate hotel, one designed around a theme that he's keeping secret.
Skeeter's sister and principal of Westminister Elementary School, Wendy (Courteney Cox
), asks Skeeter to watch her kids, Bobbi (Laura Ann Kesling
) and Patrick (Jonathan Morgan Heit
), while she goes out of town on a job interview since her school is scheduled to be demolished. Skeeter does not know his niece and nephew very well, but agrees to watch them. Helping him out during the day is Wendy's friend, Jill Hastings (Keri Russell
), an elementary teacher who works at the same school as Wendy. That night, putting Bobbi and Patrick to bed, Skeeter gives them a story, one obviously inspired by his own life as an "underappreciated" handyman: a downtrodden squire "Sir Fixalot" rivals the pompous "Sir Buttkiss" in competition for a new job. The kids add their own details such as the king giving Sir Fixalot a chance to prove himself, a mermaid based on Jill, and a downpour of gumball
s when Fixalot prevails.
The following day, while fixing Barry's television, Skeeter learns that the new hotel's surprise theme will be rock and roll
. Barry is shocked to learn from Skeeter that the idea was already used for the Hard Rock Hotel. Barry offers Skeeter a chance to compete with Kendall for a better theme. While driving, Skeeter is suddenly greeted with a shower of gumballs which he does not see is caused by a crashed candy delivery truck. Skeeter concludes that the story had come true and quickly develops a plan.
For the next story, he chooses a Western
in which he receives a horse named "Ferrari
" from a Native American horse trader (Rob Schneider
) for free. The children change the story to have him save a damsel in distress
. They claim he should be rewarded with a kiss, only to have a dwarf kick him instead. That night, Skeeter goes out in search of his Ferrari and meets a man (also played by Rob Schneider), who steals his wallet. Barry's daughter, Violet Nottingham (Teresa Palmer
), hounded by paparazzi, is rescued by the passing Skeeter. Just as he is about to kiss her, he is kicked by a dwarf. From this point, he determines that it is only the changes made by the children that affect his reality.
The following night, Skeeter tries to sell the kids on the theme ideas contest for the new hotel, but they are more interested in romance and action in their stories. The next story is centered around a Greek gladiator, Skeeticus, who, after impressing the emperor and a stadium of onlookers, attracts the attention of the most beautiful maiden. After a meal in which all the girls who used to pick on him in high school were impressed by the beautiful maiden he is with, they start randomly singing the "Hokey Pokey
." After Skeeticus saves a man's life, a rainstorm sends him and the maiden into a magical cave which has Abraham Lincoln
in it. Skeeter loses his patience with the story and upsets the children, telling them that their stories have nothing to do with real life. Unable to get them to continue, the story ends.
The next day, Skeeter learns Violet will not be meeting with him per the story design, but unexpectedly runs into Jill at the beach who invites him to lunch. Recognizing girls at the restaurant from his high school days, Skeeter asks Jill to pretend to be his girlfriend. The girls are plainly impressed and then inexplicably break into the "Hokey Pokey." Walking on the beach with Jill, Skeeter casually saves the life of a man before a sudden rainstorm sends them under the dock. Skeeter realizes that the girl in the stories is Jill, not Violet, and that he is falling in love with her. As they are about to kiss, Skeeter remembers that Abe Lincoln is supposed to appear and moves away. Instead, an American penny (with Lincoln's face on it) falls from through the cracks of the dock, completing the story.
For Skeeter and the kids' final night together, a space-themed story begins with Skeeter's character who battles Kendall's character in anti-gravity. Skeeter's character, who speaks in alien gibberish, wins and Skeeter quickly ends the story. Patrick interjects that the story is too predictable and - remembering Skeeter's argument against whimsically happy endings - pointless. Instead, Skeeter's character is incinerated by a fireball and there ends the story.
