Main Cast: Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken, Henry Winkler, David Hasselhoff
Release Year: 2006
Country: US
Run Time: 107 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
A workaholic architect, frustrated in his job but determined to make a better life for his family, is bestowed with a powerful universal remote that allows him more control over his life than he ever knew possible in director Frank Coraci's high-concept fantasy comedy. On the surface, Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) seems to have it all, yet with all the demands forced upon him by his ungrateful boss (David Hasselhoff), Michael finds that setting aside time to spend with his loving wife, Donna (Kate Beckinsale), and two picture-perfect children, Ben (Joseph Castanon) and Samantha (Tatum McCann), has grown increasingly difficult. When a frustrating bout with the television remote leads the overworked husband and father to a nearby Bed, Bath & Beyond in search of a universal remote with the power to control all of his electronic devices, a curious peek into the back room leads Michael into the company of eccentric employee and talented inventor Morty (Christopher Walken). It seems that Morty has created a device that will not only allow Michael complete control over his television and stereo, but his entire life as well. As Michael discovers that the remarkable device has the power to muffle the barks of the family dog, zoom himself past an irritating quarrel with his wife, and even allow him to travel back and forth through time to different points in his life, the rush of being able to skip straight to the good parts in life soon leaves him feeling as if he's missing out on the total experience. Only when Michael begins to realize that the he has lost control of his life and the remote is now programming him does he finally learn that life is as much about the moments he'd rather forget as it is the moments he will always remember. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Review
Since Adam Sandler had been coasting on a wave of schlock for several years, it was tempting to dismiss Click as just the latest instance of his man-child gimmickry. And there's definitely a bunch of HappyMadison shtick -- Rob Schneider as a Middle Eastern prince? -- to sift through before getting to the film's heart. But once you're there, it's hard to deny that it can be intelligent, even affecting. Click will never be confused for the 21st century's answer to It's a Wonderful Life, as it clearly wants to be. But the fact that it even toys with sincere self-examination makes it more mature than most Sandler flicks. However a viewer feels about the film's middle-ground "stop and smell the roses" message, director Frank Coraci and company earn points for execution. The high-concept ability to pause, rewind, and mute real life has taken surprisingly long to reach the big screen, and Click is a satisfying realization of that gestation period -- even when it's as predictable as Sandler watching a big-breasted woman jog in slow motion. Fully a comedic performer in this late stage of his career, Christopher Walken has wacko fun as the electrocution-haired inventor of the remote, while David Hasselhoff and Henry Winkler are hammy and heartbreaking, respectively. Almost forgotten, though doing a better job than she probably needed to, is Kate Beckinsale as the wife Sandler's Michael Newman would never deserve. Perhaps what's most surprising about this Sandler film is that Sandler himself isn't an essential ingredient. He does a decent job, but the ambitious script by Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe -- the team responsible for the similar Bruce Almighty -- does not require a performer like Sandler. If the ways Click diverges from Sandler's typical projects can get viewers past their prejudices, they may be surprised at how they're rewarded. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Julie Kavner - Trudy Newman; Jennifer Coolidge - Janine; Sean Astin - Bill; Jake Hoffman - Ben at 22-30 Years Old; Sophie Monk - Stacy; Rachel Dratch - Alice; Joseph Castanon - Ben at 7 Years Old; Tatum McCann - Samantha Newman; Katie Cassidy - Samantha at 27 Years Old; Jonah Hill - Ben at 17 Years Old; Lorraine Nicholson - Samantha at 14 Years Old; Cameron Monaghan - Kevin O'Doyle; Michelle Lombardo - Linda; Jana Kramer - Julie; Nick Swardson - Bed, Bath & Beyond Guy; Sid Ganis - Doctor Bergman; Michael Yama - Watsuhita Head Executive; Mio - Watsuhita Executive; Eiji Inoue - Watsuhita Executive; Toshi Toda - Watsuhita Executive; George K. Eguchi - Ancient Executive; Katheryn Cain - Kirsten; Frank Coraci - Male Nurse; John Pagano - Band Leader; Tim Herlihy - Doctor; Ireesha - Jogger; Emilio Cast - Michael at 10 Years Old; Elliot Cho - Ping Woo; Willy Goldstein - Lakeside Camp Boy; Lily Mo Sheen - Lakeside Camp Girl; Carolyn Hennessey - Kathy O'Doyle; Gary Holm - Fat Michael Body Double; Elena Patten - Samantha's Friend; Cheyenne Dean - Samantha's Friend; Alan Au - Ping Woo's Father; Ryan Keiser - Firecracker Teen; Christopher Gutierrez - Firecracker Teen; Nickole Reyes - Firecracker Teen; Brianne Davis - Firecracker Teen; Robert Jones - Firecracker Teen; Jenae Altschwager - Judy; Manish Goyal - Habeeboo Entourage; Marco Kahn - Habeeboo Entourage; Ahmad Jordan - Habeeboo Entourage; Jamil N. Hodaly - Habeeboo Entourage; Alireza Tanbakoochi - Habeeboo Entourage; Dolores O'Riordan - Singer; Sally Insul - Aunt Peggy; Nate Torrence
Credit
