About the Story
Paul Blart (Kevin James) is a middle-aged, single dad who lives with his teenage daughter, Maya (Raini Rodriguez), and elderly mother, Margaret (Shirley Knight). Though he aspires to become a member of the New Jersey State Police, his hypoglycemic medical condition gives him a tendency to collapse and causes him to fail the entrance exam, and Blart has settled on a security guard position at the West Orange Pavilion Mall in New Jersey.
Taking his responsibility as a mall cop very seriously, he executes a strict, daily routine and patrols the mall riding on a Segway, an electric vehicle that requires good balance and control. On patrol one day, Blart notices a new kiosk in the mall and feels an instant attraction to its vendor, Amy Anderson (Jayma Mays), though he has a hard time finding the courage to speak to her. Meanwhile, Blart has been given the assignment of training a new rookie, Veck Simms (Keir O’Donnell), who does not show much interest in his newfound position as a mall security guard.
Blart eventually becomes acquainted with Amy, and one evening as he escorts her to her car, Amy invites him to join her and other mall employees at a restaurant later that evening. Blart gladly accepts. During the event, things initially go well, but Blart gets sidetracked when he decides to participate in a nacho-eating contest with an overweight friend, Leon (Jamal Mixon). The hot sauce is more than Blart can handle, and he begins chugging other customer’s drinks nearby in an effort to console the pain. Many were alcoholic, and as a result, Blart gets excessively drunk and incoherent, crashes the party, and makes a wild exit by falling through a window. The behavior puts a damper on his relationship with Amy.
Two days later on the morning of Black Friday, an organized gang of criminals disguised as Santa’s Little Helpers begin what appears to be a bank heist inside the mall. They take Amy and other customers in line hostage. Veck, the rookie security guard, is revealed as the gang’s leader, apparently using the job to gain intelligence on the mall’s security. It is discovered that his real plans go beyond robbing a bank: he plans to use credit card codes obtained from various stores around the mall to steal $30 million, while keeping the hostages as insurance for the gang’s escape. The crew forces shoppers to exit the mall and strategically places motion sensors around each entrance to detect any attempt by law enforcement to enter the building.
Production notes provided by Columbia Pictures.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Starring: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Shirley Knight, Raini Rodriguez, Stephen Rannazzisi, Adam Ferrara
Directed by: Steve Carr
Screenplay by: Kevin James, Nick Bakay, Steve Pink
Release Date: January 16, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG for some violence, mild crude and suggestive humor, and language.
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $146,336,178 (81.1%)
Foreign: $34,109,235 (18.9%)
Total: $180,445,413 (Worldwide)