Mr. Deeds

Mr. Deeds is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Steven Brill, written by Tim Herlihy, and starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder with Peter Gallagher, Jared Harris, Allen Covert, Erick Avari, and John Turturro in supporting roles. It was a remake of the 1936 Frank Capra film "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", which itself was based on the 1935 short story "Opera Hat" by Clarence Budington Kelland.
Plot.
Multi-billionaire Preston Blake freezes to death upon reaching the top of Mount Everest. With no immediate heir, it is unclear who will inherit Blake's massive fortune. His board of directors discover that he has a living grandnephew named Longfellow Deeds, who runs a pizzeria in Mandrake Falls, New Hampshire, and also writes greeting cards. Deeds is flown to New York City by businessman Chuck Cedar, who temporarily controls Blake Media. Once Deeds arrives, plans are made for him to sell his shares in the company to Cedar and return home with $40 billion. Deeds remains in New York while the legal details are worked out.
The story is major news and reporter Babe Bennett, who works for a tabloid television show called "Inside Access", wants in on the inside story. She has co-worker Marty pretend to steal her purse in sight of Deeds, who "rescues" Babe. She then goes out with him pretending to be "Pam Dawson", a school nurse from Iowa. Though Babe initially just wanted a career-advancing story, she eventually falls for the unfailingly soft-hearted Deeds. During a dinner date at Madison Square Garden, "Inside Access", in concert with Cedar, reveals Pam's true identity to Deeds. Heartbroken, Deeds decides to return home to Mandrake Falls with assurances that the company will stay open in Blake's honor, and he donates his $40 billion to the United Negro College Fund.
After returning to Mandrake Falls, Deeds learns from his friend Crazy Eyes that Cedar intends to sell the company, causing thousands of employees to lose their jobs. Babe follows Deeds to Mandrake Falls to win him back. After saving her life when she falls through the ice over a lake, he rejects her, saying he does not really know who she is.
At a shareholders' meeting, Cedar has persuaded everyone to sell the company until Deeds, who has bought a single share, arrives and convinces everyone not to sell. However, Cedar controls a majority of the shares and the sale is approved. Babe arrives after having studied Blake's stolen diary and has determined Blake's longtime butler Emilio Lopez is actually his illegitimate son and the true heir as a result of an affair with his maid. Emilio immediately takes control of Blake Media and fires Cedar. Babe reconciles with Deeds after professing she loves him. Emilio thanks Deeds for his support and gives him a billion dollars.
Deeds spends some of his money on red Corvettes for everyone in Mandrake Falls, and returns to the pizzeria with Babe.
Production.
The producers were looking for a small, "old-fashioned, New England-type" town close to New York, when they serendipitously discovered New Milford, Connecticut, and, upon having lunch there at "The Bistro Cafe", decided the town would be the perfect choice to portray the fictional home-town of Deeds, Mandrake Falls, New Hampshire, and the cafe was a great location to use as "'Deeds' Pizza" restaurant. Some scenes were also shot in Carmel, New York. Several sequences were filmed in New York City around Spring 2001. Following the September 11th, 2001 attacks, images of the World Trade Center towers were digitally removed from several shots of New York City. The Blake Media Hotel scenes were shot in Beverly Hills, California. The scene where Longfellow Deeds and Chuck Cedar are playing tennis at the tennis court was filmed at Roosevelt Island, New York.
Reception.
Critical response.
"Mr. Deeds" received mainly negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 22% based on reviews from 153 critics, with an average rating score of 4.20/10. Its consensus states: "This update of Capra doesn't hold a candle to the original, and even on its own merits, "Mr. Deeds" is still indifferently acted and stale."
"Mr. Deeds" received three Razzie Award nominations including Worst Actor (Adam Sandler), Worst Actress (Winona Ryder) and Worst Remake or Sequel. However, the film also won a Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor (Sandler).
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.
Box office.
Though critically panned, the film was a major financial success. Box office: