Release: Saving Yemen

 

Saving Yemen

Genre: Comedy

Director: Jeremiah Zagar

Writer: Jacob Jones

Cast: Adam Sandler, Reese Witherspoon, Jacob Tremblay, Miriam Spumkin, Kumail Nanjiani, Golshifteh Farahani

Budget: $60,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $150,503,995

Foreign Box Office: $46,194,112

Total Profit: $32,430,947

Reaction: Saving Yemen's numbers are almost the exact opposite of the last time writer Jacob Jones and star Adam Sandler teamed up - the dark comedy D.I.C.K. in Season 28. That movie lost $30 million at the box office compared to the $32 million earned by this one.

"Saving Yemen is a surprising and heartfelt comedy featuring Adam Sandler as Walter, a well-meaning but clueless father who drags his family into a dangerous adventure to Yemen. Sandler shines as the bumbling protagonist, while Reese Witherspoon adds some warmth and reason with her performance. The film does a decent, but not amazing, job balancing comedic elements with poignant moments that highlight humanitarian issues in Yemen. There are a lot of positives in this one, but Jacob Jones' script almost completely ruins everything with its overly saccharin conclusion. Despite its far-fetched premise, Saving Yemen manages to be amusing and surprisingly thought-provoking."  - Dave Manning, Ridgefield Press

"Almost everything in Saving Yemen is telling me that I shouldn't like this one. Its premise is extremely ridiculous and unrealistic even for a comedy movie. Its false endings and the breaking-the-fourth-wall-scene are things I would probably hate in most movies. It is suffering from white savior complex, who would have thought that all it needs so safe Yemen from a civil war is a white American family? But honestly I have to say that I enjoyed this one and wasn't bored for even a second. I would rather have more creative movies like this, than another uninspired novel adaptation. I thought at the very least it was very original, It probably won't win a GRA (who knows?) but it is as an easy and enjoyable watch." - Clark Chase, Chicago Sun-Times

"Reese Witherspoon and Adam Sandler shine as my top contenders for this season's LRFD GRAs best couple, but the film itself doesn’t quite measure up. Their chemistry keeps things engaging for a bit, but once the overly grounded plot kicks in, the hollowness underneath becomes hard to ignore. It’s an okay pick for a low-stakes Tuesday date night, but don’t expect it to leave a lasting impression." - George Overmyer, Baltimore Magazine

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language, and some violence