Reel Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Reels
MPAA Rating: PG for some mild rude humor and mild language
Released in Theaters: Dec. 25, 2008
Genre: Comedy, Family, Romance
Runtime: 95 minutes
Directed by: Adam Shankman
Cast: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Courtney Cox, Guy Pierce, Richard Griffiths, Teresa Palmer
Sex/ Nudity: A few fairytale kisses, some flirting. A female character has a reputation of having a “good time” with guys she meets.
Violence/Gore: Some slapstick, cartoonish violence, including a motorcycle scene, some gunfire in the Wild West bedtime story, and a coliseum scene where a character jumps a line of elephants in a chariot.
Profanity: “Butt kiss” is as wild as it gets.
Which Kids Will Like It? Kids 8 and older who like family movies with lots of physical comedy and a little romance.
Will Parents Like It? Yes, for an Adam Sandler film, it’s wonderfully free of sexual innuendos and crude humor. It’s a really sweet movie.
Review: I can’t say I’ve ever been a big fan of Adam Sandler movies, but once in a while, he turns one out that’s sweet and funny. That’s the case with Bedtime Stories, a family film from Walt Disney Studios that, amazingly, doesn’t include any objectionable content. I say amazingly, because Adam Sandler movies quite often contain objectionable content. You know, movies like You Don’t Mess With the Zohan and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. You don’t have to worry about that with this one.
Sandler plays Skeeter Bronson, a guy who works at the hotel once owned by his dad, Marty (Jonathan Pryce). In fact, Marty raised Skeeter and his sister, Wendy (Courtney Cox) at the small motel, but was forced to sell it to Barry Nottingham (Richard Griffiths), who built a new hotel on the spot and promised to make Skeeter the manager when he grew up.
Well, Skeeter’s grown up now, but instead of being the manager, he’s working as the janitor and taking a back seat to Nottingham’s future son-in-law, Kendall (Guy Pierce). At a staff meeting, Nottingham reveals his plans to build a fancy new hotel and make Kendall the manager, trashing Skeeter’s dreams of making it to the big-time.
Meanwhile, Wendy is being laid off from her job as a school principal and is heading to Arizona to interview for a new job. But being a single mom, she needs Skeeter to watch the kids, Patrick (Jonathan Morgan Heit) and Bobbi (Laura Ann Kesling). Her friend, Jill (Keri Russell), will take the day shift, if Skeeter takes the night shift. No problem, right?
Right. Until the bedtime stories he tells the kids start to come true. Skeeter decides to use the stories to make his OWN dreams come true, but since the kids are the ones who control the stories, they don’t always turn out like Skeeter thinks they will.
But they’re certainly fun for us! The sky rains gumballs, Skeeter rescues a damsel in distress (Nottingham’s daughter, Violet, played by Teresa Palmer), Skeeter jumps a line of elephants in a chariot, that sort of thing.
As mentioned, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, because I really didn’t expect it to be that good. It’s not an Oscar contender or anything, but it’s still a really sweet movie about family, making the best of a situation, and finding love where you least expect it. The special effects are pretty cool, too.
But best of all, there’s none of the sexual innuendos, crude humor, or language issues usually associated with Adam Sandler movies. A few fairytale kisses and phrases like “butt kiss” are as wild as it gets. There’s a bit of violence, including some gunfire in the Wild West bedtime story, but it’s mostly cartoon-type violence.
I’m not that crazy about Russell Brand, who plays Skeeter’s best friend. Brand plays his usual smarmy character, but he’s mostly just a slacker; no objectionable sexual stuff, thank goodness.
Jane Boursaw is a family entertainment writer specializing in movies and TV. Visit her at Reel Life With Jane; follow her on Twitter; become a friend on Facebook; email jboursaw@charter.net.
