Eight Crazy Nights

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Eight Crazy Nights

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Seth Kearsley
Produced by Adam Sandler
Allen Covert
Jack Giarraputo
Brooks Arthur
Written by Adam Sandler
Allen Covert
Brooks Arthur
Brad Isaacs
Narrated by Rob Schneider
Starring Adam Sandler
Jackie Titone
Austin Stout
Rob Schneider
Music by Teddy Castellucci
Marc Ellis
Ray Ellis
Editing by Amy Budden
Studio Happy Madison
Meatball Animation
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date(s) November 27, 2002
Running time 76 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $23,833,131

Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights is a 2002 animated musical comedy film co-written by and starring Adam Sandler. Unlike most mainstream holiday films, it centers on Jewish characters during the Hanukkah season, as opposed to religious or secular celebration of Christmas. Despite being animated in the style of television Christmas specials, the film is adult oriented, featuring significant sexual and scatological humor, and focusing on such topics as alcoholism, bereavement, and depression.

The film's title is taken from a line in Sandler's series of songs called "The Chanukah Song" that compares the gift-giving traditions of Christmas and Chanukah: "Instead of one day of presents, we get eight crazy nights!". Additionally, a new version of The Chanukah Song was played over the film's closing credits.

Contents

[edit] Plot

In the small town of Dukesberry, New Hampshire in December 2001, Davey Stone (voice of and resemblance to Adam Sandler), a 33-year-old alcoholic troublemaker with a long criminal record, is arrested for walking out on his bill at Mr. Chang's (Rob Schneider) Chinese restaurant ("Davey's Song"). Davey is about to be sentenced to jail time when Whitey Duvall (also Sandler), a 70-year-old volunteer referee from Davey's former basketball league, comes forward at his trial. The judge (Norm Crosby), at Whitey's suggestion, sentences Davey to community service as a referee-in-training for Whitey's Youth Basketball League. Under the terms of the community service, if Davey commits a felony before his sentence is completed, he will be sentenced to at least ten years in prison.

The next day, Davey referees his first game, which ends in disaster. After being told to remove his shoes, Davey kicks them off, smashing an overhead lighting fixture with one and striking the timekeeper with the other. He then taunts an obese child, and later his parents, who attack Davey; Whitey suffers a grand mal seizure, and the game is abruptly brought to an end. Attempting to calm Davey down, Whitey takes him to the mall ("At the Mall"), where they meet single mom Jennifer Friedman (Jackie Titone, singing voice by Alison Krauss), Davey's childhood girlfriend, and her son, Benjamin (Austin Stout). Though Davey still finds himself attracted to Jennifer, Whitey reminds him that he lost his chance with her 20 years ago.

Davey and Whitey's relationship becomes more contentious, as Whitey's various attempts to encourage Davey are met with humiliation and assault. Upon arriving home one night ("Long Ago"), Davey finds his trailer being burned down by a man who lost a bet to him. Davey rushes into the burning trailer to rescue a Hanukkah card from his parents, then watches the trailer go up in smoke. Whitey opens his home to Davey, who grudgingly accepts the invitation; also living in the house is Whitey's bald, diabetic fraternal twin sister Eleanor (also Sandler). The Duvall household has many complex rules (referred to by Whitey as technical fouls), which prove themselves extremely irritating ("Technical Foul"). However, he seemingly overcomes them, and begins to turn his life around.

However, Davey's success in reforming is cut short one morning when Whitey recalls the events of Hanukkah twenty years ago: En route to one of Davey's basketball games, his parents' car was struck by an oncoming truck after it skidded on black ice. They were both killed, and Davey learned of their deaths when the police showed up at the end of his game to inform him. Davey withdrew from society and developed alcoholism, embarking on a life of juvenile delinquency and adult criminal behavior. Davey flies into a rage and rails at Whitey, telling him that he'll never win the All-Star Banquet because no one in the town even knows he exists and storms off. He spends the rest of the day drinking, and later that night breaks into the mall, which is closed. In a drunken stupor, he imagines the logos of various stores coming to life and confronting him about his inability to grieve for his parents, which they identify as the source of his alcoholism ("Intervention Song aka Let It Out Davey"). He finally opens his parents' Hanukkah card, which contains a message praising him for being a good son. Davey breaks down and cries, finally coming to terms with his loss. Just then the police arrive, but Davey escapes and boards a bus to New York. En route to the city, the bus is forced to stop when all eight tires are punctured by a single thumbtack in the road. Reminded of the Miracle of Hanukkah, Davey walks off the bus, intending to find Whitey and make amends.

