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That's My Boy (2012 film)

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That's My Boy
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySean Anders
Written byDavid Caspe
Produced byAdam Sandler
Allen Covert
Jack Giarraputo
Heather Parry
StarringAdam Sandler
Andy Samberg
Leighton Meester
Susan Sarandon
Ciara
CinematographyBrandon Trost
Edited byTom Costain
Music byRupert Gregson-Williams
Production
companies
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • June 15, 2012 (2012-06-15)
Running time
114 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$70 million[2][3]
Box office$49,471,686[3]

That's My Boy[4] is a 2012 American comedy film starring Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, and Leighton Meester. The script was written by David Caspe and directed by Sean Anders.

The film was produced under Sandler's production company Happy Madison, and shot in Massachusetts, around Boston, Everett, Peabody, Lynn, Brockton, Stoughton and Cape Cod.[5] The film was released on June 15, 2012,[6][7] and is distributed by Columbia Pictures.

The film received negative reviews from critics, some citing it was Sandler's worst and most offensive film to date[citation needed] (after Just Go with It and Jack and Jill), while others said it was a decent R-rated Adam Sandler film. That's My Boy was a box office failure, failing to bring back its $70 million budget. It is the sixth Sandler film to be rated R.

The film has been subject of controversy and criticism due to its comedic portrayal of pedophilia, incest and statutory rape.[8]

Plot

In 1984, 14-year-old Donny Berger is taken advantage of by his 22-year-old teacher, Mary McGarricle during a pep rally. They are caught having sex, and Mary is arrested. It becomes clear that she is pregnant, and in spite of his age, Donny gains custody of their son, whom he names Han Solo Berger. Donny becomes a celebrity because of what has happened, but is forgotten as he grows up and loses contact with his son.

2012, Donny is a 42-year-old slacker who has squandered all his money. He drinks beer constantly, and spends his time at a local strip club with his friends, bartender Brie and stripper Champale. Donny's son no longer speaks to or associates with him. Angry about Donny's incompetence as a father, so he tells acquaintances that his parents died in an explosion when he was nine years old, has gone on to become a successful businessman, and is about to marry a rich young woman named Jamie. Han has arrived at the Cape Cod house of his boss, Steve Spirou, the site of the wedding; while he doesn't get along well with Jamie's brother Chad, a Marine he has just met for the first time, he is well liked by the other guests.

Donny learns that he owes $43,000 to the IRS in back-taxes and will be imprisoned for three years if he doesn't repay the money by the end of the weekend. He places a long-odds wager on morbidly obese athlete Tubby Tuke to win an upcoming marathon, but realizes that he needs another plan. He visits TV producer Randall Morgan, who had produced shows for Donny during his brief period of celebrity; Morgan offers him $50,000 if he can organize a reunion with Han and Ms. McGarricle at the women's prison.

Donny arrives at Cape Cod to try to convince Han to participate. Because he had previously told people that his parents had died, Han introduces Donny as an old friend; Donny elaborates with a heroic backstory and, despite his extremely crude behavior, quickly becomes well-liked by the other guests, at the expense of Han's popularity – to the point where Han's best man, co-worker Phil, passes the role of best man on to Donny. Donny tries to convince Han to come to the women's prison to see Ms. McGarricle (not revealing that it is for Morgan's television show), but Han fights constantly with Donny about his father's immaturity, both now and during his childhood. When Donny later hears Jamie yelling at Han, he tries to be fatherly by encouraging him to stand up for himself; he follows this advice the next day at the wedding rehearsal, getting into a fistfight with Father McNally.

Donny joins Han and his other friends at the bachelor party, which is a relaxing, alcohol-free visit to a spa organized by Phil. Donny proceeds to offend everybody at the spa (although it is implied that he eventually has sex with the uptight proprietor, Ms. Ravensdale), before convincing the others to go to the strip club with him, where Han bonds with Brie, and everybody gets drunk and raucous. Donny sends the other guests home, but Phil stays and gets a blowjob from a stripper with a neck brace, then he and Han meet up with Vanilla Ice, a former friend of Donny's from his B-grade celebrity days; once Donny apologizes to Ice for sleeping with his mother (the cause of a long-standing rift between the pair), the three wreak havoc through the night before returning to Steve's house, where both Donny and Ice have sex with Steve's mother and a drunk Han has sex with, then vomits on, Pp the mannequin wearing Jamie's wedding dress. Throughout the night, Donny and Han bond. Han tells Donny that he has given him a present for being best man and Han agrees to visit Ms. McGarricle in prison; Donny, knowing that the meeting is a television set-up, tells him not to go.

