
Daddy Day Care
All movies, for me, have underlying themes that always seem to
surface, even when they are not called upon. Daddy Day Care,
though starring two comedic goofballs (meant to be put in the most
positive light), Eddie Murphy and Jeff Garlin, seems to have
underlying themes which display the importance of the development
of a child's natural Self, as well as the need to be able to
step up to the plate and handle your business whenever the time
comes for one to do as such. OK, let me go ahead and translate
that into layman's terms. I don't want to lose anyone.
Charlie (Eddie Murphy) and Phil (Jeff Garlin) are marketing execs
that wind up in a position to promote a terrible idea for a children's
cereal; this winds up costing them their "employed" status. The two
fathers consequently become stay-at-home daddies, and are no longer
able to afford the prestigious but disturbed educational facility
to which all the successful parents in the community send their
little darlings. The school is headed by the spookiest woman on
earth (on a good day), Chapman Academy's own Cruella DeVil,
Mrs. Harridan (Angelica Huston).
The marketing execs turned stay-at-home daddies are compelled to
open up a child-care facility to the public to fulfill their
financial obligations, as well as to build tighter relationships
with their own little darlings. No one ever said this venture
would be easy, I mean come on, we're talking about businessmen
attempting to mother a bunch of hyperactive four-year-olds: a
sad situation.
Not sad enough to be unsuccessful, however, because after all
the kicks in the crotches, crushed feet, feces-filled bathrooms
(which by the way was just nasty), and hyperactivity, the daddies
realize that they would rather play significant roles in their
children’s development than market impractical children's cereals.
Besides, Charlie said the cereals were too high in sugar and that
mommies all over the world would just say "no." How sensible.
Director Steve Carr does a good job of accurately depicting the
behaviors of four-year-olds, both at their worst and at their
best. He and Eddie Murphy obviously do family movies really well,
so I say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
I'd definitely spend another 92 minutes of my life watching this
movie with my nephews or children that enjoy seeing their peers
act up on screen. I would not suggest, however, taking a child
under the age of four; my daughter was all over the theater
looking for a bell she'd lost. The only time she paid attention
was when one of the little rascals in the movie kicked someone
or dismantled something; she just thought that was too funny!
Written by: Nola Mokeyane
Reviewers Rating: 8
Reader's Rating: 8.48
Reader's Votes: 17
Added: 12-May-2003
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