You Get What You Give: Big Daddy Energy

Lauren Nixon-Matney • March 1, 2026
You Get What You Give: Big Daddy Energy

New Radicals: You Get What You Give

Film: Big Daddy

Retro pixel art illustration of a girl watching a vintage television displaying “You Get What You Give,” inspired by Big Daddy and the New Radicals song. A pixel dachshund rests on the floor beneath a starry night sky, part of the Searching for Stars series.

The first time I saw Big Daddy, I was sprawled out on the carpet at Carl’s house, watching a rented Blockbuster VHS spin its magic on the screen. I was a kid. The world was still big and weird and confusing but that movie? That movie made it all feel a little warmer, a little funnier, and a lot more human.


I laughed through most of it. Cried at the end. Fell in love with Adam Sandler a little more than I already was. And honestly? I never looked back.


To this day, Big Daddy is one of my all time favorite films. It’s one of Jamie’s, too. We still quote it, still love it, still share it. We even had a dog (Frankenstein Julian) named after the kid in the movie. Because of course we did. You don’t watch a scene like that and not want to name something Frankenstein.


Adam Sandler is probably my favorite actor… and full disclosure if I’m being honest quite likely my top former celebrity crush. I love his whole essence—the basketball shorts, the absurd fashion, the way he can carry a jar of pickles with heart. He’s the guy who makes being silly look soulful. The guy who makes loving people look easy. He’s got this weird magic where one minute he’s throwing sticks in the park, and the next, he’s raising someone else’s kid with more heart than half the dads in the PTA.


And the ending, I mean come on seriously. That final scene. Julian’s birthday, Hooters, heartstrings tugged just enough and boom... you’re sitting there with a smile on your face, maybe tears in your eyes, and the music just lifts you. It was already a great track. But paired with that moment? so good!  The film knows how to handle a soundtrack, plus the trailer is so fantastic. In comes New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give.” The perfect bridge track. Bright, bittersweet, bigger than life. The songs message really seems to meet the energy of the film.


Oh and let us not forget Styx!


“And he taught me that Styx was one of the greatest American rock bands, and they only caught a bad rap because most critics are cynical assholes.”


Honestly? Can’t argue with that logic. Styx is amazing.


And here’s the thing: I used to laugh at that Styx line in Big Daddy. It was funny, sure. But then I saw them live, at The Woodlands, with my dad and Jamie. It was, hands down, the best live performance I’ve ever seen. They covered I Am the Walrus and it blew my entire brain out of my body. The lights, the sound, the joy it was next seriously level. And standing there in that moment, with two people I love, it didn’t feel like a joke anymore. It felt true. Styx really was one of the greatest American rock bands. End of story.


Of course there are also some other great jams sprinkled throughout the film… tracks by Guns N’ Roses, Garbage, and more.


“When I Grow Up” by Garbage blasts through the opening credits as Sonny sleepwalks through adulthood, dropping cereal, dodging phone calls, and pretending his law degree isn’t collecting dust somewhere in the apartment. It’s gritty and ridiculous and kinda sad. But that’s what makes it honest.


The song doesn’t say, “When I grow up I’ll be perfect.” It says, “When I grow up, I’ll be stable. When I grow up, I’ll turn the tables.”

It’s sarcastic, sure. But it’s also low-key hopeful. An anthem for anyone who’s ever felt like a late bloomer or a beautiful disaster in progress.


There’s this feeling that runs through the whole movie, under all the jokes and chaos… a heartbeat that says: you’ve got the music in you. Even when you don’t feel it yet.


And somewhere between the Garbage song, a trip to Hooters, a passionate courtroom defense of Styx and those final end scenes it becomes clear: this movie wasn’t just a favorite it was a little compass. A way to grow up with humor, stay soft in a tough world, and believe in second chances.


Let’s just go ahead and say it: Adam Sandler is a national treasure. Period. End of story. The man walks around in basketball shorts, mismatched shirts, and sandals with socks like it’s a full-time job and somehow, he still radiates more charm than half of Hollywood in a tux.


He’s funny in that effortless, offbeat, lovable way. But it’s more than that. There’s a kindness that slips through the cracks of his goofiness. That’s what hit me with Big Daddy. Yeah, he was immature. Yeah, he let a five-year-old dress himself for court. But the guy had heart. And that heart only got bigger as the movie went on.


That’s Sandler magic. The way he plays Sonny like a guy who doesn’t have it all figured out, but loves hard anyway that stuck with me. Still does. There’s something timeless about characters who choose love, who stumble toward it clumsily, and end up better for it.


Big Daddy isn’t just about parenting or growing up, it’s about finding your rhythm. 


And in real life? His persona seems the same way. Married forever. Loving father. 

(Fun fact: I read he actually met Jackie his wife through filming Big Daddy and Rob Schneider. She had a tiny role as a Hooters waitress, and they started dating right after filming.)


