Bedtime Stories

Theatrical release poster

Directed by Adam Shankman
Produced by Adam Sandler
Andrew Gunn
Jack Giarraputo
Written by Matt Lopez
Tim Herlihy
Starring Adam Sandler
Keri Russell
Guy Pearce
Russell Brand
Richard Griffiths
Teresa Palmer
Lucy Lawless
Courteney Cox

Bedtime Stories is a 2008 American family-fantasy-comedy film directed by Adam Shankman

that stars Adam Sandler (his first appearance in a Disney film). Sandler's production company
Happy Madison and Andrew Gunn's company Gunn Films have produced the film, and Walt
Disney Pictures is distributing it.[2] It is rated PG for some mild rude humor and mild language.
Contents

Plot

Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) is a hotel leader who is promised as a child by his father Marty
(Jonathan Pryce) 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 (Richard Griffiths) plans to
build a new hotel and appoints another man, the snotty Kendall (Guy Pearce) to become the
manager, because he is dating his daughter. Skeeter's sister (Courteney Cox) asks him to watch
her kids, 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
some additions from her kids. It comes true. Mr. 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
it rains gumballs, 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 (Rob Schneider) steals his wallet. He
saves Mr. Nottingham's daughter, Violet (Teresa Palmer), from the paparazzi and gets kicked by
a dwarf (Mikey Post). The night after that, out on a campfire, he tells them about a Greek stunt
man, and he ends up falling for his sister's friend and fellow colleague Jill (Keri Russell). The
last night, he tells them about a space fight, and unfortunately makes the discovery, after he wins
the gig of manager, that the closing school is where the new Nottingham Hotel will be. After
being fired, which turned out to be the connection with the ending of the space story, he gets the
hotel moved to Santa Monica, and then with Jill is able to end the demolition, saving the school
and his nephew and niece and in turn gets his wallet and money back. Sometime later, he marries
Jill and founds a hotel named after his late father, with Kendall and his girlfriend Aspen (Lucy
Lawless) being demoted to members of the hotel wait staff. Violet marries Skeeter's best friend
Mickey (Russell Brand) giving him control of the Nottingham Empire, becoming the 9th richest
man alive, in the meantime newlywed Skeeter and Jill have a baby.

Cast

* Adam Sandler as Skeeter Bronson

* Keri Russell as Jill
* Guy Pearce as Kendall
* Russell Brand as Mickey
* Richard Griffiths as Barry Nottingham
* Teresa Palmer as Violet Nottingham
* Lucy Lawless as Aspen
* Courteney Cox as Wendy Bronson
* Jonathan Morgan Heit as Patrick
* Laura Ann Kesling as Bobbi
* Jonathan Pryce as Marty Bronson
* Nick Swardson as Engineer
* Allen Covert as Ferrari Guy
* Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. Dixon
* Mikey Post as Angry Dwarf
* Rob Schneider as Indian Chief / The Robber (uncredited, once again uttering "You can do
it")
* Thomas Hoffman as Young Skeeter
* Abigail Droeger as Young Wendy

Production

Director Adam Shankman describes Adam Sandler's character as "a sort of 'Cinderfella'
character" and adds that "'He's like Han Solo...'"[3]

Disney References

* A scene shows Skeeter's niece and nephew watching The Suite Life of Zack & Cody episode
"Election".
* In the space-fight scene, Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, can be seen in the crowd cheering
for Skeeter.

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.[4] The song Don't Stop Believin' is played during the movie and during the end credits.

Reception

The film has received negative to mixed reviews. As of January 7, Rotten Tomatoes reported that
23% of critics gave positive reviews based on 89 reviews.The DVD and Blu-ray are to be
released on April 7, 2009.[5] Metacritic gave the film a 33/100 approval rating based on 26
reviews.[6].

Box office

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,[7] but it
came at #3 grossing $38 million behind Marley & Me and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
respectively. However, during the standard 3-day weekend, it jumped ahead of The Curious Case
of Benjamin Button ranking #2 behind Marley & Me with $27.4 million.[8] As of February,
2009, the film has grossed $109,586,932 in the United States and Canada and $86,617,006 in
other countries adding to $196,203,938 worldwide.

References

1. ^ "Bedtime Stories (2008)". http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bedtimestories.htm.

Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
2. ^ Dave McNary (2007-04-03). "Sandler to star in 'Bedtime Stories'". Variety.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117962441.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1. Retrieved on
2008-03-09.
3. ^ As quoted in "First Look: Behind the scenes of Hollywood's biggest projects,"
Entertainment Weekly 1025 (December 12, 2008): 9.
4. ^ Dan Goldwasser (2008-12-17). "Rupert Gregson-Williams scores Bedtime Stories".
ScoringSessions.com. http://www.scoringsessions.com/news/162. Retrieved on 2008-12-17.
5. ^ "Bedtime Stories Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bedtime_stories/. Retrieved on 2008-12-29.
6. ^ "Bedtime Stories (2008):Reviews". Metacritic.
http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/bedtimestories. Retrieved on 2008-12-29.
7. ^ "Box Office Tracking: Bedtime Stories Could Be The Biggest Christmas Day Opening of
All-Time". Slash Film. 2008-12-24. http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/12/24/box-office-tracking-
bedtime-stories-could-be-the-biggest-christmas-day-opening-of-all-time/. Retrieved on 2008-12-
26.
8. ^ "Weekdend Box Office Results for December 26-28, 2008". Box Office Mojo. 2008-12-
28. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?view=&yr=2008&wknd=52&p=.htm.
Retrieved on 2009-01-02.

External links

* Official site
* Download Bedtime Stories