"Chock full of his "Dr. Doolittle" charm, Eddie Murphy's back with this fun-filled family entertainment. There's a delightfully paternal atmosphere despite the inevitable poop and potty jokes." Susan Granger SUSANGRANGER.COM

"It's pitched at kids, but adults will be guffawing too." Jay Boyar ORLANDO SENTINEL "Delivers many well-deserved satirical swipes at elitist day care operations that engineer small children for success in the competitive marketplace." Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH "There's an undeniable sweetness to the film as well as a surprising emotional depth to the relationships formed between the characters." Michael Elliott MOVIE PARABLES "Easy-on-the -sensibilities family film." Desson Howe WASHINGTON POST

"Daddy Day Care is a kid flick that's been kitted out with a lot of grown-up smart-assness the better to broaden its appeal to audiences who weren't born in the '90s." Susannah Gora PREMIERE MAGAZINE "To expect magnificence would have been futile; I was perfectly willing to settle for entertaining." Mike McGranaghan AISLE SEAT "The most surprising thing about Daddy Day Care is how entertaining it is, despite the juvenile humor and laughably predictable storyline." David Nusair REEL FILM REVIEWS "Kids are the target of Daddy Day Care's broad humor, and the movie hits that mark." Sue Pierman MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

Inside Story Things haven't gone all that well lately for Eddie Murphy but if "Daddy Day Care" is anything to go by, he may just be on his way back up the ladder of success at the box office. And Murphy certainly is not superstitious either. Remember that old saying "Never work with animals or children"? Well Murphy has made his mark with both. After wowing everyone with Dr Dolittle 1 & 2 he's now taken to sharing the limelight with a bunch of the most loveable, cutest kids in his latest film "Daddy Day Care". As a grandpa with six grand kids I found much to laugh about with all the hijinx and 'innocence' these young stars exhude in the presence of the 'star grown-ups'. The first thing that springs to mind is where did they find them?
Director Steve Carr provided the answer to that question. "Kids are great mimics," says Davis, "the trouble is that those skills usually don't manifest themselves until kids are six or seven years old. The kids we needed had to be four years old and capable of a variety of emotions. Consequently, we saw thousands of kids. We looked all over the country. I thought it was important that they all have really different personalities and that all those personalities meshed. Fortunately, they did."
Eddie Murphy who plays Charlie Hinton in the film was equally as impressed. "It was wonderful to see these four-year-olds quickly grasp how a movie is made," he said. "They completely understood the process. When the camera was off they'd be playful, then once the scene started, they got right into performing." And what about Khamani Griffin who plays his Charlies son Ben? "He's definitely a natural," says Murphy.
Murphys onscreen wife is played by actress Regina King was also impressed with Griffin, "He was a very smart boy, already able to read at four and pick up on the nuances of acting. At one point he noticed that, just before Eddie starts filming a scene, he clears his throat. And soon he was doing it too."
Anjelica Huston plays a baddie in "Daddy Day Care". She is cast as the director of a strict by the book child care centre which resembles a military style operation. She reveled in the chance to play a baddie but was impressed with the kids. "You could see the talent and it was spontaneous," she says. "They came up with stuff you couldn't have given them." And how did they affect her 'bad' image? "One of the things about playing an evil character, especially in a movie with young children is that I didn't want to walk on the set and have them be afraid of me," she says. "So I worked extra hard off-camera to have a relationship with them. The children were tremendously responsive. I think they developed a soft spot for Miss Harridan.
So how did having a bunch of kids on the set affect the production of "Davddy Day Care"? "They got their nap time, time to drink their milk, time to play Gameboy," says Zahn. "They have a union and it's strong. I wish my union were as strong. I didn't get to have a naptime."
There's a big difference between the fun and style of the "Daddy Day Care" child caring philosophy and the strict overbearing attitude at the exclusive Chapman Academy run by Miss Gwyneth Harridan. Was that a reflection of real life child care or just a theme in the construction of the films story? . "A lot of kids are being forced earlier and earlier to develop skills and specialize themselves," says writer Geoff Rodkey who went on to explain, "It's all geared toward getting them into the right college. As a result, four and five-year old kids are getting overscheduled - karate class, computer class and linguistics. We thought we would have some fun with that." While producer John Davis thinks "Chapman, like so much of our society, is terribly result- oriented. It's all about overachievement, whereas 'Daddy Day Care' is happy to let kids be kids for a while longer. They have their whole lives to be what they're supposed to be. When they're young, they should be stimulated in a fun way." Carr adds, "The message is that if you listen to your kids they're going to tell you what they want to learn about and the experience is going to be much more fulfilling than if you make assumptions as to what their education should be about." And according to King, "kids need structure, but they also need fun and physical activity, because that makes their brain stronger as well."
And finally, what did the adult star of "Daddy Day Care" think? "Every kid is different. Some need more structure than others. But he concedes, given the choice between Chapman Academy and his child-care facility, "my preference would be a day care center like 'Daddy Day Care,' where it's loose and fun." I am sure that, after seeing "Daddy Day Care", there will be plenty of adults and kids alike who will say 'amen to that'. At a glance - Cast & crew "Daddy Day Care" is Directed by Steve Carr ["Dr Dolittle 2 " & "Next Friday"] and stars Eddie Murphy ["Vampire in Brooklyn", "Trading Places", "The Distinguished Gentleman" & "Bowfinger"], Jeff Garlin ["Robo Cop", "The Love Bug" & "Full Frontal"], Steve Zahn ["Saving Silverman" & "Road Kill"], Regina King ["Mighty Joe Young" & "Jerry Maguire"], Siobhan Fallon ["Dancer in the Dark" & "Forrest Gump"] and Anjelica Huston ["Blood Work", "Golden Bowl","The Crossing Guard" & "The Grifters" ]. The Story