Word is, he’s always casting his actual kids and friends in his movies. Staying loyal to the weird little family he’s built over the years. He’s the kind of celebrity who makes you feel like maybe there’s a little more good in the world than we give it credit for. Like maybe you really can wear gym shorts to any occasion and name your dog Frankenstein Julian.


Because we did. We really did. Well the dog name part at least! Frankie was one of our most beloved pets, son of Matilda and Atticus, named after the moment Julian got to rename himself. And there was just something about that moment, that spirit. Choosing who you want to be. Giving yourself a name. Finding family in unexpected places.


I was just a kid when I saw it for the first time, and somehow it still feels like a blueprint. Love people, even if you’re a mess. Laugh through it. Dance in the living room. Let your kid dress like a superhero. Don’t take things too seriously. Defend Styx in public.


Because yeah, sometimes life really is just taking out the trash and singing to yourself, trying your best not to lose your mind. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, it ends with someone hugging you in a wing restaurant, while New Radicals plays in the background and everything feels weirdly perfect.


That’s the thing about movies like this. They sneak in under your skin. They grow up with you. They stick.


Time evolves, love grows and 

now we have our sweet Gracie.

Always dancing, always tapping her feet to the beat, like she was born with music in her bones.

You’ve got the music in you.

She really does.

And I hope she always keeps it… that spark, that rhythm, that joy.

I hope she and her brother and sister always know that they are part of this strange, beautiful soundtrack.

The one that keeps playing, even after the credits roll.



Because sometimes Cinematic Embers are made of Blockbuster rentals, VHS tapes, a dog named Frankenstein and one perfect song that reminds you, right in the middle of the chaos: you get what you give.


Retro pixel art dachshund designed like a collectible card with “Searching for Stars” text, inspired by the Big Daddy tribute piece “You Get What You Give.”

RESUME THE RHYTHM:

