Daddy Day Care (2003)

28% of critics liked it
(125 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(449,938 ratings)

Two fathers get a crash course in caring for kids other than their own in this family-friendly comedy. Charlie Hinton (Eddie Murphy) is an advertising executive whose job monopolizes his time, making it difficult for him to stay in touch with his young son, Ben (Khamani Griffin). However, after… More Two fathers get a crash course in caring for kids other than their own in this family-friendly comedy. Charlie Hinton (Eddie Murphy) is an advertising executive whose job monopolizes his time, making it difficult for him to stay in touch with his young son, Ben (Khamani Griffin). However, after Charlie and his partner, Phil (Jeff Garlin), are given their pink slips in the wake of a disastrous campaign for a new breakfast cereal, Charlie's wife, Kim (Regina King), goes back to work, and with the family budget tighter than before, Charlie becomes a stay-at-home dad. After pulling Ben out of an expensive and exclusive daycare center run by the humorless Gwyneth Harridan (Anjelica Huston), Charlie comes up with a brainstorm -- since he and Phil watch their own children every day, how much harder could it be to watch a few more kids and open their own day care center? Charlie and Phil discover there's much more to running a daycare center than they ever imagined, but after a very rough start, with the help of likable slacker Marvin (Steve Zahn) their new business becomes a success -- so much so that Harridan finds herself losing customers to the upstart fathers, and she starts searching for a way to shut them down. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: Steve Carr (III), Steve Carr
Written By: Geoff Rodkey
Genres: Comedy, Kids & Family

In Theaters: May 9, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Sep 23, 2003
Studio: Sony Pictures

Critic Reviews

Ed Park, Village Voice
[Murphy's] charming enough in this restrained mode.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
It's one of the worst movies of the year.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
Murphy is so oddly bland in Daddy Day Care that it seems like he sleepwalked through the making of the film.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Tepid attempt at comedy.
C.W. Nevius, San Francisco Chronicle
A harmless and amusing summer comedy.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Murphy looks comatose delivering the played-out poopy jokes.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Eddie Murphy in slapstick potty humor comedy.
James Plath, Reel.com
Anjelica Huston plays the heavy in this lightweight comedy that has the look and feel of a Disney live-action television show
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
My advice is to beat your children rather than take them to Daddy Day Care.
Daniel M. Kimmel, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Daddy Day Care just wants to make you laugh, and make your kids laugh too.
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
And while the movie is only a so-so comedy, the extras, in which the youngsters talk about themselves, about making the movie and about working with Eddie Murphy, are precious
Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel, 3BlackChicks Review
Someone needs a time-out to think about writing a better script.
Ian Waldron-Mantgani, UK Critic
It moves with such turgid lack of energy that I found myself wincing, trying to smooth over the rhythm with my imagination.
Mike Sage, Peterborough This Week
The kiddies will love every formulaic moment. Heck, they probably won't even care that quality thespian Angelica Huston is reduced to an embarrassing wreck.

Read all 14 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Directors C

[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img] Out of all the depressing, lowbrow, dark, idiotic, repugnant family movies Eddie Murphy has created and then cursed cinema with. This is just another one of them. It's a stupid, trashy however passable… More
[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img] Out of all the depressing, lowbrow, dark, idiotic, repugnant family movies Eddie Murphy has created and then cursed cinema with. This is just another one of them. It's a stupid, trashy however passable flick. I'm pretty sure I saw a glimmer of heart once or twice.
Lucas M

This can't be worse... right?!?! ... Oh wait!!!... they made a sequel?!?! Whole shit!!!!
Alexander D

Bad
Bethany M

Eddie Murphy is hilarious in this film!
erika b

Daddy day care is about 2 men who work at company that make breakfast food. When they tried to make the breakfast food healthier they got fired. Then they decide to open a day care center. The parents was uneasy about guys running a day care because they felt its the women's job… More
Daddy day care is about 2 men who work at company that make breakfast food. When they tried to make the breakfast food healthier they got fired. Then they decide to open a day care center. The parents was uneasy about guys running a day care because they felt its the women's job to do that kind of work. Will the dads show the world that guys can do that kind of work or will they fail? Pros Good plot Funny Con Acting was lacking. If you want a good family film u should give this a try.
Brad W