"If you're ready for a lighthearted comedy with a darling cast of cute kids, a funny buddy duo and great kid-friendly entertainment, then this is your movie!" Holly McClure CROSSWALK.COM MOVIES

Charlie and Phil are two hardworking dads who are about to find themselves out of work. It seems they've been made redundant. With time on their hands and no prospects on the horizon, life is looking very gloomy indeed. That is until Charlie starts seeing things differently. With only one income to budget from some things will have to go and top of the list is placing his son in the exclusive Chapman Academy run by its military style director Gwyneth Harridan. The guys are floundering at home, their lost little sheep. Until Charlie gets a brain wave. Why not start their own child care centre and do it from home. It can't be that hard. The guys are about to find out just how hard it can be. I mean, how much trouble can ten supervised children get up to? Lots it seems. Somehow the guys overcome everything that the kids throw at them. The Daddy Day Care Centre it seems is starting to succeed. The boys may be feeling pretty good about their apparent success but Gwyneth Harridan is not. She's determined the guys will come crashing down and Gwyneth Harridan is prepared to use every dirty trick in the book to ensure the demise of the Daddy Day Care Centre. The Verdict "And they say, "never work with animals or children"! Murphy, Garlin and Zahn mix well with the cute kids in "Daddy Day Care". Sufficient belly laughs and lots of hijinx makes "Daddy Day Care" such great fun to watch. Anjelica Huston's sensational as the hard as nails baddy, Gwyneth Harridan. "Daddy Day Care" has a distinct appeal that will suit just about everyone, no matter what their age may be. A loveable, slick, flick." The Cast & Crew

Eddie Murphy Anjelica Huston Hailey Noelle Johnson Susan Santiago Leila Arcieri Joan M Blair Lacey Chabert Elle Fanning Jeff Garlin Brie Hill Arbaugh Laura Kightlinger Regina King Michelle Krusiec Parker McKenna Posey Sloane Momsen David Powledge Paul Anthony Reynolds Makenzie Vega Steve Zahn

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Charlie Hinton Miss Gwyneth Harridan Becca Sean's Mom Kelly Trailer Park Daycare Owner Jenny Jamie Phil Jamie's Mom Sheila Kim English Teacher Georgia Beth-Anne Mr Carrot Marty Bridget Marvin

Directed by Steve Carr Assistant Director Donald L Sparks Original Music by David Newman Cinematography by Steven B Poster Film Editing by Christopher Greenbury Casting by Juel Bestrop & Jeanne McCarth Production Design by Garreth Stover Art Direction by Chris Cornwall Set Decoration by Maggie Martin & Chris Spellman Costume Design by Ruth E Carter Production Management Stephen Lim Run Time 93 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2003 - Columbia Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright ©2003 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved