View source for Daddy Day Care

{{Short description|2003 film by Steve Carr}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Daddy Day Care
| image          = Daddy Day Care movie.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Steve Carr]]
| producer       = {{Unbulleted list|[[John Davis (producer)|John Davis]]|[[Wyck Godfrey]]|Matt Berenson}}
| writer         = [[Geoff Rodkey]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Eddie Murphy]]
* [[Jeff Garlin]]
* [[Steve Zahn]]
* [[Regina King]]
* [[Anjelica Huston]]
}}
| music          = [[David Newman (composer)|David Newman]]
| cinematography = [[Steven Poster]]
| editing        = [[Christopher Greenbury]]
| studio         = {{Unbulleted list|[[Columbia Pictures]]|[[Revolution Studios]]|[[Davis Entertainment]]}}
| distributor    = [[Sony Pictures Releasing]]
| released       = {{Film date|2003|05|09|United States}}
| runtime        = 92 minutes<ref name="mojo" />
| country        = United States
| language       = English 
| budget         = $60 million<ref name="mojo" />
| gross          = $164.4 million<ref name="mojo" />
}}

'''''Daddy Day Care''''' is a 2003 American [[Children's film|family]] [[comedy film]] starring [[Eddie Murphy]] in the lead role, [[Jeff Garlin]], [[Steve Zahn]], [[Regina King]], and [[Anjelica Huston]]. Written by [[Geoff Rodkey]] and directed by [[Steve Carr]], it marks Murphy and Carr's second collaboration after ''[[Dr. Dolittle 2]]'' (2001). The plot follows two fathers who start a child day care out of their home after they are laid off from their corporate jobs.

The film was released in the United States on May 9, 2003, by [[Columbia Pictures]]. It received generally negative reviews from critics, but grossed $164.4 million worldwide on a budget of $60 million. The movie was followed by two sequels, in the [[Daddy Day Care (film series)|film series of the same name]].

==Plot==<!--Word count is 632; Per WP:FilmPlot, plot summaries for feature films should be 400 to 700 words; please do not expand it.-->

Charlie Hinton is a marketing executive at a local food company. He and his wife, Kim, have just enrolled their son Ben into Chapman Academy, an [[hothousing|overly academic]] [[preschool]] overseen by the haughty Gwyneth Harridan. However, on Ben's first day, Charlie, his best friend Phil Ryerson, and 300 others are laid off when the company shuts down their health division due to the poor reception of their vegetable-flavored [[breakfast cereal]]s. Charlie breaks the news to Kim and Ben at dinner but assures them he will find a new job.

While Kim supports the family by returning to work as a lawyer, Charlie, after six weeks of job hunting and finding nothing, is forced by the bank to take Ben out of Chapman. Unable to find a satisfactory alternative around town, Charlie decides to open a daycare center in his home with the help of Phil, calling it "Daddy Day Care". Although local parents are [[Gender role|suspicious of men]] working with kids, a few choose their service as it is more affordable and [[Student-centred learning|child-based]].

Charlie and Phil open with a few children, struggling at first with chaos and some personal issues. Angered at losing children to the new competition, Harridan attempts to shut them down by notifying [[child services]]. Charlie and Phil find themselves rectifying problems pointed out by Dan Kubitz, a director of child services, to ensure their daycare is suitable for children. They then hire their former colleague, Marvin, as an additional care provider. In time, they start to enjoy running Daddy Day Care as it grows in popularity, with Charlie delighted to see Ben making friends and enjoying himself.

When Kubitz points out that the house cannot accommodate the number of children they now have, he suggests that they either remove two kids or find a permanent facility somewhere in town. Not willing to remove any of the children, Charlie chooses the latter option. Marvin tells them of a suitable vacant building, but they cannot afford it, so they decide to hold a fundraiser to earn the necessary capital. However, Harridan learns about the event and sabotages it with help from her hesitant assistant Jennifer. As a result, Daddy Day Care does not raise enough money to pay for the building.