Panicking, Skeeter sees/hears signs of fire everywhere. At Barry's luau
-themed birthday party, while dodging many fiery hazards, Skeeter's tongue is stung by a bee, making him as hard to understand as his character was in the last of the stories. Luckily, Skeeter's best friend, Mickey (Russell Brand
), can still understand him and offers to translate for him. Kendall's idea is for a hotel with a theme celebrating Broadway musicals - an idea that impresses no one. Barry much prefers Skeeter's approach - simply reminding them of how fun children have when staying at a classy hotel. After winning the competition, Skeeter thinks he's found his happy ending. Instead, he panics when he sees Barry's oversized birthday cake. Skeeter douses the candle and Barry with a fire extinguisher. Enraged at what just happened, Barry tells Skeeter that he's fired.
Afterward, Jill, Patrick, and Bobbi discover that the school where they all work and attend is to be knocked down to make way for the new hotel, and they are all upset with Skeeter, refusing to believe that he didn't know about the location. Wendy believes him, but is upset because he taught the children not to believe in happy endings. She confesses that she had always been jealous of his and their father's ability to believe in made up stories and have fun the way she never did and had secretly hoped that by leaving her children with him that his fun loving nature would rub off on them. When they attend the demolition to protest, Skeeter is inspired to prevent the school from being demolished - Donna Hynde (Aisha Tyler
), one of the girls from his high school days, is the mayor of the city and helps find Barry Nottingham an alternative location on the beach in Santa Monica
. Skeeter takes Jill on a wild motorcycle ride (during which Skeeter steals back his wallet from the thief (Rob Schneider
) who stole it) which ends at the school and manages to stop the countdown of the demolition. As a reward, Skeeter asks Jill for a kiss and she gladly complies. Sometime later, Skeeter founds Marty's Motel (named after his late father) while Kendall and his scheming partner, Aspen (Lucy Lawless
), are demoted to Skeeter's motel wait staff. The film concludes with Marty Bronson narrating that Barry Nottingham overcame his fear of germs and left the hotel business to became a school nurse at Westminister Elementary School. His daughter, Violet Nottingham, became the new owner of her father's hotel business and married Mickey as Skeeter and Jill got married as well.
describes Adam Sandler's character as "a sort of 'Cinderfella
' character" and adds that "'He's like Han Solo
...'"
, who recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony
at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox
. The Journey
song "Don't Stop Believin'
" is played during the film and during the end credits. It is the first score for an Adam Sandler film to be officially released.
reported that 25% of critics gave positive reviews based on 105 reviews. Metacritic
gave the film a 33/100 approval rating based on 26 reviews.
and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
. However, during the standard 3-day weekend, it jumped ahead of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ranking #2 behind Marley & Me with $27.4 million. As of February, 2009, the film had grossed $110,101,975 in the United States and Canada and $102,772,467 in other countries, totaling $212,874,442 million worldwide.
and DVD
on April 7, 2009. The DVD was released as a single disc or a two-disc edition including behind-the-scenes featurette. Commercials advertising the disc's feature background music recycled from the film Back to the Future Part III
. As of November 1, 2009 the DVD has sold 2,835,662 copies generating $49,409,944 in sales revenue.
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
family
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
-fantasy
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
-comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Adam Shankman
Adam Shankman
Adam Michael Shankman is an American film director, producer, dancer, actor, and choreographer. He has been a judge on the television program So You Think You Can Dance since Season 3. He began his professional career in musical theater, and was a dancer in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet...
that stars Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
in his first appearance in a family-oriented film. Sandler's production company Happy Madison
Happy Madison
Happy Madison Productions is an American film/television production company founded by actor/comedian Adam Sandler in 1999 that is best known for comedy films. Happy Madison takes its name from the films Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, two box office successes starring Sandler himself, both...
and Andrew Gunn
Andrew Gunn (producer)
Andrew Gunn is a film producer. His production company, Gunn Films, was started in 2001. He has worked with Walt Disney Pictures to produce movies such as Freaky Friday and Sky High....
