Flashback Friday-Big Daddy (1999)

We all have to grow up at some point. For some people, they have to prodded and pushed to grow up. For the last twenty years, Adam Sandler has played several variations on the man child character.

In 1999, he once again played within type in Big Daddy.

Sonny Koufax (Adam Sandler) is 32 years old. He has a degree from law school and a nice apartment in Manhattan. He does not have a job and lives off of money he received from a lawsuit.  To maintain  his relationship with his girlfriend and to prove that he is an adult, Sonny adopts a five year old boy. He expects that it will be easy. But his experience in parenthood will teach Sonny a lesson on growing up and being a real adult.

This movie is an interesting one. As an actor. Sandler has one foot in his previous man child characters and has another foot in a character who realizes that he has to grow up.  While this is not my favorite Adam Sandler movie, it shows his maturity as an actor to stretch himself and the characters he plays.

Do I recommend it? Why not?

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Flashback Friday-Bruce Almighty (2003)

Of all the jobs in the world, G-d has the hardest. In whatever form G-d takes (if one believes in a higher power), he, she or it receives requests from billions every day. What would happen if an ordinary mortal took G-d’s place? What would be the consequences of this switch?

In Bruce Almighty (2003), Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey), complains to G-d (Morgan Freeman) just one too many times.  G-d responds by giving Bruce his job. Can Bruce play G-d while hiding it from his girlfriend, Grace (Jennifer Aniston)?

This film is interesting. In playing Bruce, Carrey is both playing the manic character that we saw in previous films while trying to step away from that type of character. Freeman, with his usual gravitas, was well cast as the almighty being upstairs. Aniston, sadly is still no more than the standard rom-comish girlfriend.

Do I recommend this film? Maybe.