Plot summary

In the small town of Dukesberry, New Hampshire, Davey Stone (voice of and resemblance to Adam Sandler), a 33-year-old alcoholic troublemaker with a long criminal record, is arrested for walking out on his bill at Mr. Chang's (Rob Schneider) Chinese restaurant and, while attempting to evade arrest ("Davey's Song"), destroying a giant Menorah/Santa ice sculpture. Davey is about to be sentenced to jail time when Whitey Duvall (Adam Sandler), a 70-year-old volunteer referee from Davey's former basketball league, intervenes and comes forward at his trial. The judge (Norm Crosby), at Whitey's suggestion, sentences Davey to community service as a referee-in-training for Whitey's Youth Basketball League. Under the terms of the community service, if Davey commits a felony before his sentence is completed, he will be sentenced to ten years in prison.The next day, Davey referees his first game, which ends in disaster. After Davey causes disruptions, Whitey suffers a Grand Mal seizure, and the game is abruptly brought to an end. Attempting to calm Davey down, Whitey takes him to the mall, where they meet single mom Jennifer Friedman (Jackie Titone, singing voice by Alison Krauss), Davey's childhood girlfriend, and her son, Benjamin (Austin Stout). Though Whitey reminds him that he lost his chance with her 20 years ago, Davey still finds himself attracted to Jennifer.As time progresses, Davey and Whitey's relationship becomes more contentious, as Whitey's various attempts to encourage Davey are met with humiliation and assault. Upon arriving home one night ("Long Ago"), Davey finds his trailer being burned down by a man who lost a bet to him. The bet was to score 5 points at a basketball game & Davey made the other guy eat his sweaty jockstrap when he lost the game.Davey runs into the burning trailer to rescue a Hanukkah card from his late parents, then watches the trailer burn down. Whitey opens his home to Davey, who reluctantly accepts the invitation; also living in the house is Whitey's bald, diabetic fraternal twin sister Eleanor (Adam Sandler). The Duvall household has many complex rules (referred to by Whitey as technical fouls), which prove themselves extremely irritating ("Technical Foul"). Despite this, he seemingly overcomes them, and begins to turn his life around.However, Davey's progress in reforming is halted when one morning Whitey recalls the events of Hanukkah twenty years ago: En route to one of Davey's basketball games, his parents' car was struck by an oncoming truck after it skidded on black ice. They were both killed, and Davey learned of their deaths when the police showed up at the end of his game to inform him. Davey withdrew from society and developed alcoholism, embarking on a life of juvenile delinquency and adult criminal behavior. Davey, uncomfortable with Whitey recalling the events of that day, loses his temper and scolds Whitey and insults him and Eleanor. As a result, Whitey revokes Davey's privilege to reside at his home.Davey spends the rest of the day drinking, and later that night breaks into the mall, which is closed. In a drunken stupor, he imagines the logos of various stores coming to life and confronting him about his inability to grieve for his parents, which they identify as the source of his alcoholism ("Intervention Song, aka Let It Out Davey"). He finally opens his parents' Hanukkah card, which contains a message praising him for being a good son. Davey breaks down and cries, finally coming to terms with his loss. Just then, the police arrive to arrest him, but Davey escapes and boards a bus to New York, just as the police are searching for him across Dukesberry. En route to the city, the bus is forced to stop when all eight tires are punctured by a single thumbtack in the road. Reminded of the Miracle of Hanukkah, Davey walks off the bus, intending to find Whitey and make amends.Davey finds Whitey at the All-Star Banquet, an annual town celebration in which one member of the community is recognized for positive contributions to Dukesberry. Despite having vied for the award for over thirty-five years, Whitey is once again passed over; he leaves in disgrace, intending to move to Florida, where he can live out the rest of his life in anonymity. Risking arrest, Davey enters the hall and informs everyone of the selfless contributions that Whitey has made to Dukesberry over the course of his life.Disgraced, the townspeople acknowledge the error of their decision ("Bum Biddy"). Davey leads the people to Whitey, who has gone to the mall to "speak to it" alone. The townspeople thank Whitey for his service over the years and the Mayor officially grants him the Patch Award. All 34 (one had won three) previous recipients of the awards give theirs to Whitey. Davey and Jennifer reconcile, and Whitey goes into a seizure, which he calls "the happiest seizure of my life!".