Review of:Daddy Day Care (2003)
Director:Steve Carr
Rating:PG for language
Starring:Eddie Murphy, Steve Zahn, Anjelica Huston, Lacey Chabert, Jeff Garlin
We all have seen the boom of home daycare’s showing up on almost every block touting that just like home feel for youngsters of any age to attend. Daddy Day Care picks up on this trend and has a little fun with it in this new film from Director Steve Carr. Eddie Murphy and Steve Carr have worked together in another film recently called Dr. Dolittle 2 to be exact. What they have in this film is the ability for non-stop laugher, and pleasantly the film delivers on that promise. Anytime you have the exuberance of young children involved with anything you can be sure that they will be the ones getting the most attention. It is the same in this film as the children easily steal the show.
When Charlie (Eddie Murphy) loses his lucrative advertising job he realizes that some things have to change. One of those things is his son Ben (Khamani Griffin) will no longer be able to go to the expensive Chapman Academy ran by Miss Gwyneth Harridan (Anjelica Huston). To rectify this dilemma of no childcare Charlie decides to open his own daycare. What better way to raise his son, and at the same time make some nice money on the side? With his business partner Phil (Jeff Garlin), and effective sidekick along for the ride the two fathers take their turn at home business by converting Charlie’s home into a daycare. What follows is a movie that is full of laughs for all who attend.
His main nemesis in the movie is Miss Gwyneth Harridan who runs the Chapman Academy. She has run the Academy with almost no competition until the two fathers come along, and when she starts to notice her own attendance is going down war is declared.
This movie for all of the laughter that it generates hits upon some social issues of the day. The fear of men as caregivers, and the stereotype that men cannot provide the same type of nurturing atmosphere for children to grow in. How many of us would have trouble leaving a child with an adult male instead of an adult female? It is touched upon slightly in the film providing a chance for debate on the matter.
With Eddie Murphy having made laughable movies lately (remember Pluto Nash?) this might be the best way for him to get back into the hit category. His success rate with children’s films seems to be very steady, and this film hopefully just adds to that growing list. This time out however he has put himself along with some pretty good supporting characters Jeff Garlin, and Steve Zahn, and it seems that it is more of their movie than his. Eddie Murphy might provide the big name to get you into the movie, but his supporting casts are the ones who deliver. The film is a pleasant surprise and one that may have some young future stars in it. Remember the name of Khamani Griffin because he will benefit the most from this film.
