The Daddy Day Care film series consists of American family-comedy films. Based on original characters by Geoff Rodkey, the plot centers around unemployed dads who start a day care service to help bring in more funds for their respective families. Comedic circumstances follow, as the men are overwhelmed by the rambunctious and mischievous actions of the children.
The first film, though a financial success at the box-office, received generally negative reviews from critics. Variety called it "scarcely more amusing than spending ninety minutes in a pre K classroom". Part two proved to be a moderate success financially, though it was panned by film critics with critiques pointed at the overuse of potty humor. The final film in the trilogy, which debuted over a decade after its predecessor, was made with a small-budget and was released straight-to-home video. The film was met with negative reviews, though it fared well with rentals and sales.
Films Film U.S. release date Director Screenwriter(s) Story by Producers Daddy Day Care Steve Carr Geoff Rodkey John Davis, Wyck Godfrey and Matt Berenson Daddy Day Camp Fred Savage Geoff Rodkey and J. David Stem & David N. Weiss Joel Cohen & Alec Sokolow and Geoff Rodkey William Sherak and Jason Shuman Grand-Daddy Day Care Ron Oliver Robbie Fox & David H. Steinberg Robbie Fox Mike Elliott, Joseph P. Genier, and Greg Holstein
Daddy Day Care (2003)
Charles "Charlie" Hinton is unemployed and a stay-at-home father, taking care of his young son, while his wife makes a living and pays for the bills. Charlie works with his friend named Phillip "Phil" Ryerson, who is also without a job, to establish Daddy Day Care. The pair quickly gain a popular reputation, causing an enrollment swell. With additional regulations, they struggle to keep business alive. When a competing day care owner named Ms. Gwyneth Harridan calls the attention social workers in attempt to put Daddy Day Care out of business, social services notifies the business that their operating home is not large enough for their number of clients, causing Charlie and Phil to hold a fundraiser to raise funding.
Events that follow lead Charlie to quit the company, and focus on his family instead. As parents flock to Ms. Harridan's Day Care, Charlie and Phil realize their role in children's lives. At a student orientation, the pair reveal her careless ways and expose her distaste for her work. Expressing their love for the children that they have cared for, adults sign on for business with Daddy Day Care, earning the company enough money for the new office.
Daddy Day Camp (2007)
Charlie Hinton and Phil Ryerson, close friends who formed a successful day care center partnership, purchase a camp site from their past. After being instigated by their wives to do so, Camp Driftwood becomes a business venture between the pair. An offshoot of their Daddy Day Care business, Charlie and Phil face insurmountable odds when renovating the site, while also competing with a nearby rival location. Camp Canola, ran by Charlie's rival named Lance, is a luxurious, successful, and thriving campsite, while Camp Driftwood requires a lot of work to restore the grounds to its former glory.
After various attempts, the duo find that they may face a bankruptcy process. Along with the plans for the upcoming Olympiad challenge event between the rival camps, Charlie and Phil become overwhelmed. Charlie approaches his estranged father, for help in returning the camp to its prestigious past reputation. Buck Hinton, a military veteran, seeks to help the pair, but is critical of his son and Phil. After various differences he leaves the camp, only a difficult reconciliation between father and son, so that Charlie won't disappoint the children and bring Buck back to the campgrounds. With the help of Buck, Camp Driftwood reveals that the competing team was cheating all along, and that they have for years. Camp Canola's trophies are destroyed, while every parent from that camp request to sign up for Camp Driftwood. Saving the pair from a foreclosure, the partnership looks forward to coming seasons with the sign-ons.
Grand-Daddy Day Care (2019)
Frank Collins is a best-selling author, who suffers from writer's block. While attempting to crack the story for his next novel he and his wife, Emma, struggle to pay their bills and make ends meet. Her hard-headed/former-convict and retired lawyer father, Eduardo, comes to stay with them. Finding it more difficult to entertain his father-in-law and attempt to write his next novel, Frank decides to invite over Eduardo's friends to keep him preoccupied. Their home filled with elderly seniors, falls into mischief. The Collins couple realize that they could be making money by hosting and monitoring these elderly individuals. Upon learning of the business being run from the house, a persistent social worker named Ned Tooley becomes determined to shut them down.