Alan Au - Art Director, Jeff Mossa - Art Director, Kevin Grady - Associate Producer, Roger Mussenden - Casting, Blake Neely - Conductor, Tania Landau - Co-producer, Ellen Lutter - Costume Designer, Josh King - First Assistant Director, Thomas A. Reilly - First Assistant Director, Frank Coraci - Director, Jeff Gourson - Editor, Barry Bernardi - Executive Producer, Tim Herlihy - Executive Producer, Lauri Pitkus - Location Manager, Ralph Colerman - Location Manager, Rupert Gregson Williams - Composer (Music Score), Michael Dilbeck - Musical Direction/Supervision, Brooks Arthur - Musical Direction/Supervision, Corina C. Duran - Makeup, Rick Baker - Makeup Special Effects, Bill Corso - Makeup Special Effects, Clinton Wayne - Makeup Special Effects, Jamie Kelman - Makeup Special Effects, Cinovation Studios - Makeup Special Effects, Justin Stafford - Makeup Special Effects, Kazuhiro Tsuji - Makeup Special Effects, Ian Fox - Camera Operator, Richard Merryman - Camera Operator, Michael Green - Camera Operator, Perry Andelin Blake - Production Designer, Jack N. Green - Cinematographer, Dean Semler - Cinematographer, Adam Sandler - Producer, Jack Giarraputo - Producer, Neal H. Moritz - Producer, Steve Koren - Producer, Mark O'Keefe - Producer, Cosmas Demetriou - Set Designer, Evelyne Barbier - Set Designer, Jeff Markwith - Set Designer, Hugo Santiago - Set Designer, Bill W. Benton - Sound/Sound Designer, Jeffrey J. Haboush - Sound/Sound Designer, Paul Eliopolus - Stunts Coordinator, Framework - Teleplay By, Daryl Kass - Unit Production Manager, Cheryl Quarantiello Schnitzler - Unit Production Manager, Steve Koren - Screenwriter, Mark O'Keefe - Screenwriter, Peter G. Travers - Visual Effects Supervisor, Tamara McDonough - Additional Editing, Patsy Bougé - Post Production Supervisor, Jason Tarnez - Production Coordinator, Tim Wiles - Properties Master, Jeff Butcher - Properties Master, Nancy Karlin - Script Supervisor, Marcei Brubaker - Second Assistant Director, Deanna Leslie Kelly - Second Assistant Director, John Hartigan - Special Effects Coordinator, David Bach - Supervising Sound Editor, Elmo Weber - Supervising Sound Editor, James Gilson - Chief Lighting Technician, Petr Hilinomaz - Chief Lighting Technician, David Elliott - Construction Coordinator, Valerie Zielonka - Costumes Supervisor, Nanxy Ton Heater - Key Hairstylist, Kathleen Freeman - Key Make-up, Gwen Everman - Production Accountant, Sony Pictures Imageworks - Visual Effects, Gary Fettis - Set Decorator, Chris Walkowiak - Special Effects Foreman, Thomas Real - Department Head Hair, Ann Pala Taylor - Department Head Makeup
Click is a 2006 American fantasy-comedy film directed by Frank Coraci and written by Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe. Click tells the story of Michael Newman, an overworked architect so wrapped up in his job because of his boss John Ammer that his family is forced to take the backseat. He gets a "universal remote" from an eccentric store clerk named Morty, and finds he can literally control the universe around him. It began filming in late-2005 and was finished by early-2006. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup. Click was released in North America on June 23, 2006 by Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios.
Sandler plays Michael Newman, an architect married to wife Donna, with two children, Ben and Samantha. One night, after Michael loses his temper at the amount of remote controls in the house, he goes in search of a universal remote control for his appliances. At a store named Bed Bath & Beyond he meets Morty, a "back room" clerk who happens to be an eccentricinventor who gives him a "universal" remote control and warns that it can never be returned.
The Click remote
To Michael's amazement, he finds out that the remote controls the universe, anticipating and interpreting his wishes. After some initial fun with it, Michael decides to skip to a promotion, but soon finds out he skipped a year of his life. Michael subsequently tries to destroy the remote, but it keeps regenerating. Certain parts of the plot are oh so loosely similar to the Charles Dickens Novel a Chirstmas Carol and its also loosely similar to the film Its Wonderful life.
Michael is fast-forwarded ten years into a nightmarish future where, although successful in his career, he is grossly overweight and lives alone. After an argument with Donna, Michael is then skipped a further six years, during which time his father Ted has died. Although he is a highly successful architect, Michael uses the remote to visit the last time he saw Ted, and discovers his insensitivity towards his father. During Michael's grief, Morty appears and reveals that he is the Angel of Death.
Fearing that Morty is about to attack him, Michael fast forwards seven years into the future. He arrives at Ben's wedding in 2030, and overcome with emotion, bursts an artery. Morty tries to persuade Michael that his life doesn't have to end yet. Michael dies in his son's arms, but not before telling his family of his love for them, and that "Family comes first".
There is a white flash, and Michael wakes up in the present day believing his misadventure to have been a dream. He makes amends with his parents and reassures Donna, Ben, and Samantha of his affection for them. After reading a note from Morty explaining his "second chance", Michael throws the remote in the trash.
Rotten Tomatoes reports that 31% of top critics gave the film a positive review, based on 161 reviews giving it a "Rotten" rating with an average score of 4.7 out of 10. Stating, "This latest Adam Sandler vehicle borrows shamelessly from It's A Wonderful Life and Back To The Future, and fails to produce the necessary laughs that would forgive such imitation." Metacritic gave it a score of 45 out of 100 which indicates "mixed or average reviews".
Box office
As of June 3, 2007, Click has grossed $137,355,633 in the United States and $100,325,666 elsewhere, with a total gross of $237 million
