Eight Crazy Nights
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''Eight Crazy Nights'', also known as ''Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights'', is a 2002 American adult animated
Hanukkah Hanukkah (, ; ''Ḥănukkā'' ) is a Jewish holidays, Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd ce ...
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
film directed by Seth Kearsley (in his feature directorial debut), written by
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
, Allen Covert, Brooks Arthur and Brad Issacs, and produced by Sandler, Covert and Jack Giarraputo. It stars Sandler in his first voice-acting role, alongside future wife Jackie Titone, Austin Stout, Rob Schneider, Kevin Nealon, Norm Crosby and Jon Lovitz. The film centers on
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
characters alongside
Hanukkah Hanukkah (, ; ''Ḥănukkā'' ) is a Jewish holidays, Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd ce ...
. The title is taken from a line in Sandler's series of songs called " The Chanukah Song" that compares the gift-giving traditions of
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
and Hanukkah: "Instead of one day of presents, we get eight crazy nights!" A new version of "The Chanukah Song" also plays over the film's closing credits. Produced by Sandler's production company Happy Madison Productions (as its first animated film), ''Eight Crazy Nights'' was released in the United States on November 27, 2002, by
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
. The film grossed $23.8 million and was panned by critics, but has gained a small cult following.


Plot

Davey Stone is a 33-year-old Jewish alcoholic with a criminal record that has earned him animosity in his hometown of Dukesberry,
New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
. Taken to
court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...
for his recent activity on the first night of Hanukkah, Whitey Duvall, an aging volunteer referee from Davey's former basketball league, convinces the judge to have him do community service as a referee-in-training for his Youth Basketball League, but on one condition – if Davey commits another crime before his tenure at the league concludes, he will be sentenced to ten years in
prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...
. As Davey harasses the players at his first game, Whitey has a
seizure A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...
and the game is abruptly halted with Davey forfeiting it to the opposing team. Attempting to calm Davey down, Whitey takes him to the mall, where they meet Davey's childhood crush Jennifer Friedman, now a divorced single mother who has moved back to Dukesberry and taken a job at the local mall, and her pre-teen son Benjamin. Davey still secretly harbors feelings for Jennifer, but Whitey reminds Davey that he lost his chances with Jennifer years ago. As time progresses, Whitey's various attempts to encourage Davey are met with humiliation and assault. Later, Davey bonds with Benjamin while playing basketball at the community center, but the latter's unsportsman-like behavior, encouraged by Davey, earns him the ire of his mother. On their respective rides home, they reminisce about their happy childhood together and how much things have changed. When Davey gets home, his trailer is being burned down by one of the men who lost the basketball match to him, though Davey runs inside to rescue a Hanukkah card from his late parents. Whitey invites Davey to live with him and his diabetic twin sister Eleanore; Davey reluctantly accepts. To keep Davey in line, Whitey and Eleanore explain the complex rules of the household, stating that Davey will be evicted if he does not abide. Davey slowly starts to turn his life around, until one day at a skating rink, Whitey recalls Davey's past—en route to one of Davey's basketball games, Davey's parents died in a car accident and he learned of the tragedy shortly after winning the game. He spent the rest of his childhood in and out of foster facilities and state homes, followed by numbing his pain with alcohol and petty crime during his
adolescence Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human Developmental biology, physical and psychological Human development (biology), development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age o ...
and ostracizing himself from Jennifer and his other friends. Enraged after being reminded of his trauma, Davey insults Whitey and Eleanore, resulting in a heartbroken Whitey evicting him from his house. Davey spends the rest of the day binge-drinking. That night, he breaks into the closed mall and hallucinates the logos and mascots of various stores coming to life and confronting him about his inability to grieve. He finally opens his parents' Hanukkah card, which contains a heartfelt message asking him not to change who he is, and Davey finally allows himself to mourn his parents. When the police arrive to arrest him, Davey escapes and boards a bus to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, but the bus is forced to stop when a thumbtack in the road punctures all rear tires. Reminded of the Miracle of Hanukkah, Davey sets out to find and make amends with Whitey. Davey finds Whitey at the All-Star Banquet, an annual town celebration in which one member of the community is recognized for positive contributions with the "Dukesberry All-Star Patch", which Whitey has sought after for thirty-five years. When Whitey is passed over again, he resolves to move to
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
to live the remainder of his life in anonymity. Davey reminds the townspeople of the abuse they, and he himself, have subjected Whitey to throughout his life and the selfless contributions he has made to the community in spite of that. Davey leads them to Whitey, who has gone to the mall with Eleanore. The townspeople thank Whitey for his service over the years and the mayor officially grants him the Patch Award, with previous recipients giving him theirs as well. As Davey and Jennifer reconcile, Whitey goes into another seizure that he enjoys.


Voice cast

*
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
as: ** Davey Stone *** Josh Uhler portrays his younger self ** Whitey Duvall ** Eleanore Duvall ** The vocal effects of Dukesberry's local deer * Jackie Titone as Jennifer Friedman ** Alison Krauss provides her singing voice, while Ali Hoffman portrays her younger self. * Austin Stout as Benjamin Friedman ** Jason Houseman provides his singing voice * Rob Schneider as: ** The film's narrator ** Mr. Chang, the owner of Dukesberry's local Chinese restaurant * Kevin Nealon as Mayor Dewey ** James Barbour provides his singing voice * Carmen Filpi as a
homeless Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...
man * Norm Crosby as the
judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...
* Jon Lovitz as Tom Baltezor