Eduardo uses his former law skills, to plan a course of action for Frank and Emma to stay in business. Together they purchase the established, but on hiatus, Daddy Day Care from Charles "Charlie" Hinton. Charles recounts his attempts at success with the business, cautioning them in the unfortunate life-events that may follow. After purchasing the company, they attempt to register and rebrand the establishment as "Granddaddy Day Care". Upon doing so, they learn that there is a waiting period. After being fined by the city, due to the social worker's analysis, the Collins couple struggle to earn enough money to pay their debtors and the fines. Eduardo, who has shown the early stages of dementia, decides to help them sue the city. In court they present their case that they were not issued any warnings, nor Mr. Tooley's observations of the things they must change to meet city code. The judge adjourns in favor of Granddaddy Day Care, and the company continues to grow and flourish. Frank, Emma, their son, and Eduardo grow closer as a family over and realize how blessed their lives are. Frank meanwhile, has a new idea for a book. After writing and publishing the story, based on his new elderly friends, the tome once again becomes a best-seller.
Main cast and characters
Character Films Daddy Day Care Daddy Day Camp Grand-Daddy Day Care Charles "Charlie" Hinton Eddie Murphy Cuba Gooding Jr. Da'Vone McDonald Phillip "Phil" Ryerson Jeff Garlin Paul Rae Kimberly "Kim" Hinton Regina King Tamala Jones Benjamin "Ben" Hinton Khamani Griffin Spencir Bridges Col. Buck Hinton Richard Gant Maxwell "Max" Ryerson Max Burkholder Dallin Boyce Becca Hailey Noelle Johnson Molly Jepson Jennifer "Jenny" Lacey Chabert Tony "the Flash" Jimmy Bennett Crispin Shane Baumel Jamie Elle Fanning Dylan Felix Archille Nicky Arthur Young Juliette Telise Galanis Robert Tad D'Agostino Jack Mayhoffer Talon Ackerman Billy Tyger Rawlings Carl Warner Taggart Hurtubise Mullet Head Zachary Allen Eduardo "Eddie" Hernandez Danny Trejo Frank Collins Reno Wilson Emma Hernandez-Collins Roxana Ortega Jordan Collins Anthony Gonzales Gabe Hal Linden Blanche Linda Gray "Big" Lou George Wendt Bonnie Julia Duffy Millie Margaret Avery "Dynamite" Dan North Barry Bostwick Arnold Garrett Morris Walter James Hong Annie Jayden Bartels Ms. Gwyneth Harridan Anjelica Huston Marvin Steve Zahn Bruce Kevin Nealon Dale Josh McLerran Uncle Morty Brian Doyle-Murray Lance Warner Lochlyn Munro Robert "Bobby J" Jefferson Warner Sean Patrick Flaherty Ned Tooley Alec Mapa Judge Littles Clint Howard Jack Quartermaine Ed Quinn
Additional crew and production details FilmCrew/Detail Composer Cinematographer Editor(s) Production companies Distributing company Running time Daddy Day Care David Newman Steven Poster Christopher Greenbury Columbia Pictures, Revolution Studios, Davis Entertainment Sony Pictures Releasing 1hr 32mins Daddy Day Camp Jim Dooley Geno Salvatori Michel Aller TriStar Pictures, Revolution Studios, Davis Entertainment, Blue Star Entertainment 1hr 40mins Grand-Daddy Day Care Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum Graham Robbins Heath Ryan Universal 1440 Entertainment, Revolution Studios, Pace Pictures Universal Pictures Home Entertainment 1hr 36mins
Reception
Box office and financial performance Film Box office gross Box office ranking Video sales gross Worldwide gross income Budget Total worldwide net income North America Other territories Worldwide All time North America All time worldwide North America Daddy Day Care $104,297,061 $60,136,806 $164,433,867 #690 #1,519 $164,433,867 $60,000,000 $104,433,867 Daddy Day Camp $13,235,267 $4,974,605 $18,209,872 #4,534 #5,687 $3,585,486 $21,795,358 $6,000,000 $15,795,358 Grand-Daddy Day Care $48,366 $48,366 >$48,366 Totals $117,532,328 $65,111,411 $182,643,739 x̅ #1,741.33 x̅ #2,402 $3,633,852 $186,277,591 ≥$66,000,000 $121,277,591
Critical and public response
Film Critical Public Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore Daddy Day Care 27% (131 reviews) 39/100 (31 reviews) A− Daddy Day Camp 1% (80 reviews) 13/100 (19 reviews) B Grand-Daddy Day Care (2 reviews)
References