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"DADDY DAY CARE" (2003) (Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons *None Mild *Heavy Minor None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None Minor None *Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild None Mild Mild Mild QUICK TAKE: Comedy: Having lost their jobs, several married men open a daycare center, but must contend with the challenges of that as well as the steely headmistress of a private academy who doesn't like them as the competition. PLOT: Charlie (EDDIE MURPHY) and Phil (JEFF GARLIN) are marketing professionals who work in the health division of a food manufacturer. When their latest product, vegetable-based cereal, flops with their focus group, they and their entire division are laid off. Accordingly, Charlie stays home with young son Ben (KHAMANI GRIFFIN), while wife Kim (REGINA KING) returns to the world of employed lawyers. With weeks passing and their bank account dwindling, Charlie comes up with an idea of starting a daycare business in their home, particularly since the only other option for nearby parents is the expensive Chapman Academy run by the steely Miss Harridan (ANJELICA HUSTON). Getting Phil and later their former mailroom co-worker Marvin (STEVE ZAHN) to join them, Charlie starts his center. They soon realize, however, that taking care of a group of kids and dealing with all of the state regulations is more challenging than any of them imagined. Even so, their facility becomes quite popular and begins to siphon off Harridan's clients, prompting her to do whatever it takes to ruin his business. From that point on, Charlie and his partners must contend with her actions and the various daily challenges of running Daddy Day Care. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Since the film co-stars a bunch of young kids, it's a good bet that will draw many in the same age, and those who are fans of any of the adults in the film may just want to see it as well. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: EDDIE MURPHY plays a marketing professional who decides to open a daycare facility after being laid off. From that point on, he must deal with the various headaches and obstacles along the way to success. JEFF GARLIN plays his partner who joins him in the business endeavor and tries to come up with ways to entertain the kids and keep the business afloat. STEVE ZAHN plays the mail guy at their former business who also joins them and becomes their third partner. REGINA KING plays Charlie's wife who returns to work and must contend with having a daycare run from their home. ANJELICA HUSTON plays the stern taskmistress of Chapman Academy who does what she can to undermine Daddy Day Care when it starts to siphon off her clients. KHAMANI GRIFFIN plays Charlie and Kim's four-year-old son who initially isn't happy to have all of the other kids in his house and them receiving his father's attention. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG. Profanity consists of 1 possible "s" word, while a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases are used. Some brief and non-explicit sexually related comments are present and a married couple is interrupted before they can apparently start fooling around. Some comedic striking of others and slapstick style material is present, while several characters have comedy-based bad attitudes. Some child-based crude humor and material is present, as are various instances of imitative behavior. Meanwhile, comedy scenes featuring bees, a tarantula and cockroaches might be slightly suspenseful or unsettling for anyone with phobias related to them. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE None, but Charlie wants to know what Marvin has done to make the kids behave so well and Phil wonders if they're on drugs. BLOOD/GORE We hear little Ben urinating. One boy picks his nose and then wipes his finger on a girl's arm (we don't see any details). A kid belches and another farts (others react to that), all played for laughs. After we hear Phil's son making farting sounds out in the backyard (and Phil saying it's finally happening after a week of not going to the bathroom), we see a flashback to Phil trying to change his young son's diaper in the past. He and everyone else in the men's room apparently react to the smell and farting sounds. We then see a urine stream pop up into the camera shot. Charlie escorts Phil's son to the bathroom and the boy comes out and says he missed. Charlie then nervously approaches and looks in the bathroom (we only see his shocked reaction as he looks everywhere, including the ceiling - all played for laughs). A boy comments that his dog makes "big poops" (not seen). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE All of the following is played for laughs. Miss Harridan and her assistant have it out for Daddy Day Care and do whatever necessary (filing complaints with the state inspector, ruining a fund-raising fair, etc.) to ruin Charlie and Phil's business. Charlie and Phil's coworker first makes fun of them, their division and their work, and later makes fun of them for having been fired and then about running a daycare facility (he calls them "losers"). Some women think that Charlie and Phil are gay when Charlie says that he and Phil are "Two, loving, married parents" who run the daycare. One calls them "sickos." A kid purposefully kicks Charlie in the shin and later tells people, "Shut up, butthead." FRIGHTENING SCENES For those scared of bees, there's one scene (played entirely for comedy) where Phil tries to knock down a bees nest, only to have the bees chase after him and then Marvin. Later, many bees swarm around Miss Harridan. Similarly, a girl in her class has lost her tarantula and we then see it on Phil's head (also played for laughs). Later, Harridan's assistant pours live and large cockroaches (or similar bugs) into picnic style food. