LITTLE NICKY
US, 2000, 90 minutes, Colour.
Adam Sandler, Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel, Rhys Ifans, Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, Rodney Dangerfield, Allen Covert, Peter Dante, Jonathan Loughran, voice: Robert Smigel, Reese Witherspoon, Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz, Carl Weathers, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Mc Kean, Rob Schneider, Clint Howard.
Directed by Steve Brill.
Little Nicky is one of the many Adam Sandler comedies from the end of the 90s and the ensuing years. Portraying airheads like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, he moved into films with more comedy and sentiment like The Wedding Singer. He then made Big Daddy, The Waterboy and Little Nicky. During the first years of the 21st century he went more upmarket with his comedies. He also showed a versatility in acting in such films as Punchdrunk Love, Anger Management, Click.
This is a story about Hell, a more genial one. Rodney Dangerfield is Lucifer, acting with his customary comic style, his son, Beelzebub, is played by Harvey Keitel. Beelzebub has three sons and two of them are plotting against him. Nicky has the mission to go to Earth to capture them and bring them back so that Beelzebub will be able to reign another ten thousand years.
The film is quite silly in many of its characters, dialogue and situations. However, there are some amusing scenes. Harvey Keitel hams it up as Beelzebub. Reese Witherspoon also hams it up as a cheerleader kind of angel. There are all kinds of people turning up in cameo roles including Quentin Tarantino as a street-preaching deacon.
Steve Brill was associated with Sandler in many productions and also directed him in Mr Deeds.
1.The popularity of Adam Sandler? Screen presence? Comedy? Airhead? The dramatisation of Hell and his role as the son of Beelzebub?
2.The comic touches, verbal, visual, slapstick, crass? Toying with images of life and death, Heaven and Hell, sin and grace? How effectively?
3.The décor of Hell, the creatures in Hell and their elaborate costumes, the décor? Flames? The mutations? Beelzebub and his falling to pieces? The appearances of his three sons? The contrast with the world of New York, its ordinariness? Apartments, streets? The contrast with the Cheerleader Heaven, all chocolate box colours? The musical score?
4.The basic situation, Rodney Dangerfield as Lucifer and his wisecracks? His time being past? Harvey Keitel as Beelzebub? Deciding to rule? Confronting his sons? Falling literally to pieces? Sending Nicky on the mission, Nicky continually being killed and landing back in Hell, continually going back into the world? Cassius and Adrian going into the world and upsetting the balance of good and evil?
5.Adam Sandler as Nicky, his appearance, awkward? Love for his father? The clashes with his brothers? Going to Earth, continually getting killed and landing back? His being ashamed? His final arrival on Earth, the encounter with Valerie? Her helping him against the vendor who stole his flask? The mission to get his brothers inside the flask? Adrian and his taking over his voice and alienating Valerie? The later visit to Valerie, her hostility, his explanations, her understanding, falling in love, helping him? His meeting the dog, Mr Beefy? Mr Beefy’s voice? Advice? His getting him an apartment, the interactions with Todd? His life on Earth, tracking down Cassius, persuading him to drink and getting him in the flask? The difficulties with Adrian, his shrewdness, taking over, taking over the chief of police, Nicky commanding him to come out? The build-up to the rendezvous at the subway station, Todd and Valerie and Mr Beefy going instead? Nicky hiding inside Todd? The confrontation, the fights? Nicky being put into the flask? The new Hell on Earth, Central Park? Adrian and his ruling, the people, the threats? Nicky and his good deed in helping Valerie, going to Heaven, meeting his mother? The good deed? His return to Earth, his coming out of the flask, defeating Adrian? Talking with his father, finding out about the romance with the angel? His being sent to Earth to work in the middle – marrying Valerie, the baby – breathing fire? An Adam Sandler character?
6.Harvey Keitel as Satan? The rather amiable presentation? Adrian as the vicious son? With Cassius, going to Earth, getting into the cardinal, preaching sin to the congregation? His spoiling Nicky’s approach to Valerie? His shrewdness, setting up the Hell, fighting with Nicky, his defeat? The contrast with Cassius, the black angel? His easily being defeated?
7.Peter and John, the disciples, stoned, hippies? Their continually turning up, helping – and getting the reward from the chief of police? Their cheering on Nicky?
8.Todd, the actor, the apartment, his fastidiousness? Watching the TV with Mr Beefy? Interested in Nicky – and watching Nicky and the Harlem Globetrotters? The goal, the bursting ball, the confrontation with Adrian at the basketball? His finally helping at the subway station?
9.Mr Beefy, his voice, character, sardonic remarks?
10.Heaven, the cheerleading angels, Angel Holly and her relationship with Beelzebub? Proud of her son?
11.The cameo appearances: Quentin Tarantino as the preaching deacon, Michael Mc Kean as the chief of police, John Lovitz as the initial peeper going to Hell, Dana Carvey as Whitey the referee and his being possessed? Rob Schneider as the townie cheering Nicky on? Clint Howard as Nipples?
12.A very broad comedy – its qualities, its shortcomings?