Additional voices

The rest of the cast are listed under this section in the end credits: * Tyra Banks as
Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing and beauty products, beauty retailer. Founded in 1977 by a Stanford graduate student and his wife, Roy Raymond, Roy and Gaye Raymond, the company's five lingerie stores were sold to Les Wexner i ...
gown *
Blake Clark Blake Clark is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known as Chet Hunter on '' Boy Meets World'' and Harry Turner on '' Home Improvement''. Clark has voiced Slinky Dog in the ''Toy Story'' franchise starting with 2008's '' Toy Sto ...
as Radio Shack walkie-talkie * Peter Dante as Foot Locker referee * Ellen Albertini Dow as
See's Candies See's Candy Shops, Inc., Trade name, doing business as See's Candies, is an American manufacturer and distributor of candy, particularly chocolates. It was founded by Charles See, his wife Florence, and his mother Mary in Los Angeles, California ...
box * Kevin Farley as
Panda Express Panda Express is an American fast food restaurant chain that specializes in American Chinese cuisine. With over 2,400 locations, it is the largest Asian-segment restaurant chain in the United States, and is mainly located in North America and Asi ...
giant panda * Lari Friedman as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf cup *
Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He has been voicing SpongeBob SquarePants (character), the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media since its debut in 1999. Kenny has voice ...
as The Sharper Image chair * Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse as the KB Toys soldiers * Carl Weathers as GNC bottle * Jamie Alcroft as Eli Wolstan * Brooks Arthur as Rabbi Fliegel * Allen Covert as: ** A
bus driver A bus driver, bus operator, or bus captain is a person who drives buses for a living. Description Bus drivers must have a special license above and beyond a regular driver's licence. Bus drivers typically drive their vehicles between bus st ...
** Mayor Dewey's
transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
wife ** An old woman ** Lainie Kazan provides the latter's singing voice * Judith Sandler as Mrs. Stone ** Ann Wilson provides the character's singing voice * Stan Sandler as Mr. Stone ** Richard Page provides the character's singing voice * Archie Hahn as a television announcer


Production

''Eight Crazy Nights'' was animated by several studios, including Anvil Studios, A. Film A/S, Bardel Entertainment, Goldenbell Animation, Marina Motion Animation, Spaff Animation, Tama Production, Time Lapse Pictures, Y. R. Studio and Yowza! Animation. It was the only animated film that Adam Sandler worked on until '' Hotel Transylvania'' in 2012, and remains the only traditionally-animated film with his involvement. This was also the first and only film produced by Meatball Productions, the animation division of Happy Madison Productions. Kearsley revealed in an email to Doug Walker that certain elements of the film that were notorious, specifically the feces-eating deer scene and even Whitey's voice (which was originally more high-pitched and annoying), were intended to be cut, but were kept due to "focus groups" who had seen the film (who lowered Whitey's voice), as well as the fact that the product placements were used without permission.


Music

The soundtrack was released on November 27, 2002 by Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax. The soundtrack contains every song in the film, including the new installment of "The Chanukah Song" and a deleted song, called "At the Mall", sung by Whitey as he strolls through the mall in an alternate opening, included on the DVD release. The soundtrack was pressed onto vinyl in 2021 for the ''Vinyl Me, Please'' record club.


Release

''Eight Crazy Nights'' came in at fifth place on its opening weekend among U.S. box office, making only $14 million since its Wednesday launch. It only grossed a total of $23.6 million in North America and negligible foreign box office receipts, for a total of only $23.8 million worldwide.


Critical reception

Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
gave the film two out of four possible stars and criticized the film's dour tone, saying that "The holidays aren't very cheerful in Sandlerville." Matthew Rozsa of ''Salon'' called it the best known Hanukkah film despite its poor quality. William Thomas of ''
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
'' gave the film a one out of five stars, saying, "File under 'What the hell were they thinking?'. With this, and '' Mr. Deeds'', Sandler's pulled off quite the combo. Avoid like the plague." Sandler won a
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
Kids' Choice Award for "Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie". He was also nominated twice for the 2002 Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor for his performances in both ''Eight Crazy Nights'' and '' Mr. Deeds''.


Home media

''Eight Crazy Nights'' was released on VHS and single and two-disc edition DVD on November 4, 2003 by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. The two-disc "special edition" features deleted scenes, several audio commentaries, and Sandler's
short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
''A Day with the Meatball'', among other bonus features. A
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
was issued on December 13, 2016.


See also

* List of American films of 2002 * List of animated feature films of 2002 * Disney Renaissance, all of Adam Sandler's influences of the film with its reference from ''
Toy Story ''Toy Story'' is a 1995 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the first installment in the Toy Story (franchise), ''Toy Story'' franchise and the Firsts in animation, firs ...
'' (1995).


References

Han, K. Hubie Halloween is one of Adam Sandler’s sweeter gross-out comedies. Polygon. October 7, 2020. https://www.polygon.com/entertainment/2020/10/7/21504777/hubie-halloween-review-adam-sandler-netflix-kevin-james.


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eight Crazy Nights 2002 films 2002 American animated films 2000s buddy comedy films 2000s English-language films 2000s musical comedy films Adult animated comedy films Adult animated musical films American adult animated films American animated comedy films American basketball films American buddy comedy films American musical comedy films American animated musical films Animation based on real people English-language musical comedy films Films about alcoholism Films about orphans Films produced by Adam Sandler Films produced by Jack Giarraputo Films scored by Teddy Castellucci Films set in 1981 Animated films set in the 1980s Films set in 2001 Films set in New Hampshire Films with screenplays by Adam Sandler Films with screenplays by Allen Covert Hanukkah films Happy Madison Productions films Columbia Pictures animated films Columbia Pictures films Animated films set in New England Animated films set in the 2000s Animated films about Jews and Judaism English-language buddy comedy films Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award–winning films 2002 musical films Internet memes