There are many things that I enjoy about Adam Sandler movies. One is his sense of family. He has a lot of talented friends and loves to work with them. Jim Herlihy co-wrote the Bedtime Stories script and also has a bit part in it. Since Sandler started putting out his own movies in 1995, Jim's had a hand, whether it was in scripting, acting, writing songs and/or executive producing, in each one. Another pal of his, Allen Covert, wears many hats in Adam's movies. In Bedtime Stories, funnyman Rob Schneider has an uncredited dual role too. Giving his wife Jackie and daughter Sadie roles really did make this a family affair.
There are two comedians who made their Sandler debuts in Bedtime Stories and I hope that he will add them to his circle in the future. Stand-up Aisha Tyler plays a small but pivotal role in the movie. At this point in time she has done more TV than film, fingers crossed that Adam will use her brand of sass and wit in the future. Speaking of Brand... let's talk about Brit wildman and comic Russell. On the other side of the pond, he is known for his turns at TV, radio, writing, and witty takes at convention including prank phone calls that led him to resign his spot on the BBC. Over here, he is just beginning to make his mark. His first big break was in the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall and now in Bedtime Stories he ups his game.
Personally, I don't think he could have gotten a better role to highlight his chops unless he'd scripted it himself. Cast as Mickey, hotel waiter and Skeeter's best bud, he also takes the cohort's part as each nighttime tale unfolds. My fave one though is when he wears his BFF hat. Actually, he wears a hula outfit and in such he does what a hula dancer does which is to tell a story, translating Skeeter's presentation of a business plan after he is incapacitated due to a bee sting on his tongue. Good turns from both Aisha and Russell give the movie an extra spark with their character acting.
There is one other cast member that I think deserves a mention — family pet Bugsy the guinea pig. Named for his unusually large eyes, this characteristic is played for optimum comic relief. However, I preferred his "speaking parts," couched in squeaks and squeals that sound fairly human from time to time.
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