Big Daddy (film)
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Big Daddy is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Adam Sandler.
Tagline
Once you adopt a kid, you've got to keep him.
Nature called. Look who answered.
Synopsis
Sonny Koufax (Sandler) is a carefree, unmotivated slob, who has yet to take to adult responsibilities. He has a degree in Law, but never sat for the bar exam, let alone pursued a career from it. As the story begins, his friends, all former schoolmates, start "moving ahead" in their lives, one getting engaged, two of his friends from school now gay and in a committed partnership; all pretty much moving on with their lives; as well as his fed up girlfriend who winds up leaving him for a much older man. In the midst of all this, Sonny's roommate Kevin is fingered as the father of an illegitimate son, Julian, who is deposited at Sonny and Kevin's apartment after his mother is no longer able to care for the child. Kevin, who has just left for China on business, is only mildly aware of the situation, and Sonny, in caring for the child, soon discovers new purpose in his life.
Plot
For the last ten years Sonny has been living in his apartment in New York with his roommate, while working one day a week as a toll booth attendant and seeing his girlfriend Vanessa. Tired of Sonny's aimless existence Vanessa tells Sonny she is going to Syracuse to visit her mother as they both need time to think, also suggesting that Sonny get's a "real job".
Kevin, Sonny's roomate is going to China on a business trip and a party is held in his honor, which Sonny promptly ruins, further angering Kevin's fiance who does not care for Sonny much anyway.
The next day, Sonny finds himself in charge of a 5-year-old child, who was moved by his dying mother from Buffalo to be with his father, Sonny's roommate Kevin. Sonny contacts his roommate to inform him of the news, but Sonny insists that he can handle the situation until Kevin returns.
Sonny gets to know the boy, Julian (Dylan and Cole Sprouse). Sonny calls Arthur Brooks, the social worker assigned to handle the custody situation with Julian. He tells Arthur Brooks he's Kevin Gerrity and informs him that he will keep Julian. The social worker wishes good luck to him and his son.
Later they get to Vanessa's apartment, but she has found a much older man and breaks up with Sonny. Sonny finds he can not handle Julian on his own, so he stops at Social Services to inform the social worker, Arthur Brooks (Josh Mostel), that he is unable to raise Julian. Mr. Brooks informs Sonny, that Julian will be placed in a group home until they can find a family for him. Sonny decides to keep Julian until a family can be found.
Sonny wants to be a good father to Julian. But, in traditional irresponsible-adult style, he tells Julian that he can do whatever he wants. For example, when Julian (or, as he named himself, Frankenstein) wets the bed, Sonny simply uses newspaper to soak up the mess. Sonny drops Julian off at school. Later he gets a call from Social Services informing him that they've found a family for Julian. However, Sonny doesn't want to give up Julian, so he ignores the calls from Social Services.
One night Sonny and Layla (Kevin's fiance's sister) are on a date, leaving Sonny's buddies to watch over Julian and the apartment. Arthur Brooks, the social worker, stops by looking for Kevin Gerrity. Tommy informs him that Kevin's in China. But when Arthur Brooks introduces himself, Phil comes up and "corrects" Tommy by saying "China Town". Arthur informs them he's been trying to contact Kevin Gerrity (Sonny) and cannot get through, which has been concerning him. He asks them to call him and leaves.
In the meantime, Social Services has finally caught up with Sonny's tricks and discovered his true identity. Arthur Brooks shows up at Sonny's apartment to take Julian away. Sonny tells Arthur Brooks that he was going to give him a call, but then realizes Mr. Brooks called him Mr. Koufax, his real name, and that he has been caught fraudulently presenting himself as Kevin Gerrity to gain custody of Julian. Sonny tries to explain that the real Kevin Gerrity asked him to take care of the situation, but Brooks does not accept his explanation, and warns Sonny to surrender Julian or face arrest by the two police officers waiting downstairs. Faced with the threat of being arrested, he agrees to cooperate after being given the chance to say good bye to Julian, who is devastated, believing Sonny is giving him up intentionally. Sonny tries to explain otherwise before Julian is led away by Brooks.
Sonny asks Layla to help him with the case, but she tells him that she is unable to do so because she has other work planned and that this explains her reasons for not wanting a relationship: she doesn't want to have to make changes to her lifestyle.
Sonny goes to court to try to regain custody of Julian. Surprisingly, Layla does show up at court and admits she has feelings for Sonny and she understands that helping someone you care for is worth it. Sonny's friends all testify in favor of him. However, the court declares that it does not make sense that only Sonny's friends are testifying, so Sonny calls Kevin's fiancee, whom he despises, to the stand. She states openly that she dislikes Sonny but does agree that he is a good father. Julian himself is then called to the stand, and expresses his desire to be Sonny's son and talks of all the adventures they had together.
Finally, Sonny calls himself to the stand, and asks his father to examine him. His father had previously expressed his disapproval of Sonny's situation, and states that he will be honest and straight up during the examination. Sonny tells the full truth under his dad's questioning, about not only the case itself but about past incidents where he demonstrated irresponsibility. Sonny's dad states that it would be absurd to grant custody to Sonny.
However, Sonny then takes his father's hand, and says that he understands love for others. He says that he understands his father's harshness to be love, because when people love each other, they are scared for safety and well being. This has a profound effect, and everyone are calling their parents on their cell phones just to say "I love you." Sonny's dad ultimately declares that Sonny would indeed be a good father and that he should be granted custody.
The judge declines to grant custody to Sonny, and orders his arrest before Kevin announces that he does not want to press charges against Sonny, and admits to his fiancee that he indeed did father the child with a girl at a "Hooters before they met. Kevin realizes that this during Julian's testimony, when he reveals he was born in Toronto.
About a year later, Sonny has finally taken his legal exams and become a successful lawyer. He is invited by his friends to Hooters on his birthday and is thrown a surprise party, where he jokes with Corrine about "wasting the good surprise on him again," reminiscent of the beginning of the movie. We see that while Julian happily calls Corrine "Mommy", he has remained very close to Sonny too. Sonny is also now on good terms with Corrine and is married to Layla with a baby of their own. The closing scene is of Sonny discovering Vanessa working as a waitress at Hooters while Sid (the boyfriend she left Sonny for) is a fry cook.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Daddy_%28film%29
