Bedtime Stories (film)

Plot

Skeeter Bronson is a hotel leader who is promised as a child by his father Marty to be the manager of the family hotel, but later it is bought by chain Nottingham Hotels. 25 years later, the new manager Mr. Nottingham plans to build a new hotel and appoints another man, the snotty Kendall to become the manager, simply because he is dating his daughter.

Skeeter's sister Wendy asks him to watch her kids (who own a hamster with huge eyes named Bugsy), because the school at which she is the principal is being closed and she is looking for a job in Arizona. The first night, Skeeter tells a bedtime story taking place in medieval times (with him as the main character; in this case, an underdog peasant named Sir Fix-A-Lot), with some additions from her kids. The next day, the entire story miraculously comes true. Nottingham gives Skeeter a shot at the manager position when he says his new hotel theme was taken by Hard Rock Hotel and on his way home (though it actually came from a truck crash) it rains gumballs on top of him, all from the story.

The next night, at the hotel, he tells another story set in the Old West, and when he waits for it to come true, a man dressed in Indian attire steals his wallet. He saves Nottingham's daughter, Violet, from an obnoxious paparazzi and gets kicked by a dwarf. He also spots a Ferrari car, and thought he was being offered it for free (like in the story) but Violet drives away with it (implying that it was actually her car).

The night after that, out on a campfire near the hotel, he tells them about a Greek chariot-riding stuntman, and he ends up falling for his sister's friend and fellow colleague Jill.

The last night, he tells them about a space fight in which he triumphs over Kendall. After he wins the gig of manager (despite his presentation being flawed due to a bee stinging his tongue), he makes the discovery from Kendall that the new Nottingham Hotel will be at the location of the closing school. After being dismissed by Nottingham (for botching his birthday cake), which turned out to be the connection to the ending of the space story (at which he originally thought he would combust), he gets the hotel moved to Santa Monica, and then with Jill is able to avert the demolition, saving the school and his nephew and niece, while getting his wallet and money back from the same man that stole it from him earlier.

Sometime later, he marries Jill and establishes a motel named after his late father. Kendall and his accomplice Aspen are demoted to the motel's waiting staff. Violet marries Skeeter's best friend Mickey giving him control of the Nottingham Empire, becoming the ninth richest man alive. In the meantime, Nottingham quits hotel management to become a school nurse and newlywed Skeeter and Jill have a baby, while Bugsy the hamster marries too, and has a bunch of babies.

Cast

Production

Director Adam Shankman describes Adam Sandler's character as "a sort of 'Cinderfella' character" and adds that "'He's like Han Solo ...'"

Music

The score to Bedtime Stories was composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams, who recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox. The Journey song "Don't Stop Believin'" is played during the film and during the end credits.

Theatrical release

The film was released in the United States on December 25, 2008, in Poland on January 23, 2009 and in Sweden on February 20, 2009.

Critical reception and box office

The film received generally negative reviews. As of September 28, 2011, Rotten Tomatoes reported that 25% of critics gave positive reviews based on 108 reviews. Metacritic gave the film a 33/100 approval rating based on 26 reviews. Slashfilm predicted that Bedtime Stories would open #1 during the December 25–28, 2008 Christmas weekend due to its family appeal and the box office draw of Adam Sandler, but it came at #3 grossing $38 million behind Marley & Me and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. However, during the standard 3-day weekend, it jumped ahead of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ranking #2 behind Marley & Me with $27.5 million. As of February 2009, the film had grossed $110,101,975 in the United States and Canada and $102,772,467 in other countries, totaling $212,874,442 worldwide.

Home media release

The film was released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on April 7, 2009. The DVD was released as a single disc or a two-disc edition including behind-the-scenes featurette. Commercials advertising the discs feature background music recycled from the film Back to the Future Part III. As of November 1, 2009 the DVD has sold 2,835,662 copies generating $49,409,944 in sales revenue.

Accolades