The following day, Jamie forces Han to take the dress to the dry cleaner and Han decides to visit his mother anyway. Donny rushes to prison to stop the meeting, but arrives too late; Randall ambushes Han, Donny, and Ms. McGarricle with a film crew and an enraged Han leaves. He refuses to sign a release form for the television appearance, leaving Donny with no money from the stunt.

Donny returns to Steve's home to retrieve his belongings and overhears Jamie on a phone call, indicating that she is cheating on Han with Steve. He tries to tell Han at the rehearsal dinner that night, but Jamie comes up with a story to cover her tracks. Defeated, Donny leaves and returns to the strip club, where his friend Kenny convinces him to return and earn Jamie's forgiveness. Donny heads to the hotel where Jamie is staying, only to find her having sex with Chad, her brother, whom Donny learns is actually a jazz dancer pretending to be a Marine. Jamie gives Donny the money he needs in exchange for his silence.

Donny opens Han Solo's present to find an oven mitt, which Donny had used as a sockpuppet to comfort Han during his childhood. Touched by Han acknowledgement of their father-son relationship, Donny realizes that he must stop the wedding, in spite of his need for Jamie's hush money. He and Vanilla Ice interrupt the wedding ceremony and Donny reveals that he is Han father. Donny tears up Jamie's check and urges her to whisper the truth to Han – which a newly self-assured Han exposes to the entire crowd. In the ensuing fight, Jamie and Chad are both knocked unconscious. Han accepts Donny.

The following day at the strip club, Han reveals that he is dating Brie. Donny is preparing to go to prison, intending to rekindle his relationship with Ms. McGarricle when both are released in 2015 – when suddenly on television, they see Tubby Tuke complete an unlikely come-from-behind victory in his marathon, winning Donny $160,000 from his earlier wager, enough to keep him out of prison.

Cast

  • Adam Sandler as Donny Berger, the main protagonist of the film. He became a pop-culture icon after sleeping with his teacher, but now owes $43,000 in back taxes. He also tries to reconnect with his long-lost son, Han, to no avail.
    • Justin Weaver as 1984 Donny Berger
    • Ian Ziering as TV Donny
  • Andy Samberg as Han Solo Berger/Todd Peterson, Donny's son and the secondary protagonist of the film.
  • Leighton Meester as Jamie, Han's fiancee and the main antagonist of the film. She is later caught cheating on Han and ultimately exposed and dumped by Han himself.
  • Susan Sarandon as Mary McGarricle, Donny's middle school teacher who winds up incarcerated for statutory rape. She is Han's mother.
  • Ciara as Brie, a bartender who is friends with Donny and eventually winds up dating Han
  • Vanilla Ice as himself. He was friends with Donny, but their friendship ended when the latter slept with the former's mother.
  • Milo Ventimiglia as Chad, Jamie's younger brother who is a modern jazz dancer posing as a Marine and the secondary antagonist of the film. Donny catches them in bed together and tells Han.
  • Rex Ryan as Jim Nance
  • Luenell as Champale, a stripper who is also friends with Donny. She is also Brie's mother.
  • Peggy Stewart as Grandma Delores
  • Tony Orlando as Steve Spirou, Han's boss whom Han is on friendly terms with
  • Alan Thicke as Donny's father on TV
  • James Caan as Father McNally, a priest who agrees to administer Han and Jamie's wedding
  • Dan Patrick as Randall Morgan
  • Will Forte as Phil
  • Rachel Dratch as Phil's wife
  • Blake Clark as Gerald
  • Colin Quinn as Strip Club DJ
  • Nick Swardson as Kenny
  • Ana Gasteyer as Mrs. Ravensdale
  • Han Bridges as himself
  • Baron Davis as Gym teacher
  • Dennis Dugan as School janitor
  • Jackie Sandler as Masseuse
  • Brad Grunberg as Tubby Tuke

Production

The film was originally titled I Hate You, Dad. It was then changed to Donny's Boy before the producers finally settled on That's My Boy.[9][4]

Promotion

A red-band trailer was released on March 1, 2012.[7] A green band trailer was later released on March 5, 2012. On June 1, 2012, the whole cast sat down with MTV on the City Walk stage to discuss the film, their individual upcoming projects and also participated in a Q&A with the audience. The film was also promoted through the 2012 MTV Movie Awards, where Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, and Leighton Meester were presenters for Best Kiss.

A spoof trailer was posted by Samberg on The Lonely Island's YouTube account on June 1, 2012.[10]

Reception

Box-office

The film opened on June 15, 2012 with $4.6 million and was expected to earn $13 million for its whole weekend debut which would be Sandler's worst opening weekend since Reign Over Me in 2007,[11] which had a significantly lower budget.