Davey finds Whitey at the All-Star Banquet, an annual town celebration in which one member of the community is recognized for positive contributions to Dukesberry. Despite having vied for the award for over thirty five years, Whitey is once again passed over; he leaves in disgrace, intending to move to Florida, where he can live out the rest of his life in anonymity. Risking arrest, Davey storms into the hall and informs everyone of the selfless contributions that Whitey has made to Dukesberry over the course of his life. Disgraced, the townspeople acknowledge the error of their decision ("Bum Biddy"). Davey leads the people to Whitey, who has gone to the mall to be alone and pray. The townspeople thank Whitey for his service over the years and the Mayor officially grants him the 2001 Patch Award. All 35 (one had won three) previous recipients of the award give theirs to Whitey. Davey and Jennifer reconcile, and Whitey goes into a seizure, but the narration informs the viewers that Whitey is okay, as the seizure is temporary and at last this time is caused by joy, rather than distress (or in his words "the happiest seizure of my life!").

[edit] Voices

  • Adam Sandler - Davey Stone, the antagonistic protagonist. As a child, he was a professional basketball player with a nice heart. But after his parents died, he embitteredly becomes a sarcastic and careless troublemaker. He later warms because of what a card from his parents said. / Whitey Duvall, the deuteragonist. He is a 70-year old referee who is to be put in retirement. He tries to help Davey reform, yet often grows impatient with his personality. He dreams of being given a patch for serving the basketball community, which comes true thanks to Davey's redemption. He is also prone to having a seizure. / Eleanore Duvall, Whitey's timid and insecure but serious twin sister who dislikes Davey's personality, but later has a heart for him in the end. She wears wigs, because she is bald and she states she resembles an owl. / Deer, a group of deer who become Whitey's pets. They dislike Davey for mistreating Whitey, but after Davey (deliberately) humiliates himself, they show loyalty.
  • Jackie Titone (Alison Krauss, singing) - Jennifer Friedman, the tritagonist. She was Davey's girlfriend during his childhood, but after his heart hardened, she feels sorry for him but dislikes his personality. She later takes kindly to Davey for changing his ways.
  • Austin Stout - Benjamin Friedman, Jennifer's 11-year old excitable son.
  • Allen Covert - Old lady / Bus driver / Mayor's wife
  • Rob Schneider - Narrator, a voice who tells what's going on in the story. / Mr. Chang, a Chinese restaurant waiter who doesn't like Davey for running out on his bill and the way he acts, but after Davey tells everyone of Whitey's selfless yet shunned acts, he befriends him. As a small running gag, Eleanore's wigs get thrown on his head.
  • Kevin Nealon - Mayor Dewey, the Mayor of Dukesberry who tries to make everything look perfect. He also has a grudge on Davey for ruining his Christmas statures, but after Davey's good deed comes to him, he softens up to Davey.
  • Norm Crosby - Judge, a judge in Dukesberry who sentences Davey to be a referee, or he will spend a decade in prison if he commits a crime. He also takes Davey seriously for his redemption.
  • Jon Lovitz - Tom Baltezor, a competitor in the All-Star Banquet for the patch. He takes Whitey's place for the patch, but after Davey tells everyone of Whitey's kind deeds, he humbly lets Whitey have the patch. He has a hook for a left hand, which is very prone to injuring.
  • Richard Page (singing) - Davey's dad
  • Ann Wilson (singing) - Davey's mom
Store logos

[edit] Product placement

The film includes a scene/song where numerous mascots of popular businesses come to life and attempt to force Davey to confront his past. These characters include the Foot Locker referee, the KB Toys soldiers, Miss See's of See's Candies, the Victoria's Secret gown, the Panda Express panda, The Sharper Image Chair, the Radio Shack walkie talkie, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf cup, and a gigantic bottle labeled GNC. The following brands are seen:

Director Seth Kearsley stated in a making-of featurette that all logos were used without permission from every company.

[edit] Rating

Eight Crazy Nights is rated PG-13 for "frequent crude and sexual humor, drinking, and brief drug references".

[edit] Reception

The film was not well received by critics, garnering only 12% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.[1] It came in at third place on its opening weekend among U.S. box office, making only $14 million since its Wednesday launch. Despite a budget of $34 million, it only grossed a total of $23.6 million in North America and negligible foreign box office receipts, for a total of only $23.8 million worldwide before leaving theaters after nine weeks. Top film critic Roger Ebert gave the film 2 out of 4 possible stars and derided the movie's dour tone, saying that "The holidays aren't very cheerful in Sandlerville."

The movie was very well received by fans of Sandler and is considered to be a modern holiday classic and is shown frequently on Comedy Central during the holidays. On Rotten Tomatoes the audiences gave it a 61%.

Sandler won a Kids' Choice Award for Best Voice in an Animated Movie in 2003 and was nominated for the Razzie Award for Worst Actor along with Mr. Deeds.

[edit] Home media

Eight Crazy Nights was released November 4, 2003 in 1- and 2-disc editions. The 2-disc "special edition" features deleted scenes, several audio commentaries, Sandler's short film "A Day with the Meatball", among others.[2]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Eight Crazy Nights at Rotten Tomatoes
  2. ^ Eight Crazy Nights (2002) - DVD details

[edit] External links

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