's company Gunn Films produced the film for Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
.
Plot
Skeeter Bronson (Adam SandlerAdam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
) is a hotel handyman who was promised by his father, Marty Bronson (Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
), to be the manager of the family hotel. A germ fearing man named Barry Nottingham agreed to keep that promise when the Bronson family sold their hotel to him - then built a new hotel instead. When the story begins, an adult Skeeter is the new hotel's handyman while management is held by Kendall (Guy Pearce
Guy Pearce
Guy Edward Pearce is an English-born Australian actor and musician, known for his roles as Leonard Shelby in Christopher Nolan's Memento, Lieutenant Ed Exley in L.A...
). Barry's new hotel, the Sunny Vista Nottingham Hotel, is a hit, but he's got plans to build an even more elaborate hotel, one designed around a theme that he's keeping secret.
Skeeter's sister and principal of Westminister Elementary School, Wendy (Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
), asks Skeeter to watch her kids, Bobbi (Laura Ann Kesling
Laura Ann Kesling
Laura Ann Kesling is an American child actress. She made her film debut as Bobbi in the Adam Sandler film Bedtime Stories. Kesling developed an interest in acting at a young age and has appeared in a number of commercials. Her mother is LPGA golfer Danielle Ammaccapane.-Career:Kesling developed...
) and Patrick (Jonathan Morgan Heit
Jonathan Morgan Heit
Jonathan Morgan Heit is an American child actor known for his role in the Adam Sandler film, Bedtime Stories, where he played Patrick. He also directed and wrote a short film entitled It Happens, about a man who has a terrible day....
), while she goes out of town on a job interview since her school is scheduled to be demolished. Skeeter does not know his niece and nephew very well, but agrees to watch them. Helping him out during the day is Wendy's friend, Jill Hastings (Keri Russell
Keri Russell
Keri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
), an elementary teacher who works at the same school as Wendy. That night, putting Bobbi and Patrick to bed, Skeeter gives them a story, one obviously inspired by his own life as an "underappreciated" handyman: a downtrodden squire "Sir Fixalot" rivals the pompous "Sir Buttkiss" in competition for a new job. The kids add their own details such as the king giving Sir Fixalot a chance to prove himself, a mermaid based on Jill, and a downpour of gumball
Bubblegum
Bubblegum is a type of elastic chewing gum, designed to be blown out of the mouth as a bubble.-History:In 1928, Walter Diemer, an accountant for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia, was experimenting with new gum recipes. One recipe was found to be less sticky than regular chewing gum,...
s when Fixalot prevails.
The following day, while fixing Barry's television, Skeeter learns that the new hotel's surprise theme will be rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. Barry is shocked to learn from Skeeter that the idea was already used for the Hard Rock Hotel. Barry offers Skeeter a chance to compete with Kendall for a better theme. While driving, Skeeter is suddenly greeted with a shower of gumballs which he does not see is caused by a crashed candy delivery truck. Skeeter concludes that the story had come true and quickly develops a plan.
For the next story, he chooses a Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
in which he receives a horse named "Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
" from a Native American horse trader (Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider
Robert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
) for free. The children change the story to have him save a damsel in distress
Damsel in distress
The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...
. They claim he should be rewarded with a kiss, only to have a dwarf kick him instead. That night, Skeeter goes out in search of his Ferrari and meets a man (also played by Rob Schneider), who steals his wallet. Barry's daughter, Violet Nottingham (Teresa Palmer
Teresa Palmer
Teresa Palmer is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the suicide drama 2:37. Palmer was seen in The Grudge 2 in 2006, in December Boys, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, and in the 2008 children's fantasy Bedtime Stories, with Adam Sandler...
), hounded by paparazzi, is rescued by the passing Skeeter. Just as he is about to kiss her, he is kicked by a dwarf. From this point, he determines that it is only the changes made by the children that affect his reality.
