Bedtime Stories (film)


Bedtime Stories is a 2008 American fantasy comedy film directed by Adam Shankman and written by Matt Lopez and Tim Herlihy. It stars Adam Sandler in his first appearance in a family-oriented film alongside Keri Russell, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Laura Ann Kesling, Guy Pearce, Aisha Tyler, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Lucy Lawless and Courteney Cox. Sandler's production company Happy Madison and Andrew Gunn's company Gunn Films co-produced the film with Walt Disney Pictures. The film was theatrically released on December 25, 2008 by Walt Disney Pictures. Despite receiving generally negative reviews from critics, it was a box office success after earning $212.9 million against an $80 million budget.

Plot

As a child, in 1974, Skeeter Bronson was promised by his father Martin "Marty" that he would be the manager of the family motel, the Sunny Vista Motel.
Twenty-five to thrity-five years later in 2008, it has been bought and rebuilt into a bigger hotel by the hotel chain Nottingham Hotels, and was renamed the Sunny Vista Nottingham Hotel, and Skeeter is stuck as its handyman. The manager and founder of the hotel chain, Barry Nottingham plans to build a new hotel, named the Sunny Vista Mega Nottingham, and appoints another man, the snotty Kendall Duncan to become the new manager, simply because Duncan is dating his daughter, Violet.
Skeeter's sister Wendy asks him to watch her kids, Patrick and Bobbi, because the school at which she is the principal is being closed and she is looking for a job in Arizona. The first night, Skeeter tells a bedtime story, in which an underdog peasant is passed over for promotion. The kids add that he gets a chance at the promotion, and that it starts raining gumballs. The next day, the entire story miraculously comes true: Nottingham gives Skeeter a shot at the manager position, and on his way home, gumballs rain on him from a truck crash on an overpass.
The next night, at the hotel, Skeeter tells another story in which he is given a Ferrari, but it doesn't come true. He saves Violet from an obnoxious paparazzi and spots a Ferrari car, but Violet drives away with it. Skeeter realizes that only the kids' additions to the stories come true.
The night after that, Skeeter tells them about a Greek chariot-riding stuntman, and the next day he ends up falling for his sister's friend and colleague Jill. On Skeeter’s last night with the kids, he tells them a story in which he triumphs over Kendall, but the kids add that someone kills him with a fireball. He learns from Kendall that the new Nottingham Hotel will be at the location of the closing school. Skeeter wins the manager position, but Nottingham fires him for his paranoid antics protecting himself from fire. He gets the hotel moved to Santa Monica, and then with Jill is able to avert the demolition, saving the school and his nephew and niece.
Some time later, Skeeter marries Jill and establishes a motel named after his late father. Kendall and his accomplice Aspen are demoted to the motel's waiting staff. Violet marries Skeeter's best friend, hotel room service waiter Mickey, giving him control of the Nottingham Empire, becoming the ninth richest man alive. In the meantime, Nottingham quits hotel management to become a school nurse and newlywed Skeeter and Jill have a baby.

Cast

Production

Director Adam Shankman describes Adam Sandler's character as "a sort of 'Cinderfella' character" and adds that "'He's like Han Solo ...'" It was filmed on various locations in California, including in Thousand Oaks where Mr. Nottingham's palace is set.

Music

The score to Bedtime Stories was composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams, who recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox. The song "Don't Stop Believin'" is played during the film and during the end credits.

Theatrical release

The film was released in the United States on December 25, 2008, in Poland on January 23, 2009 and in Sweden on February 20, 2009.

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 26% based on 110 reviews, with an average rating of 4.39/10. The site's consensus states, "Though it may earn some chuckles from pre-teens, this kid-friendly Adam Sandler comedy is uneven, poorly paced, and lacks the requisite whimsy to truly work." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 33 out of 100 based on 26 reviews, "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B+ on scale of A to F.

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 & Me 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 $27.5 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 worldwide.

Home media release

The film was released on Blu-ray Disc 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 discs 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.

Accolades

;Australian Film Institute 2009
AwardCategoryNomineeResult
AFI International AwardBest ActorGuy Pearce
AFI International Award---

;BMI Film & TV Awards 2009
AwardNomineeResult
BMI Film Music AwardRupert Gregson-Williams
BMI Film Music Award--

;Kids' Choice Awards, USA 2009
AwardCategoryNomineeResult
Blimp AwardFavorite Movie
Favorite Movie Actor		Adam Sandler
Blimp Award---

;Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA 2009
AwardCategoryNomineeResult
Golden Reel AwardBest Sound Editing - Music in a Feature FilmJ.J. George
Kevin Crehan
Tom Kramer
Golden Reel Award---

;Young Artist Awards 2009
AwardCategoryNomineeResult
Young Artist AwardBest Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young ActorJohntae Lipscomb
Young Artist Award---