The film grossed $13,453,714 in its opening weekend, ranking #4 behind the second weekends of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and Prometheus, and the opening of Rock of Ages.[12] As of September 1, 2012, the film has grossed $36,931,089 domestically and $49,471,686 worldwide, making it a box office bomb and failed to recoup its $70 million budget.[3]

Critical reception

Reviews have been very negative; Rotten Tomatoes reports that only 22% of critics gave the film a positive review based on 103 reviews, with the consensus stating, "While it does represent a new foray into raunch for the normally PG-13 Sandler, That's My Boy finds him repeating himself to diminishing effect – and dragging Andy Samberg down with him."[13] Metacritic gives it a 30/100 rating, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[14][15] Online review show Half in the Bag called the movie "pathetic", it went on to criticize Sandler as a comic, including his inability to create real humor that isn't based on childish jokes.[16] Bob Fishbach from the Omaha World Herald gave the film one out of four stars, saying it was "worse than Sandler's previous stinker, Jack and Jill".[citation needed] Film Critic Richard Roeper gave the movie an "F" rating, and calling it "an ugly, tasteless, deadly and mean-spirited piece of…filmmaking.”

The film has been criticized for its comedic portrayal of statutory rape, pedophilia, and incest.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Accolades

Award Category Recipient(s) Result
Teen Choice Awards[26] Choice Summer Movie: Comedy/Music Nominated
Choice Summer Movie Star: Male Adam Sandler Nominated
Choice Summer Movie Star: Female Leighton Meester Nominated

References

  1. ^ That's My Boy (15)British Board of Film Classification
  2. ^ Kaufman, Amy (June 14, 2012). "Movie Projector: 'Madagascar 3' to top 'Rock' musical, Sandler comedy". latimes.com. Retrieved June 14, 2012. {{cite web}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  3. ^ a b c That's My Boy at Box Office Mojo
  4. ^ a b Ngo, Binh (February 3, 2012). "Adam Sandler's Upcoming Comedy 'Donny's Boy' Changed to 'That's My Boy'". Movies with Butter. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  5. ^ "Thursday, July, 21: Filming Locations in NYC, Detroit, Chicago, & more including AWOL, Boss, and SVU". On Location Vacations. July 9, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  6. ^ "I Hate You, Dad". CraveOnline. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  7. ^ a b Ng, Philiana (March 1, 2012). "'That's My Boy' Red-Band Trailer With Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg Hits the Web (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  8. ^ Comedy about middle school statutory rape? Does Adam Sandler’s 'That’s My Boy' go too far?. Fox News (2012-04-30). Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  9. ^ Eisenberg, Eric (January 16, 2011). "Adam Sandler Comedy I Hate You, Dad Retitled Donny's Boy, First Image Arrives Online". Cinema Blend. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  10. ^ "That's My Boy Trailer – Samberg Cut" – YouTube
  11. ^ Rosen, Christopher (June 16, 2012). "'That's My Boy' Box Office: Adam Sandler Comedy Bombs, Tom Cruise's 'Rock Of Ages' Disappoints". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  12. ^ Weekend Box Office Results for June 15–17, 2012. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  13. ^ That's My Boy at Rotten Tomatoes
  14. ^ That's My Boy at Metacritic
  15. ^ Mary Kay Letourneau's teen lover-turned-husband: Adam Sandler's movie is about us! Dailymail.co.uk (2012-06-22). Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  16. ^ Half in the Bag: ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER and THAT'S MY BOY redlettermedia.com (2012-07-28). Retrieved on August 26, 2012.
  17. ^ O'Hehir, Andrew. (2012-06-16) Adam Sandler hates you. Salon.com. Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  18. ^ Chang, Justin. (2012-06-14) That's My Boy – Entertainment News, Film Reviews, Media. Variety. Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  19. ^ Movie review: That's My Boy | Mackay Movies | Movie Reviews and Cinemas in Mackay. Dailymercury.com.au (2012-06-21). Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  20. ^ Movie review: That's My Boy | Ipswich Movies | Movie Reviews and Cinemas in Ipswich | Ipswich Queensland Times. Qt.com.au (2012-06-21). Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  21. ^ Adam Sandler’s new movie “That’s My Boy” exploits child victims of sexual assault. Please boycott the movie. | National Coalition For Men. NCFM (2012-05-02). Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  22. ^ Entertainment Reviews – That's My Boy. ENewsI.com (2012-06-16). Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  23. ^ Christopher Rosen: 'That's My Boy': Adam Sandler's 'Midnight In Paris'?. Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  24. ^ That’s My Boy — The Good Men Project. Goodmenproject.com (2012-06-18). Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  25. ^ Adam Sandler and Rape Culture — The Good Men Project. Goodmenproject.com (2012-06-17). Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
  26. ^ "Breaking Dawn leads the way at Teen Choice Awards nominations". Winnipeg Free Press. June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2012.