The following night, Skeeter tries to sell the kids on the theme ideas contest for the new hotel, but they are more interested in romance and action in their stories. The next story is centered around a Greek gladiator, Skeeticus, who, after impressing the emperor and a stadium of onlookers, attracts the attention of the most beautiful maiden. After a meal in which all the girls who used to pick on him in high school were impressed by the beautiful maiden he is with, they start randomly singing the "Hokey Pokey
Hokey Pokey
The hokey cokey or hokey pokey , also known as the okey cokey, hokey tokey, or cokey cokey, is a participation dance with a distinctive accompanying tune and lyric structure. It is well known in English-speaking countries...
." After Skeeticus saves a man's life, a rainstorm sends him and the maiden into a magical cave which has Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in it. Skeeter loses his patience with the story and upsets the children, telling them that their stories have nothing to do with real life. Unable to get them to continue, the story ends.
The next day, Skeeter learns Violet will not be meeting with him per the story design, but unexpectedly runs into Jill at the beach who invites him to lunch. Recognizing girls at the restaurant from his high school days, Skeeter asks Jill to pretend to be his girlfriend. The girls are plainly impressed and then inexplicably break into the "Hokey Pokey." Walking on the beach with Jill, Skeeter casually saves the life of a man before a sudden rainstorm sends them under the dock. Skeeter realizes that the girl in the stories is Jill, not Violet, and that he is falling in love with her. As they are about to kiss, Skeeter remembers that Abe Lincoln is supposed to appear and moves away. Instead, an American penny (with Lincoln's face on it) falls from through the cracks of the dock, completing the story.
For Skeeter and the kids' final night together, a space-themed story begins with Skeeter's character who battles Kendall's character in anti-gravity. Skeeter's character, who speaks in alien gibberish, wins and Skeeter quickly ends the story. Patrick interjects that the story is too predictable and - remembering Skeeter's argument against whimsically happy endings - pointless. Instead, Skeeter's character is incinerated by a fireball and there ends the story.
Panicking, Skeeter sees/hears signs of fire everywhere. At Barry's luau
Luau
A luau is a Hawaiian feast. It may feature food, such as poi, kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia, and beer; and entertainment, such as Hawaiian music and hula...
-themed birthday party, while dodging many fiery hazards, Skeeter's tongue is stung by a bee, making him as hard to understand as his character was in the last of the stories. Luckily, Skeeter's best friend, Mickey (Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
), can still understand him and offers to translate for him. Kendall's idea is for a hotel with a theme celebrating Broadway musicals - an idea that impresses no one. Barry much prefers Skeeter's approach - simply reminding them of how fun children have when staying at a classy hotel. After winning the competition, Skeeter thinks he's found his happy ending. Instead, he panics when he sees Barry's oversized birthday cake. Skeeter douses the candle and Barry with a fire extinguisher. Enraged at what just happened, Barry tells Skeeter that he's fired.
Afterward, Jill, Patrick, and Bobbi discover that the school where they all work and attend is to be knocked down to make way for the new hotel, and they are all upset with Skeeter, refusing to believe that he didn't know about the location. Wendy believes him, but is upset because he taught the children not to believe in happy endings. She confesses that she had always been jealous of his and their father's ability to believe in made up stories and have fun the way she never did and had secretly hoped that by leaving her children with him that his fun loving nature would rub off on them. When they attend the demolition to protest, Skeeter is inspired to prevent the school from being demolished - Donna Hynde (Aisha Tyler
Aisha Tyler
Aisha N. Tyler is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and author, known for her regular role as Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer and voicing Lana Kane in Archer, as well as her recurring roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Talk Soup, and on Friends as Charlie...
