9 Milestones in the Evolution of Adam Sandler
The Wedding Singer (1998)
Sandler wisely drifted a bit from his more unlikable adolescent characters to play Robbie Hart, a 1980s wedding singer. While the movie annoys with all-too-common '80s anachronisms (despite his film being set in 1985, Sandler makes a reference to Urban Cowboy -- which came out in 1980), a kindler, gentler, sweeter Sandler hinted at his gradual development as an artist.
Punch Drunk Love (2002)
"Sandler fans" hate P.T. Anderson's fourth feature; I remember hearing story after story of angry patrons walking out in disgust because this isn't the comedian who says, in a funny voice, "Want to touch the hiney!" Nevertheless, Punch Drunk Love is Sandler's best film and his best performance. Of course today it's almost as well-known for its vexing qualities -- the frustration that comes with knowing Sandler can pull off a role like this but for some reason (actually, we'll get to that) refuses to do so. This scene with Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the best thing that Sandler has ever been a part of.
Reign Over Me (2007)
In his most dramatic role to date, Sandler plays a man who lost his family on 9/11 and has drifted into an existence that is no longer in touch with reality or society. On the one hand he's great, and it's fun to watch him actually acting, but here's the problem: Usually a film that has Sandler's name attached to it is pretty much a guaranteed $100 million movie. Punch Drunk Love grossed just under $18 million and Reign Over Me only did slightly better at $19.6 million. In other words, Sandler "learned his lesson" and has pretty much stayed away from drama ever since.
Funny People (2009)
Sandler is terrific again trying to get in touch with his dramatic side. Alas, the film is awful: Sandler plays a famous actor who stars in hokey movies such as Merman and Astro-Not. In real life, Sandler will play both Jack and his twin sister Jill in an upcoming movie. If nothing else, at least Funny People gave us Yo Teach!
Grown Ups (2010)
This is what it's become. Still, if you're Sandler, can you really blame him? The guy has tried to make a few good films, and they've all tanked. Why should he continue to try when he can just hang out with his friends for a few weeks and shoot a movie that goes on to make $162 million? Of course it's frustrating to witness while knowing Sandler is capable of better, but, from his perspective, why bother if this is what people want?
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Comments
Whenever I hear Van Halen's 'Beautiful Girls' I wonder if Farley hadn't died if they ever would have made a movie about that Schmitt Gay beer commercial.
What, no mention of The Unsinkable Shecky Moskowitz?
The first time I remember thinking Sandler was maybe a little charming was in a horrible, horrible movie called "Mixed Nuts" that I actually had the misfortune of seeing in a movie theatre. I thought he was the best thing in the movie.
Nora Ephron, the other hand, wrote some witty, smart pieces for Esquire that are really worth reading, but she has really produced some dreck since she descended on the movies. Why she was allowed to continue to make movies after "Mixed Nuts" is beyond me, because she sure hasn't redeemed herself.
And yeah, I pretty much hated "Punch Drunk Love."
I, too, saw Mixed Nuts in a movie theater.
It's funny you bring up Funny People, because I feel like the posters for this Just Go With It are leftover designs from the joke movies in that.
Same way I'm convinced that Gulliver's Travels was just a really great Tropic Thunder viral marketing campaign.
I really loved Adam Sandler in "The Wedding Singer" and "You Don't Mess with the Zohan."
I really thought Spanglish was a great mix. Great actual acting job by Sandler, without being over the top dramatic. I think that's the model for him making films in the future that aren't real life versions of the mock movies in Funny People. (But then again, while Spanglish was more successful than Punch Drunk or Reign, it still only cleared $43 million on an $80 million budget)
A no talent hack. Period.
Seriously, PDL his best role, while Funny People is one you say is awful? PDL is terrible, its written poorly and makes Spanglish look like a classic. It has no charm and no draw beyond the Sandler takes on a serious role gimmick. Sure he showed his dramatic range but he needs a better director (yes Anderson is highly overrated). Frankly if I had to choose, I'd take the dreck that was Grown Ups over the pretentious garbage that was PDL any day. As for FP it was fantastic. You give credit to Sandler's attempt at a serious role in a shitty movie because its a drama, but hate on arguably his best film in a decade because it wasn't typical Apatow fare.
The reference in The Wedding Singer to Urban Cowboy wasn't an anachronism, since Urban Cowboy came out five years BEFORE The Wedding Singer takes place. I don't think you know what "anachronism" means.
He referenced it like it was still in theaters.
It means anything out of its proper time. If it's invoked as a contemporary, then it's an anachronism.
he pretty much always play the same guy even in the snider movie where snider is a werewolf or something and sandler is only in it for 30sec as some angry mob guy he's pretty much the same char as in all his own movies
but then again same deal with ben stiller
Agree. All his characters are ONE in the same character. Just twist your voice and talk funny. Can you say one trick pony?
Well, most of his movies are obviously meant for a younger crowd. They do what they do well, though. Happy Gilmore is so classic.
Price is wrong, bitch.
You should check out funny people or spanglish. Just because the film industry only lets him do one trick doesn't mean he is only a one trick pony.
The Waterboy was a glaring omission, Sandler's funniest movie in my opinion, and it had Henry Winkler to boot!
I agree with Stephanie...'The Waterboy' was probably his funniest movie, and I know everyone hates it, but 'Little Nicky' is still one of my favorites!
I wonder why no one ever mentions Spanglish when talking about Sandler - it's one of my favorite movies, and Sandler is terrific in it. I also didn't think Funny People was awful at all, but then, to each his own.
What about Going Overboard? I confronted him with this movie when I met him on the set of SNL, and he turned and walked away.
That is rude. He should not have walked away like this.
Even I feel that he could have confronted the situation.