Bedtime Stories (2008)

A family comedy about a hotel handyman whose life changes when the lavish bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew start to magically come true.

Director:

Adam Shankman

Writers:

Matt Lopez (screenplay), Tim Herlihy (screenplay),

Stars:

Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adam Sandler	...	Skeeter Bronson
Keri Russell	...	Jill
Guy Pearce	...	Kendall
Russell Brand	...	Mickey
Richard Griffiths	...	Barry Nottingham
Teresa Palmer	...	Violet Nottingham
Lucy Lawless	...	Aspen
Courteney Cox	...	Wendy
Jonathan Morgan Heit	...	Patrick
Laura Ann Kesling	...	Bobbi
Jonathan Pryce	...	Marty Bronson
Nick Swardson	...	Engineer
Kathryn Joosten	...	Mrs. Dixon
Allen Covert	...	Ferrari Guy
Carmen Electra	...	Hot Girl

Storyline

In 1974, Marty Bronson builds the Sunny Vista Motel in Los Angeles, California, with the intention of raising his son Skeeter and his daughter Wendy in the place where he works. However he is not a good businessman and the hotel goes bankruptcy. Marty is forced to sell his motel to Barry Nottingham that promises to hire Skeeter in a general manager position when he grown up. Years later, Barry builds a new hotel; forgets his promise to Marty; and Skeeter Bronson is only the handyman of his hotel. The general manager is the arrogant Kendall, who is engaged with the shallow Barry's daughter Violet Nottingham. When the Webster Elementary School where Wendy is the principal will be closed to be demolished, she needs to travel to Arizona for a job interview. Wendy asks her friend Jill, who is teacher in the same school, to watch her son Patrick and her daughter Bobbi during the day and Skeeter to watch them during the night. Skeeter meets the estranged kids with his best friend Mickey and ...

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Plot Keywords:

bedtime story | handyman | child | uncle nephew relationship | arrested development | 

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Taglines:

Whatever they dream up... he has to survive.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild rude humor and mild language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cuentos que no son cuentos

Filming Locations:

Santa Paula, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,551,605 (UK) (26 December 2008)

Gross:

$109,993,847 (USA) (6 March 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Happy Madison Productions, Gunn Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first family film produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions. It received a PG rating whereas all previous entries were PG-13 or R.

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Goofs

It is mentioned that Skeeter lives in Room 109, but above the door, the number is 111.

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Quotes

Skeeter Bronson: What's on my head?
Patrick: Bugsy.
Skeeter Bronson: Why do you call him Bugsy?
Patrick: Because of his eyes.
Skeeter Bronson: Well let's see his eyes.
[sees Bugsy's huge eyes and screams]
Skeeter Bronson: Wow! Those eyes would be big on a cow!

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Connections

References Frankenstein (1931)

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Soundtracks

"Time Spent Moments Saved"
Written and Performed by Darwin Keith Martin
Courtesy of Spirit Music Group

User Reviews

Stories May Have Happy Endings

In 1974, Marty Bronson (Jonathan Pryce) builds the Sunny Vista Motel in Los Angeles, California, with the intention of raising his son Skeeter and his daughter Wendy in the place where he works. However he is not a good businessman and the hotel goes bankruptcy. Marty is forced to sell his motel to Barry Nottingham (Richard Griffiths) that promises to hire Skeeter in a general manager position when he grown up. Years later, Barry builds a new hotel; forgets his promise to Marty; and Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) is only the handyman of his hotel. The general manager is the arrogant Kendall (Guy Pearce), who is engaged with the shallow Barry's daughter Violet Nottingham (Teresa Palmer).

When the Webster Elementary School where Wendy (Courteney Cox) is the principal will be closed to be demolished, she needs to travel to Arizona for a job interview. Wendy asks her friend Jill (Keri Russell), who is teacher in the same school, to watch her son Patrick and her daughter Bobbi during the day and Skeeter to watch them during the night. Skeeter meets the estranged kids with his best friend Mickey (Russell Brand) and makes up bedtime stories to help them to sleep but the kids add details to the stories, changing their endings. Soon Skeeter realizes that the plot of the stories are coming true and affecting his life. Meanwhile Barry Nottingham decides to give a change to Skeeter to dispute the manager position in his new hotel with Kendall like in one of his stories. But Skeeter has told to his nephew and his niece that stories do not have happy endings.

"Bedtime Stories" is a family entertainment from the Disney Studios surprisingly good. Adam Sandler is very funny in this fantasy and it is impressive how this actor that is not handsome and actually has a sort of stupid face shines with his charisma. I have seen most of his movies and enjoyed most of them.

Based on the Metascore (33/100), I dare to say that fortunately I am not a professional critic. "Bedtime Stories" is not a movie to win awards in any film festival but is a delightful fantasy to be appreciated by those that have the concept of family and dreams. It might be very sad to have the absence of these feelings in the heart and give such low rating to this beautiful fantasy. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Um Faz de Conta que Acontece" ("A Make Beliefe that Happens")