), one of the girls from his high school days, is the mayor of the city and helps find Barry Nottingham an alternative location on the beach in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
. Skeeter takes Jill on a wild motorcycle ride (during which Skeeter steals back his wallet from the thief (Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider
Robert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
) who stole it) which ends at the school and manages to stop the countdown of the demolition. As a reward, Skeeter asks Jill for a kiss and she gladly complies. Sometime later, Skeeter founds Marty's Motel (named after his late father) while Kendall and his scheming partner, Aspen (Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
), are demoted to Skeeter's motel wait staff. The film concludes with Marty Bronson narrating that Barry Nottingham overcame his fear of germs and left the hotel business to became a school nurse at Westminister Elementary School. His daughter, Violet Nottingham, became the new owner of her father's hotel business and married Mickey as Skeeter and Jill got married as well.
Cast
- Adam SandlerAdam SandlerAdam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
as Skeeter Bronson (Marty's son, Wendy's brother, and uncle and nighttime babysitter of Patrick and Bobbi) - Keri RussellKeri RussellKeri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
as Jill (Elementary school teacher, friend of Wendy, Patrick and Bobbi's daytime babysitter, and Skeeter's love interest) - Guy PearceGuy PearceGuy Edward Pearce is an English-born Australian actor and musician, known for his roles as Leonard Shelby in Christopher Nolan's Memento, Lieutenant Ed Exley in L.A...
as Kendall (Violet Nottingham's fiance who was supposed to be Barry's successor) - Russell BrandRussell BrandRussell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
as Mickey (Skeeter's best friend who works as a room service waiter at the Nottingham Hotel who is in love with Violet) - Richard GriffithsRichard GriffithsRichard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
as Barry Nottingham (Violet's father who used to have a fear of germs) - Teresa PalmerTeresa PalmerTeresa Palmer is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the suicide drama 2:37. Palmer was seen in The Grudge 2 in 2006, in December Boys, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, and in the 2008 children's fantasy Bedtime Stories, with Adam Sandler...
as Violet Nottingham (Barry's daughter and Kendall's fiancee) - Lucy LawlessLucy LawlessLucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
as Aspen (Kendall's scheming partner and a worker at Skeeter's hotel) - Courteney CoxCourteney CoxCourteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
as Wendy Bronson (Marty's daughter, Skeeter's sister, and the mother of Patrick and Bobbi) - Jonathan Morgan HeitJonathan Morgan HeitJonathan Morgan Heit is an American child actor known for his role in the Adam Sandler film, Bedtime Stories, where he played Patrick. He also directed and wrote a short film entitled It Happens, about a man who has a terrible day....
as Patrick (Wendy's son, Bobbi's brother, Marty's grandson, and Skeeter's nephew) - Laura Ann KeslingLaura Ann KeslingLaura Ann Kesling is an American child actress. She made her film debut as Bobbi in the Adam Sandler film Bedtime Stories. Kesling developed an interest in acting at a young age and has appeared in a number of commercials. Her mother is LPGA golfer Danielle Ammaccapane.-Career:Kesling developed...
as Bobbi (Wendy's daughter, Patrick's sister, Marty's granddaughter, and Skeeter's niece) - Jonathan PryceJonathan PryceJonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
as Marty Bronson (Father of Skeeter and Wendy and grandfather of Patrick and Bobbi) - Nick SwardsonNick SwardsonNicholas Roger "Nick" Swardson is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and writer. He is best known for his recurring role as Terry Bernardino in the Comedy Central series Reno 911!, for his work in Happy Madison films, most notably the 2011 film Just Go With It, and for his new Comedy Central...
as Engineer - Aisha TylerAisha TylerAisha N. Tyler is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and author, known for her regular role as Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer and voicing Lana Kane in Archer, as well as her recurring roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Talk Soup, and on Friends as Charlie...
as Donna Hynde (Mayor) - Allen CovertAllen CovertAllen Stephen Covert is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer best known for his frequent collaborations with actor Adam Sandler.-Personal life:...
as Ferrari Guy - Blake ClarkBlake ClarkBlake Clark is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, and veteran of the Vietnam War, having served as a Captain with the 101st Airborne Division....