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "This cereal sucks," "Fembots," "Do you have to go stinky" (defecate), "Sickos," "Screw (this) up," "Freak out," "Shut up, butthead," "Oh, hell no," "I'm about to kick your carrot butt," "Boob" (meaning nincompoop), "Boogers," "Losers" (accompanied by holding fingers in the shape of an L) and "You bubble-headed idiot." Charlie stomps on a box of cereal - which his old company marketed - in the grocery store and then puts it back on the shelf. A kid constantly wears a Halloween style custom based on the comic book character The Flash. Charlie has a tattoo on his arm. One boy picks his nose and then wipes his finger on a girl's arm (we don't see any details). A kid belches and another farts (others react to that), all played for laughs. Kids may want to imitate some of the actions of the other kids, such as one squealing and throwing a tantrum until Phil gives him money to stop; one kicks Charlie in the shin twice; and going crazy (from a sugar high). Another stands and bounces on a piano's keys; another drinks bubble blowing liquid and belches to create bubbles; and a kid runs into a wall with a bucket on his head. Many roll around in paint they're using in "art class" during daycare, while two put makeup on Phil's face (while he sleeps) to make him look like a woman. Charlie makes an exaggerated elephant sound. Marvin makes the kids imitate all of his goofy gestures, faces and actions including pulling his mouth open from the sides and sticking out his tongue. Miss Harridan ruins the Daddy Day Care fair by unplugging the moon bounce attraction, letting the petting zoo animals loose and having her assistant replace face paint with crazy glue (causing Marvin's brush to stick to his face) and pour cockroaches into the picnic style food. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) Some suspenseful music from the movie "Psycho" plays in a scene intended solely for comedy. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 possible "s" word, 1 hell, 3 uses of "Oh my God and 1 of "Oh God" as exclamations. In one scene and where words are being spelled out in front of Ben, Charlie tells Kim that he told his boss to take a "Flying F..." (but she stops him before he can spell the rest). SEX/NUDITY Some women think that Charlie and Phil are gay when Charlie says that he and Phil are "Two, loving, married parents" who run the daycare. One calls them "sickos." A mother states that her child has acted up since she stopped breastfeeding him and Phil says that he'd freak out too. One of the mothers shows a bit of cleavage. Marvin gets tongue-tied around a divorcee and states he's her daddy, then says that he's her son's daddy, and then that he's going to be her child's daddy. Charlie and his partners ask the kids want they want to do or know, and one asks where babies come from (Charlie quickly changes the subject). Charlie tells Kim that it's time for her to take care of "your superman" and they nearly kiss in bed (clothed), but are then interrupted by Ben calling for them and nothing else happens. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Ben isn't initially happy to have all of the other kids in his house and them getting his dad's attention. We briefly hear that one mother is divorced. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Daycare and state regulations concerning that. The notion of whether men can take care of children as well as women. Dads who stay home and take care of the kids rather than the moms. Parents losing their jobs. VIOLENCE Various instances of slapstick style material occur in the film, including a kid accidentally kicking Phil through the air when Phil bends over in front of the kid on a swing. Ben accidentally slams face-first into a closed door while walking with Charlie (he isn't hurt); a little martial arts student kicks Phil in the crotch (causing him to fall to the sidewalk in pain - but played for laughs); and Phil accidentally staples a flier to his hand. There's some brief Three Stooges hitting on TV; a kid runs into a wall with a bucket on his head; and some kids pull away parts of the house's exterior (the downspout, etc.). Dressed like huge vegetables, Charlie and Phil do a faux wrestling show for the kids with Charlie hitting Phil's costume several times until Phil drives him backward and they land on a table that breaks. Phil tries to knock down a bee's nest and many bees then chase after him and Marvin; Marvin bangs his costume head while trying to get into a van and later falls over a small fence in the day care center; and Phil accidentally falls onto a former coworker. A kid in a focus group throws his bowl of cereal (out of disgust) at a two-way mirror and other kids then attack a presenter in a vegetable suit. Charlie stomps on a box of cereal - which his old company marketed - in the grocery store and then puts it back on the shelf. A kid purposefully kicks Charlie in the shin and later does the same again. Reviewed May 3, 2003 / Posted May 9, 2003

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