EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS

EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS is the animated story of Davey Stone (Adam Sandler), who is appropriately named in that he stays stoned on alcohol during the holiday season. A 33-year-old Jewish boy, Davey began drinking after his parents were killed on the night of a big basketball game. Once the star player, Davey now mopes about with a horrible reputation as a no-good slacker. When he’s caught making mischief and wrecking everyone’s holidays, he’s brought before the town’s judge and ordered to go to jail.

A short, old man, “Whitey,” (also Adam Sandler) comes forward and begs the judge to give Davey another chance. He suggests that Davey come alongside him and help coach youngsters in basketball.

The reluctant and unthankful Davey complies, but makes a mess of everything and insults everyone in sight – from the elderly to the obese. His foul language, drinking and sour outlook continue to make him the bane of the town’s existence. When Davey finds out that Whitey’s goal is to win the town’s citizenship pin, he laughs at Whitey and insults him, reminding him that no one even knows he exists.

Whitey continues to befriend the hurtful Davey, however, and even invites him to live with him and his sister, Eleanore (also Adam Sandler), when his trailer burns down. Will their kindness and patience prevail and change the stonyhearted Stone, or is it too late?

EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS is a well-advertised holiday movie with bright, alluring posters that draw children to this cartoon. It is not appropriate for children or teenagers, however. It does have plenty of scatological comedy and body humor, which, regrettably, many children love. It also has plenty of adult content, including sexual innuendos and homosexual references. The tone is dark and hollow and even suicidal at times. The true meaning of Christmas and Hanukkah are never explored. It all seems like a ridiculous cultural exercise.

As with many other movies over the past two years, EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS portrays the issue of the absent father and a stab is made at showing the need for healing. As presented here, however, it’s awkward and incomplete. The Whitey character has the patience of Job with the disrespectful and destructive Davey. He makes a solid attempt to be somewhat of a surrogate father to the younger man, but Davey’s mean-spirited attitude during the majority of the story far overshadows the warm fuzzies of relational healing at the end.

The coarse humor in this movie is reminiscent of SOUTH PARK, and the attempt to portray symbols and stereotypes of Christmas and Hanukkah falls way short. The movie tries to show its inclusiveness by showing an ice Santa next to an ice Menorah, but it doesn’t quite work. Again, neither religion is portrayed well. There are several songs in the movie, but they contain foul language and adult themes as well. Moral audiences will likely choose to redirect their holiday box office dollars to such worthy pictures as JONAH and TREASURE ISLAND.