Mr. Deeds (2002)

A sweet-natured, small-town guy inherits a controlling stake in a media conglomerate and begins to do business his way.

Director:

Steven Brill

Writers:

Clarence Budington Kelland (short story "Opera Hat"), Robert Riskin (film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town)

Stars:

Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, John Turturro

5 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adam Sandler	...	Longfellow Deeds
Winona Ryder	...	Babe Bennett
John Turturro	...	Emilio Lopez
Allen Covert	...	Marty
Peter Gallagher	...	Chuck Cedar
Jared Harris	...	Mac McGrath
Erick Avari	...	Cecil Anderson
Peter Dante	...	Murph
Conchata Ferrell	...	Jan
Harve Presnell	...	Preston Blake
Steve Buscemi	...	Crazy Eyes
Blake Clark	...	Buddy Ward, Kevin's Father
John McEnroe	...	John McEnroe
J.B. Smoove	...	Reuben
Tom McNulty	...	Red Parka Man

Storyline

When Longfellow Deeds, a small-town pizzeria owner and poet, inherits $40 billion from his deceased uncle, he quickly begins rolling in a different kind of dough. Moving to the big city, Deeds finds himself besieged by opportunists all gunning for their piece of the pie. Babe, a television tabloid reporter, poses as an innocent small-town girl to do an exposé on Deeds. Of course, Deeds' sincere naiveté has Babe falling in love with him instead. Ultimately, Deeds comes to find that money truly has the power to change things, but it doesn't necessarily need to change him.

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Plot Keywords:

unknowing heir | sudden wealth | fish out of water | character name as title | small town | 

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Taglines:

Don't let the fancy clothes fool you.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language including sexual references, and some rear nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 June 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mister Deeds

Filming Locations:

Stewart Internationa Airport, Newburgh, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$37,162,787, 30 June 2002

Gross USA:

$126,293,452

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$171,269,535

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, New Line Cinema, Happy Madison Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

DIRECTOR CAMEO (Steven Brill): The violinist at Madison Square Garden.

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Goofs

Obvious stunt double when Mr. French falls on the table.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Preston Blake: I'm gonna get to the top of Everest, if it's the last thing I do!
[cut to his frozen but triumphant body clinging to the summit of Mount Everest]

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Alternate Versions

DVD release contains six deleted scenes and an outtake reel.

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Connections

Referenced in Mike & Mike: Episode dated 17 February 2016 (2016)

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Soundtracks

Love Is Alive
Written and Performed by Gary Wright
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Stick With Capra's Version Instead.

The remake to Frank Capra's 1936 masterpiece "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" lacks the charm, heart and intelligence of that production. The titled character (Adam Sandler) inherits an outrageous fortune from a relative he did not even know about and New York opportunists led by the sleazy Peter Gallagher try to take advantage of Sandler's kindness and generosity towards others. Naturally Sandler is much smarter than he first appears and proves to be an individual that can handle swindlers. However he does let his guard down around supposed school nurse Winona Ryder (in actuality a reporter for a tabloid) and that is when his big-city troubles start. "Mr. Deeds" is a watchable and somewhat entertaining film that works because of Sandler's screen persona. Sandler continues to raise films that are duds just because of his enormous talents. The same is true with this one. Watch for "Fargo" alums Steve Buscemi and Harve Presnell as well as a long cameo from ex-tennis superstar John McEnroe. 2.5 out of 5 stars.