Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- witty
- crude
- lazy weekend
- lighthearted movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found Adam Sandler charismatic and the child-centered premise occasionally effective, but considered the film predictable and undermined by abrupt shifts between crude comedy and mawkish sentimentality.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sonny adopts Julian as a performance of maturity but becomes an actual caretaker whose priorities change through the relationship.
The plot and keywords foreground politically incorrect jokes, bodily-function gags, public urination, and other intentionally provocative comic set pieces.
Sonny is a law school graduate living idly from a settlement, and caring for Julian forces him to confront his arrested maturity.
Sonny's apartment and his unemployed bachelor routine in Manhattan provide the film's central social and domestic environment.
Films like Big Daddy, and why
The Waterboy
shares crude buddy comedy, irresponsible adult protagonist, and unexpectedly tender child-centered emotional arc
Mr. Mom
shares fish out of water parenting comedy, broad physical humor, and a self-centered adult learning responsibility
Three Men and a Baby
shares an immature protagonist forced into caretaking, sentimental comedy, and family-oriented character growth
50 First Dates
shares adam sandler-style irreverent humor balanced with a sincere redemption story and romantic complications
Movie Details
- Director
- Dennis Dugan
- Release Date
- 1999-06-25
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (3673)
Cast
- Adam Sandler
- Joey Lauren Adams
- Jon Stewart
- Cole Sprouse
- Dylan Sprouse
- Josh Mostel
- Leslie Mann
- Allen Covert
- Rob Schneider
- Kristy Swanson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Big Daddy about?
- An aimless Manhattan bachelor adopts a five-year-old to impress his ex-girlfriend and discovers that pretend parenthood can demand real maturity.
- What is Big Daddy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Big Daddy as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Big Daddy violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Big Daddy as mild.
- What did critics think of Big Daddy?
- Critics broadly found Adam Sandler charismatic and the child-centered premise occasionally effective, but considered the film predictable and undermined by abrupt shifts between crude comedy and mawkish sentimentality.
- Which films are like Big Daddy?
- Films with a similar feel include The Waterboy, Mr. Mom, Three Men and a Baby, and 50 First Dates.
- How long is Big Daddy?
- Big Daddy runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Big Daddy?
- In United States, Big Daddy streams on Netflix, Starz Apple TV channel.