DRIFT THROUGH A CONSTELLATION OF MEMORY

Searching For Stars

By Lauren Nixon-Matney July 5, 2026
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By Lauren Nixon-Matney July 5, 2026
My favorite literary phrase of all time is spoken by Josephine March, written by Louisa May Alcott in Little Women. “I like good, strong words that mean something.” You, my dear, you say good, strong words that mean something. You put good, strong words that mean something into the world, and I thank you so very sincerely for that. You have made such an incredible impact on my life, and on my outlook on beauty and aging. ⸻ I stumbled across your incredible fashion sense on Instagram and was completely hooked on your vibe. I absolutely love fashion. I always have. I’ve definitely had my own kind of zany style over the years. So when I saw you, I was like, OK, yes, she is amazing. I love this energy. ⸻ The way you put things together, the confidence, the energy, it makes you wanna get up, go into your closet, and actually enjoy getting dressed again. And for a woman approaching 40, who’s had three children and has had many of her own struggles with who am I, what’s my fashion, what’s my energy, or what’s my style, You just felt so damn refreshing and inspiring. So I hung around, but what really hooked me wasn’t just the style, it was you, the essence of you. The way you talk, the honesty, the fact that you just say things straight, no fluff, no sugarcoating, no trying to be anything other than exactly who you are.. and somehow that makes everything you say sound even more profound. ⸻ The impact your message was having in my life became undeniable. It wasn’t just something I watched for enjoyment anymore, it was something I actually began feeling, and carrying with me. I grew up in a time where it felt like there was an expiration date on women. Like if you didn’t fit into a certain mold, or size, or type… your worth somehow became less. And then life happens. You grow up. You age. Maybe have kids. Your body changes. Your priorities change. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, you can kind of lose your sense of… who am I now? What’s my style? Who am I supposed to become? Am I too late for something? What even feels like me anymore? So for a while, I think I actually bought into that idea without even realizing it. The idiodic notion that maybe I had passed some invisible point where things were supposed to quiet down. Tone down. Fit into something more “acceptable.” Or the grand illusion that I was out of time to follow my passions! But watching you… that narrative just started to fall apart. The way you show up, the way you speak, the way you move through the world so fully as yourself… it made me realize that aging isn’t something to fear or shrink from. If anything, it’s where things start to get really good. It’s where you get bolder. More comfortable. More you. More beautiful. ⸻ What you’re doing matters so much. The way you show up, the way you speak, the way you fully own who you are, it doesn’t just stay on a screen. It carries through pixelated waves. It reaches people like me, in real life, in real moments, and shifts something quietly but powerfully within us. So I just wanted to say thank you. For your honesty, your energy, your style, your voice… all of it. You have inspired me, Searching for Stars, and undoubtedly countless women all over the world more than words can truly translate. Thank you, for being you!
By Lauren Nixon-Matney May 6, 2026
Okay, so I asked God for a sign this week… and I didn’t make it easy on Him. I had just seen this video about asking for a sign, about how God answers, about how He delights in it… and something in me just… recognized that. Like, oh. I’ve felt that before. Lindsey, it was your video. And the second I heard it, I remembered something. I remembered a time, years ago, back in that early, foggy, pinkless season of motherhood, when I had asked for a sign too. I had prayed, really specifically… really honestly… “God, just show me I’m okay. Show me I’m on the right path.” And I asked for a blue butterfly. I didn’t see it right away. I waited. I wondered if I had imagined the whole idea in the first place. And then, not long after, life moved us somewhere new. A new place, new energy… the kind of move that feels exciting and terrifying all at once. They handed us the keys… and right there on them… was a blue butterfly. And I remember feeling that same quiet recognition. Like… okay. And then, a couple months after that, with prayers inside us building for a second child, we went to a park. One of those ordinary days that turns into something you don’t forget. And there were butterflies everywhere. Hundreds of them. Yellow, filling the air, lifting all at once like something out of a dream. And right in the middle of it… one blue butterfly. I just stood there, overwhelmed, because I knew. I knew I had been heard. Nearly one year to the day later, our second child was born. And then… life kept moving. Time passed. Things got busy. Full. Loud. Beautiful… but a little hazy, too. Somewhere along the way, I think I stopped asking like that. Fast forward. I’m sitting with my kids on New Year’s Eve, going into 2025, talking about goals and dreams. The kind of things you say out loud but don’t always fully claim. “I’ve always wanted to write.” And my daughter, so sure, so certain, just looked at me and said, “Then make it your New Year’s resolution.” And something about the way she said it… she didn’t question it. she didn’t overthink it. She just… believed it was possible. So I did. I started building something I’ve carried in pieces since I was in high school. Old notebooks, scattered thoughts, songs, memories… things I’ve never really known how to explain out loud. And for the first time, it felt like someone actually got it. So I got to work. Writing with a baby asleep on my chest… voice notes, typed drafts, music playing in the background… piecing together old memories with new ones. And I love it. I really do. But if I’m being honest… I started to wonder. Is this meaningful? Is this worth the time? Is this something good… or just something I want? And more than anything… I wanted to know if it was something God saw as good. Not just something that looked meaningful… but something that was. So I sat down, quietly, and I prayed. And I said, “God, if this is something I’m supposed to keep building… if I’m on the right path… if this is your will for me… please just show me. Give me a sign.” And I paused… because I knew I couldn’t ask for something easy. I had asked for butterflies before and blue jays have been unusually common in our backyard lately. I needed something specific. Something I wouldn’t just brush off. I looked over… and saw this little pink and white poodle sitting on my daughter’s shelf. And I laughed a little and said, “Okay God… show me a poodle.” almost sarcastically thinking… well, this one’s going to take a little more effort. But of course… Not even 48 hours later, we ran into Burlington. We were just there to grab socks and shoes for my toddler, her sandals were bothering her. Quick in, quick out. We ended up wandering a little. We’re headed to checkout… and my husband steps down an aisle, picks something up, and goes, “Okay, I know this is ridiculous… but we need this for the office.” And he had no idea. Nothing about my prayer. Nothing about the poodle. I’m barely paying attention yet. And then he turns it around. It’s a painting. Of a poodle. Not just a poodle… a poodle in a full business suit… sitting at a desk… reading a newspaper. I just… stopped. A business professional poodle, for the office we’re building together, a space where I can write. Like everything in me went quiet for a second. Because of all the things in the world I could have asked for… of all the ways that prayer could have been answered… it was that. I remember thinking, smiling, fighting back tears of joy… of course it is. Because I had asked for something specific. And apparently… He has a sense of humor. Also, just to make sure I didn’t miss it… because let’s be real, God definitely knows how to show out… the very next place we went… was Petco. And there was this real poodle. Then again. And again. Every aisle I turned… I kept running into it. And that feeling came back. The same one from before. Quiet. Certain. seen. beloved. Lindsey… Thank you so much, you reminded me to ask. You reminded me that God doesn’t just hear us… He answers. Not always in big, overwhelming ways… but in ways we’ll recognize. In ways that feel personal. Specific. Sometimes even funny… like they were meant just for us. And Lindsey… I just want you to know how much I appreciate all of what you’re doing. Your energy, your humor, the way you show up so fully as yourself… it matters more than you probably realize. You make people laugh, you make motherhood feel seen, and you bring light into spaces that can feel heavy sometimes. But there is also so much more than that… God really radiates through you. In the way you speak, in the way you encourage, in the way you remind people to keep going and to keep believing. It’s powerful. And it’s beautiful to witness. What you’ve created with “get your pink back”… that message, that reminder… it’s reaching people. It’s lifting people. It’s giving something back to women who feel like they’ve poured everything out. And that matters. It really does. I’m so grateful I came across your video when I did. And I’m really looking forward to everything you create next… especially your writing. You’re doing something good here. Keep going. Please never stop casting your light into the world… it really does break through the darkness.
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