as Biker - Kathryn JoostenKathryn JoostenKathryn Joosten is an American television actress best known for her regular role as Karen McCluskey in Desperate Housewives and for her recurring role in The West Wing as Dolores Landingham.-Early life:...
as Mrs. Dixon - Mikey PostMikey PostMikey Post is an American actor. Mikey is a little person and is three feet two inches tall.He has appeared in the films Black Knight, Rest Stop, Rest Stop 2, Killer Pad, Skid Marks, Bedtime Stories, and on the TV shows MADtv, Boardwalk Empire & 90210...
as Angry Dwarf - Rob SchneiderRob SchneiderRobert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
as Indian Chief/The Robber - Arne StarrArne StarrArne Starr is a long time comic book artist and illustrator who has segued into the world of Hollywood over the last few years.-Training:Trained as an illustrator at the NY-Phoenix Schools of Design, a division of Pratt Institute, he graduated second in class in magazine and book illustration...
as Nottingham Employee/Senator/Cowboy/Spaceman - Thomas Hoffman as Young Skeeter
- Abigail Droeger as Young Wendy
- Jonathan LoughranJonathan LoughranJonathan Loughran is an American actor who is in most Happy Madison films with his friend Adam Sandler.-Filmography:* Sexbomb* Bulletproof* The Waterboy* Big Daddy* Little Nicky...
as Party Guest - Heather Morris as Cat Dancer
Production
Director Adam ShankmanAdam Shankman
Adam Michael Shankman is an American film director, producer, dancer, actor, and choreographer. He has been a judge on the television program So You Think You Can Dance since Season 3. He began his professional career in musical theater, and was a dancer in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet...
describes Adam Sandler's character as "a sort of 'Cinderfella
Cinderfella
Cinderfella is a comedy film version of the classic Cinderella story, with several of the roles reversed. It was released December 16, 1960 by Paramount Pictures and stars Jerry Lewis as Fella.-Plot:...
' character" and adds that "'He's like Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
...'"
Music
The score to Bedtime Stories was composed by Rupert Gregson-WilliamsRupert Gregson-Williams
Rupert Gregson-Williams is an award winning British film score composer. Educated at St John's College, Cambridge choir school and Lancing College, he is the brother of multi-nominated and awarded film composer Harry Gregson-Williams and former member of Hans Zimmer's Media Ventures team of...
, who recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony
Hollywood Studio Symphony
The Hollywood Studio Symphony is the credited name of the symphony orchestra behind many major soundtracks, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sucker Punch, Jurassic Park 3, Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, We Are Marshall, Spider-Man 2, Lost and The...
at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. The Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
song "Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
" is played during the film and during the end credits. It is the first score for an Adam Sandler film to be officially released.
Reception
The film has received negative reviews. As of September 28, 2011, Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 25% of critics gave positive reviews based on 105 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gave the film a 33/100 approval rating based on 26 reviews.
Box office
Slashfilm predicted that Bedtime Stories would open #1 during the December 25–28, 2008 Christmas weekend due to its family appeal and the box office draw of Adam Sandler, but it came at #3 grossing $38 million behind Marley & MeMarley & Me (film)
Marley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel. The screenplay by Scott Frank and Don Roos is based on the memoir of the same name by John Grogan...
and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy-drama film directed by David Fincher. The screenplay by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is loosely based on the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald...
. However, during the standard 3-day weekend, it jumped ahead of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ranking #2 behind Marley & Me with $27.4 million. As of February, 2009, the film had grossed $110,101,975 in the United States and Canada and $102,772,467 in other countries, totaling $212,874,442 million worldwide.
Home media release
The film was released on Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on April 7, 2009. The DVD was released as a single disc or a two-disc edition including behind-the-scenes featurette. Commercials advertising the disc's feature background music recycled from the film Back to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III is a 1990 American science fiction comedy Western film. It is the third installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson. The film...
. As of November 1, 2009 the DVD has sold 2,835,662 copies generating $49,409,944 in sales revenue.