Eventually, the food company offers Charlie and Phil their old jobs back at double their salaries, having decided to rehire them and letting them run the whole health division after acting on an earlier idea that Charlie had sarcastically suggested. Harridan also offers to take in their children for a more affordable price if Daddy Day Care shuts down. Charlie and Phil reluctantly accept the offer, leaving Marvin heartbroken and refusing to join them. Ben is also disappointed when Charlie tells him he has to go back to Chapman. The next day at the marketing meeting, Charlie questions his decision after he realizes the impact Daddy Day Care has had on Ben and the other children. Deciding that Ben is the most important thing to him, Charlie quits, convincing Phil to join him and re-open Daddy Day Care. Informing Marvin of their plans, Charlie confronts Harridan during a [[student orientation]] and reveals to the parents in attendance how little she cares about their children. After mentioning how much Daddy Day Care changed and helped the children, Charlie declares that Daddy Day Care is reopened and convinces the parents to return.

Six months later, Daddy Day Care manages to buy the building it needs to expand and prospers, with Charlie and Phil now successful, Jennifer now working for the center, and Marvin entering a relationship with one of the parents. With Chapman no more, Harridan is forced to work as a [[crossing guard]]. When one of Harridan's former students, Crispin, gives Harridan a flower, it attracts bees, causing her to wave the stop sign to shoo them away and inadvertently create a traffic jam.

==Cast==
{{cast list|
* [[Eddie Murphy]] as Charlie Hinton, a former marketing executive who becomes the founder of Daddy Day Care
* [[Jeff Garlin]] as Phil Ryerson, Charlie's best friend and co-founder of Daddy Day Care
* [[Steve Zahn]] as Marvin, Charlie and Phil's former colleague
* [[Regina King]] as Kim Hinton, Charlie's wife and Ben’s mother
* [[Anjelica Huston]] as Miss Gwyneth Harridan, the haughty headmistress of Chapman Academy
* [[Khamani Griffin]] as Ben Hinton, Charlie's son and one of the Daddy Day Care students
* [[Kevin Nealon]] as Bruce, Crispin's father and another former colleague of Charlie and Phil
* [[Jonathan Katz]] as Dan Kubitz, a director of social services who brings Daddy Day Care up to regulation 
* [[Lacey Chabert]] as Jennifer, Harridan's personal assistant 
* [[Max Burkholder]] as Max Ryerson, Phil's son and one of the Daddy Day Care students
* [[Jimmy Bennett]] as Tony/[[Flash (DC Comics character)|Flash]], one of the Daddy Day Care students
* [[Leila Arcieri]] as Kelli, Dylan's single mother and eventually Marvin's love interest
* [[Shane Baumel]] as Crispin, one of the Daddy Day Care students
* [[Elle Fanning]] as Jamie, one of the Daddy Day Care students
* Felix Achille as Dylan, one of the Daddy Day Care students
* Hailey Noelle Johnson as Becca, one of the Daddy Day Care students
* [[Siobhan Fallon Hogan]] as Peggy
* Arthur Young as Nicky, one of the Daddy Day Care students who speaks in [[Klingon language|Klingon]]
* [[Wallace Langham]] as Jim Fields, Charlie's former boss
* [[Lisa Edelstein]] as Bruce's wife/Crispin's mother
* [[Mark Griffin (actor)|Mark Griffin]] as Steve
* [[Laura Kightlinger]] as Sheila
}}

[[Cheap Trick]] appear as themselves at the Rock for Daddy Day Care charity event when they perform [[Surrender (Cheap Trick song)|Surrender]].

==Production==
The film was initially set up at [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]], but Fox placed the film into turnaround due to budget concerns and sell the film to [[Revolution Studios]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Cathy Dunkley,Dana |date=2002-04-10 |title=‘Day’ dawning at Revolution |url=https://variety.com/2002/film/markets-festivals/day-dawning-at-revolution-1117865179/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

Shooting began on August 1, 2002, in [[Los Angeles]], California and wrapped on November 22.<ref>{{cite news|first=Zorianna|last=Kit|url=http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/theatrical_article.cfm?article_id=2920|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020420182737/http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/theatrical_article.cfm?article_id=2920|title=Dolittle 2' team minds 'Day Care' for Revolution|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|via=hive4media.com|archive-date=April 20, 2002|date=April 10, 2002|access-date=September 20, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

The film's poster was officially released in December of that year, with the tagline, ''D-Day is coming.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.impawards.com/2003/daddy_day_care.html|title=Daddy Day Care (2003)|website=impawards.com|date=December 20, 2002|access-date=January 8, 2016|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091931/http://www.impawards.com/2003/daddy_day_care.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Release==
===Critical reception===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Daddy Day Care'' has an approval rating of 27% based on 132 reviews, with an average rating of 4.51/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Daddy Day Care'' does its job of babysitting the tots. Anyone older will probably be bored."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/daddy_day_care|title=Daddy Day Care (2003)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|access-date=May 21, 2019|archive-date=October 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026000934/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/daddy_day_care|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 39 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref>{{Metacritic film|title=Daddy Day Care}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= Cinemascore |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20}}</ref>

