That's My Boy

In 1984, a 13-year-old named Donny Berger made headlines when he had sex with his hot teacher. The result? A son, Todd, whom Donny raised as a single dad until Todd turned 18. Fast forward to 2012: Donny is broke and washed up, while Todd is a successful financial advisor about to marry his dream girl. Then Donny crashes back into Todd's life, threatening to expose a secret that could ruin the wedding. Directed by Sean Anders, this raunchy comedy stars Adam Sandler as the perpetually immature Donny and Andy Samberg as his straight-laced son. Leighton Meester plays Todd's fiancée Jamie, with Will Forte as her uptight father. Produced by Happy Madison for $70 million, the film grossed just $57 million worldwide and earned a low 5.8/10 rating on TMDB. It's a typical Sandler vehicle: crude humor, awkward reunions, and a heavy dose of sentimentality.[edit]

Donny Berger, a 13-year-old in 1984, becomes a national sensation after having a sexual relationship with his sixth-grade teacher, Mary McGarricle. When she becomes pregnant and is sent to prison, Donny raises their son, Todd, as a single father. The scandal makes Donny a minor celebrity, but his fame fades quickly.

Twenty-eight years later, Donny is a washed-up, middle-aged man living in a rundown apartment. He drinks heavily, wears leather jackets, and clings to his brief moment of fame. He is broke and unemployed. Meanwhile, Todd has completely reinvented himself. He is a successful financial advisor in Connecticut, engaged to Jamie, a woman from a wealthy family. Todd has changed his name, buried his past, and told Jamie that his father is dead.

The central conflict ignites when Donny, facing a massive tax debt, learns that Todd is getting married. Desperate for money, Donny crashes the wedding preparations, threatening to reveal the truth about their relationship if Todd doesn't help him financially. Todd is horrified, he has built a perfect life on lies, and Donny's presence threatens to expose everything.

The story follows Donny's chaotic arrival at the wedding weekend. He meets Jamie's family, including her uptight father Phil and her muscular, dim-witted brother Chad. Donny's crude behavior and inappropriate comments create constant tension. He drinks too much, hits on Jamie's friends, and tells embarrassing stories about Todd's childhood. Todd tries desperately to keep Donny away from the wedding while simultaneously managing his own anxiety about his fiancée and her family discovering his secret. Donny, however, is not easily deterred. He befriends the family priest, Father McNally, and forms an unlikely bond with Jamie's grandmother. The film builds toward the wedding day, with Donny's presence becoming increasingly difficult to hide.

Throughout the film, flashbacks to 1984 show the original scandal and Donny's early years raising Todd. These scenes establish the deep, if dysfunctional, bond between father and son. The central question becomes whether Todd will accept his father or continue hiding his past.[edit]