Animated Chaos: "8 Crazy Nights"

"8 Crazy Nights" is an animated film that takes place in the winter in a small town called Dukesberry. It brings to life an emotionally disturbed and angry 32-year old named Davey (Voice of Adam Sandler). Davey is an alcoholic who frequently gets into trouble with the law.

At the very beginning of this film we see Davey at a local restaurant. He decides to leave without paying the bill. Obviously inebriated, he is arrested for not paying the bill. In court he is about to be sentenced to 10 years in prison for his repeated offenses. A local man named Whitey (Voice also by Sandler) comes to his rescue. Whitey used to be Davey's basketball coach, when Davey was a child. Whitey suggests that the judge let him take Davey under his wing. The judge agrees to give Davey yet another chance.

Whitey is a 4ft tall, old man, with white hair, and one foot bigger than the other. Whitey hobbles around like a penguin and lives with his twin sister Eleanor. Eleanor is a bald woman with the same disfigurement in her feet. She is very isolated and has not left her home for fear that children will take her wig.

Davey lives alone in a trailer. He is very bitter and lashes out at anyone that tries to befriend him. He does a lot of cruel things to Whitey throughout the film. At the beginning, he pushes Whitey into a porta potty and then pushes it over a hill. Luckily, Whitey gets a lot of help from some deer at various points in the movie.

When Davey was a child he had a friend named Jennifer. He used to be a good athlete and a well-behaved child. He distanced himself from Jennifer and everyone he knew after losing his parents to an accident right before Chanukah. Jennifer now has a young child named Benjamin. Davey likes Benjamin but Jennifer does not want her son hanging around Davey because she believes he is a bad influence.

With Chanukah and Christmas approaching, Davey is reminded of the tragic accident that took the lives of his parents. After playing a basketball game, Whitey took him home to find his trailer on fire. He managed to salvage the only thing that mattered to him, a card from his parents given to him by the police after their deaths. Whitey invited Davey to stay with him and his sister for a while and with no other option, Davey reluctantly accepted.

After living with Whitey and Eleanor, Davey begins to feel more comfortable and happy. Unfortunately that happiness is short lived. Whitey decides to recount the story of Davey's parents to Eleanor. Davey doesn't want the story retold. He lashes out and yells at Whitey telling him he has no chance of winning the "Spirit Patch," which is given to outstanding citizens for their contributions to Dukesberry. Whitey is very much hurt by his remarks and has been looking forward to receiving the patch for the past 35 years. Eleanor believes that the time has come for Davey to grieve and cry for the loss of his parents.

From this point forward we follow Davey to various places and watch as he finally comes to terms with what happened so many years ago. We also find out that when Whitey does not receive the "Spirit Patch" Davey decides to right a wrong and confronts the people of Dukesberry. Thanks to Davey, Whitey finally gets his wish.

Overall, this cartoon contains raw humor not suitable for children. It's full of adult content and some scenes are just plain vulgar. It's a musical but the songs were done distastefully. Despite the flaws of "8 Crazy Nights," it does carry an important message. If you are a fan of Adam Sandler or SNL you'll love this film 100%. If you aren't, whether or not you'll enjoy this film really depends on your sense of humor.