Todd McCarthy from ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it "scarcely more amusing than spending ninety minutes in a pre K classroom" and a "comically undernourished junk food snack".<ref>{{cite web |date=4 May 2003 |last1=McCarthy |first1=Todd |title=Daddy Day Care |url=https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/daddy-day-care-1200541911/ |website=Variety |access-date=8 November 2019 |archive-date=8 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108032617/https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/daddy-day-care-1200541911/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Box office===
Despite the negative critical ratings, the film was a box office success, grossing over $160 million worldwide based on a $60 million budget.<ref name="mojo">{{mojo title|daddydaycare|Daddy Day Care}}</ref> The film was released in the [[United Kingdom]] on July 11, 2003, and opened at No. 3, behind ''[[Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle]]'' and ''[[Bruce Almighty]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.25thframe.co.uk/charts/chart.php?chart=20030711|title=Weekend box office 11th July 2003 - 13th July 2003|publisher=www.25thframe.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2016|archive-date=30 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230160014/http://www.25thframe.co.uk/charts/chart.php?chart=20030711|url-status=live}}</ref> The next two weekends, the film moved down one place, before finally ending up at No. 10 on August 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.25thframe.co.uk/charts/chart.php?chart=20030718|title=Weekend box office 18th July 2003 - 20th July 2003|publisher=www.25thframe.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2016|archive-date=1 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901202946/http://www.25thframe.co.uk/charts/chart.php?chart=20030718|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.25thframe.co.uk/charts/chart.php?chart=20030725|title=Weekend box office 25th July 2003 - 27th July 2003|publisher=www.25thframe.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2016|archive-date=30 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230160215/http://www.25thframe.co.uk/charts/chart.php?chart=20030725|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.25thframe.co.uk/charts/chart.php?chart=20030801|title=Weekend box office 1st August 2003 - 3rd August 2003|publisher=www.25thframe.co.uk|access-date=29 December 2016|archive-date=2 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902001936/http://www.25thframe.co.uk/charts/chart.php?chart=20030801|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Sequels==
{{Main|Daddy Day Camp|Grand-Daddy Day Care}}
Soon after the release of ''Daddy Day Care'', Murphy was rumored to be involved in a sequel film, although he had not signed up for one.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/Artists/M/Murphy_Eddie/2003/08/13/760437.html|title='Daddy Day Care' sequel planned|publisher=jam.canoe.com|date=August 13, 2003|access-date=January 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423164440/http://jam.canoe.com/Movies/Artists/M/Murphy_Eddie/2003/08/13/760437.html|archive-date=2016-04-23|url-status=dead}}</ref> A [[sequel]] was released on August 8, 2007, titled ''[[Daddy Day Camp]]'', with [[Cuba Gooding Jr.]] replacing Murphy as Charlie Hinton and Sony once again distributing the film (this time under [[TriStar Pictures|TriStar]]). The film was panned by critics, with a 1% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It won the [[Razzie Award]] for "[[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel#Worst Prequel or Sequel (2006–2007)|Worst Prequel or Sequel]]". Another sequel, ''[[Grand-Daddy Day Care]]'', was released on February 5, 2019, by [[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment]] on direct-to-video format. [[Da'Vone McDonald]] portrayed Charlie Hinton, who appears as a supporting character.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Daddy Day Care}}
* {{IMDb title|0317303|Daddy Day Care}}
* {{mojo title|daddydaycare|Daddy Day Care}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|daddy_day_care|Daddy Day Care}}
* {{Metacritic film|title=Daddy Day Care}}

{{Steve Carr}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daddy Day Care}}
[[Category:2003 films]]
[[Category:2003 children's films]]
[[Category:2003 comedy films]]
[[Category:American buddy comedy films]]
[[Category:Marvin the Martian films]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films directed by Steve Carr]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:Revolution Studios films]]
[[Category:Davis Entertainment films]]
[[Category:Films scored by David Newman (composer)]]
[[Category:Films produced by John Davis]]
[[Category:American children's comedy films]]
[[Category:Films produced by Wyck Godfrey]]
[[Category:Films about parenting]]
[[Category:2000s buddy comedy films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:English-language buddy comedy films]]