Dirty Grandpa (2016)
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Dan Mazer's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- The incredible score for Dirty Grandpa was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
- Dan Mazer originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
Dirty Grandpa is a 2016 American comedy directed by Dan Mazer. Robert De Niro stars as Dick Kelly, a recently widowed retired Army Special Forces officer who manipulates his uptight, button-down grandson Jason, played by Zac Efron, into driving him to Daytona Beach for spring break โ ostensibly to pay respects at a veteran's memorial but actually to get drunk, smoke weed, and pursue college women, particularly a young woman played by Aubrey Plaza. The film's comedy was built on the disconnect between Robert De Niro's distinguished cinematic legacy and the relentlessly crude, sexually explicit humor his character engaged in โ a contrast that some audiences found hilarious and many critics found uncomfortable.
Aubrey Plaza's openly aggressive pursuit of De Niro's Dick provided the film's most quotable moments. Dirty Grandpa earned $104 million worldwide on a $11 million budget. The film demonstrated the Sandler comedy brand's reliable commercial appeal regardless of critical reception, confirming that ensemble comedy featuring recognizable stars remained a viable theatrical formula.
