Monday Morning Quarterback Part I
By BOP Staff
June 28, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Kim Hollis: Grown Ups, the movie BOP is calling Adam Sandler's Couples Retreat, opened to $41 million. This is Sandler's third biggest film opening to date. Is this more, less, or about what you expected? Do you see Grown Ups evolving into a franchise?
David Mumpower: This is right in line with my expectations. While we're joking about the derivative nature of this relative to Couples Retreat, the reality is that it's the same thing. A group of actors have been given an exotic vacation and asked to leave the swim-up bar occasionally and do something bland, relatable and marginally funny. The end result is a combination of scathing reviews and significant box office revenue. This particular endeavor is right in Sandler's wheelhouse, because it's the type of film his fans want him to do and it also affords him the opportunity to cast his pals, something he has always loved to do. I am of the opinion that the instant Couples Retreat was announced, Sandler's crew was texting one another that they had to do a similar project. $41 million later, they have and it worked. Next up: Sandler's Eleven.
Tim Briody: I don't know if it's franchiseable, but this is definitely a solid opening. As these guys get older, their audience, for the most part, moves on. But put 'em all together and it was pretty much going to be a hit. This is the biggest hit for Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider in a long time so I'm sure they're eternally grateful to Adam Sandler and Kevin James, who are responsible for about 95% of the opening.
Tom Houseman: I'm surprised. I thought this film would come off as too juvenile for adults and too tame for teens. Apparently I underestimated the taste of both demographics, but what else is new? I guess bland comedies featuring old guys have a big fan base, as between Grown Ups and Wild Hogs we're seeing the growth of a genre. But the beginning of a franchise? No chance. Adam Sandler has starred in exactly zero sequels. It does mean, though, that he'll be given carte blanche on his next project, which is a terrifying thought.
Reagen Sulewski: Yeah, Sandler seems generally uninterested in covering the same ground twice ... at least with the exact same character. Variations on the same are a different story (Billy Madison and Big Daddy - totally different. Just ask him). This was an easy win in going after the middle-of-the-road, middle-aged comedy market that apparently can't miss. But really, Sandler's always shown a pretty savvy ability to "grow" with his audience and to have an innate ability to reflect where they are in their life.
Kim Hollis: While Sandler doesn't do sequels, there's nothing saying there couldn't be one, a la Daddy Day Care/Daddy Day Camp. That doesn't mean it's a good idea, but I can see the studio going forward with a project that maybe features just Rock, Spade and Schneider.
Michael Lynderey: No franchise here - Sandler's never been much of a franchise guy, outside of the Sandler brand itself being a franchise. Grown Ups was obviously intended as the safe, unsinkable follow-up to the risky Funny People, and as such, it has delivered marvelously in lifting Sandler up back into the safe haven of his fanbase. Will it be one of his highest grossers? No, probably not, but decent legs aren't out of the question, and the movie's a good lead-in to the two Sandler vehicles scheduled for 2011.
Calvin Trager: I would watch the hell out of Sandler's Eleven.
One of these things is not like the other…
Kim Hollis: Do you think any of the performers in the film other than Sandler (Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek) sees a significant boost from this? Which ones? Or if not, why not?
Tim Briody: Unless it leads to another Deuce Bigalow movie for Rob Schneider (and please note that this is not a suggestion), the two that benefit the most are Kevin James and Chris Rock. This is James' second big hit in a row after Paul Blart and while Rock's "adult" comedies (like I Think I Love My Wife) haven't been hits, hopefully this gives him the opportunity to continue to be funny.
David Mumpower: My take on the situation is that this performance crystallizes the opinions of a lot of the talent involved. David Spade is a television actor who somehow seduces the hottest women in the industry into dating him. See: Padma Lakshmi. Rob Schneider is a low tier lead actor in minor comedies whose presence seems to provide comfort and stability to Adam Sandler. Salma Hayek is...a walking Got Milk ad. She also happens to be a fine actress who is too often typecast but whose presence in a movie is almost always welcome. All of them are just along for the ride here in my estimation as is Jamie Chung, the Real World alumnus whose name we need to start remembering since she's getting a lot of work. Chris Rock had an April release, Death at a Funeral, that earned back roughly double its modest budget. He's one of the biggest talents in the industry and is respected among his peers to boot. Even so, he's largely reached the level where his career will stand. I do not expect Grown Ups to change anything for him other than to remind people that other comics are in awe of his skill.
The one person who could benefit from this is Kevin James as he continues to choose the right roles that make a lot of money. If we look at his body of work, we're talking about Hitch ($177.8 million), I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry ($119.7 million), Paul Blart Mall Cop ($146.3 million), and now Grown Ups, which appears headed for $120 million or more. James' career is starting to mirror Sandler's in that people who keep waiting for him to fail are running out of reasons to call his success a fluke. Even if he had a Little Nicky in the next couple of years, I'd still consider him as having one of the finest current resumes in the industry in terms of box office. He is having the career John Goodman should have had when he moonlighted from Roseanne.
Reagen Sulewski: I agree that it's probably time to start taking Kevin James seriously as a box office draw. Now, if we can just figure out what the demands are, in order to pay off the people holding our culture hostage, all will be well.
Michael Lynderey: I have to think Grown Ups was intended to help with Kevin James' transition into a Sandler-esque comedy star. He's got a big talking animal movie scheduled for July 2011, and so this one helps keep his momentum going. I doubt much will change for Spade, Schneider, and Hayek, but Grown Ups should help Chris Rock wash off the relative disappointment that was Death at a Funeral. Will he get another solo vehicle? Tough to say - probably not anytime soon, but the performance of this film ought to improve his prospects.
Eric Hughes: Salma Hayek was in Grown Ups? Either she was largely absent from the promos or I didn't give this movie enough attention. With that said, she's out of the running from any sort of significant boost as far as I'm concerned.
The consensus seems to be that Kevin James will benefit from Grown Ups' success, and I'll agree. He's a funny guy who works on successful projects. Not sure why a dude like James needs to appear in multiple movies to prove he's got it when a relatively unknown like Zach Galifianakis can do so with one scene-stealing movie. My guess would be that James' movies carry significantly less "substance" than something like, say, The Hangover.
On a somewhat related note, anybody else feel personal accomplishment like I do when you successfully spell Galifianakis on the first try?