Not as stupid as the sequel but still awful
Richard C

D
Conner R

I will say that you can watch this movie without hating it or wanting to turn it off, but it is completely worthless and terrible at being an effective or even interesting kid's movie. I don't think much time was spent calculating a message besides the idea that men can… More
I will say that you can watch this movie without hating it or wanting to turn it off, but it is completely worthless and terrible at being an effective or even interesting kid's movie. I don't think much time was spent calculating a message besides the idea that men can watch kids. It's almost like Kindergarten Cop without the originality, charm and genre clash.
KJ P

I was laughing maybe 3 times! This film was sadly, poorly executed!
Anthony L

Saw it on TV, was so tired I couldn?t move, waste of an hour and a half!
Jason O

Interesting, funny, and charming movie about two fathers who decide to quit their nice jobs to start a daycare run by real life fathers. Critics hated it but most I know liked it
Thomas B

this movie is an annoying attempt by eddie murphy to make more money
Jennifer X

Milks the cute kids concept past all recognition. Outside of that it's all fart jokes and falling down.
Film C

it was ok it was funny it bits worth watching
Lewis C

I thought this was going to be horrible, but it was surprisingly decent.
Rachel F

Really funny movie.
Drew S

A massive failure of a comedy movie on all fronts. It's just not funny.
danny d

underrated, i liked this movie alot
Jason S

Poor Eddie.
Leigh R

Hilariously funny.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Eddie Murphy as Charlie Hinton

            Jeff Garlin as Phil

            Steve Zahn as Marvin

            Regina King as Kim Hinton

            Kevin Nealon as Bruce

            Jonathan Katz as Dr. Dan Kubitz

            Siobhan Fallon-Hogan as Peggy

            Elle Fanning as Jamie

            Lisa Edelstein as Crispin's Mom

            Lacey Chabert as Jennifer

            Michelle Krusiec as English Teacher

            Laura Kightlinger as Sheila

            Leila Arcieri as Kelly

            Anjelica Huston as Miss Gwyneth Harridan

            Khamani Griffin as Ben Hinton

            Cheap Trick as Themselves

            Dennis Cockrum as Marketing Guy

            Annabelle Gurwitch as Becca's Mom

            Wallace Langham as Jim Fields

            Mary Portser as Tony's Mom

            Roger E. Reid as Parks Employee

            Tracy Lynch Britton as Office Worker

            Don Winston as Marketing Guy

            Sonya Eddy as Waitress

            Fred Stoller as Job Counselor

            Makenzie Vega as Bridget

            Bess Meisler as Old Gypsy Woman

            Rachael Harris as Co-Worker Elaine

            Gary Owen as Mr. Carrott

            Parker McKenna Posey as Georgia

            McNally Sagal as Enraged Mom

            Mark Griffin as Co-Worker Steve

            Sloane Momsen as Beth-Anne

            Paul Anthony Reynolds as Marty

            Damani Roberts as German Speaking Boy

            Nathan Carter as Focus Group Kid

            Felix Achille as Dylan

            Brie Arbaugh as Jaime's Mom

            Shane Baumel as Crispin

            Jimmy Bennett as "The Flash"/Tony

            Joan M. Blair as Day Care Lady

            Max Burkholder as Max

            Connor Carmody as Duncan

            Timmy Deters as Tony's Brother

            Cesar Flores as Sean

            Bridgette Ho as Erin

            Hailey Johnson as Becca

            Kennedy McCullough as Jeannie

            Tara Mercurio as SAT Teacher

            Lisa Oliva as Marketing Girl

            Brian Palermo as Skeptical Father

            Susan Santiago as Sean's Mom

            Alyssa Shafer as Juel

            Kris Cruz Toledo as Interested Mom

            Arthur Young as Nicky

            Susan Martino
            
            Siobhan Fallon
            
            Telise Galanis
            
See full cast