Hotel maintenance man Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) always had his hands in the hotel business thanks to the guidance of his father Marty (Jonathan Pryce). Skeeter grows into a whimsical, dedicated worker while his imaginative dreams took a back seat to adulthood responsibilities. This experienced host accomplished with several hospitality duties along with his sister Wendy (Courtney Cox), who’s now a school principal fighting to save her school.
When Wendy has Skeeter watch her kids, Patrick and Bobbi, his adventures come back to life in bedtime stories that seem to come true in real life. Thanks to Wendy’s media and fast-food freeze on her little ones, Skeeter’s only avenue of entertainment for the kids is making up stories after passing on Wendy’s recommended books like “The Organic Squirrel Gets a Bike Helmet.” Wendy’s co-worker Jill (Keri Russell), a teacher also factors in as she picks up the kids every morning for this week long adventure. Both women are very believable in their roles and improve the dramatic aspects of the screenplay written by Disney mainstay screenwriter Matt Lopez who teams up with Sandler mainstay Tim Herlihy.
Skeeter’s time with his niece and nephew, along with their wide eyed guinea pig named Bugsy, conveniently aligns with Skeeter’s big chance to share his hotel ideas with the germophobic owner Barry Nottingham (Richard Griffiths). Nottingham’s daughter Violet (Teresa Palmer), pokes fun at Paris Hilton. The story even includes a quick “hot tub” mention involving Violet in a western fantasy, which, intended or not (pick 1 or 2), got some boisterous laughs. Filmmakers seem to be aware of the reference because they use a wide shot so you basically see two people just jumping in a hot tub. Guy Pearce, as the hapless “bad guy”, and an almost unrecognizable Lucy Lawless try to stop Skeeter at every turn.
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