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Daddy Day Care
2003 92 min United States of America PG 6+
★5.5
Comedy, Family
Director: Steve Carr
Trailers
Description
Two men get laid off and have to become stay-at-home dads when they can't find jobs, which inspires them to open their own day-care center.
Budget:
$60M
US Gross:
$104.3M
Worldwide:
$164.43M
Starring
Eddie Murphy
Actor
Jeff Garlin
Actor
Anjelica Huston
Actor
Awards
1 win & 6 nominations total
Key opinion
Daddy Day Care is viewed as a light, standard family comedy that relies heavily on Eddie Murphy's star power to elevate a predictable script. While some audiences find it to be a nostalgic, warm-hearted exploration of fatherhood, others criticize it as a clichéd and unimaginative retread of the 'tough guy manages unruly kids' trope.
| Acting | Eddie Murphy's charismatic presence serves as the film's primary anchor, keeping the production watchable despite its shortcomings. | |
| Originality | The narrative relies heavily on derivative tropes of adult men struggling to handle unruly groups of children, similar to films like Kindergarten Cop. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is widely seen as simple and predictable, offering little beyond a basic moral lesson. | |
| Emotion | Opinions on the film's emotional impact are polarized; some viewers cherish it as a kind, heartwarming experience, while others perceive the comedy as absurd and the child performances as grating. |