Adam Sandler has one of the most frustrating career arcs of any actor working today. Maybe it would have been better if Punch Drunk Love were never made. Then we wouldn't know what Sandler is capable of and movies like this weekend's Just Go With It wouldn't be half as disappointing. On the other hand, audiences seem to just love it when he phones it in... so why even try? You can always trace a direct line through a handful of important roles (if not always the best roles) to illustrate what led to an actor's current success -- and/or give us a clue why something like Just Go With It exists, As such, let's look at eight performances that trace the evolution of one Adam Richard Sandler.
The Cosby Show (1987)
Sandler, in his first role, plays Smitty, a classmate of Theo Huxtable -- not too shabby a debut on one of the most popular television shows in the world at the time. In Sandler's first episode, he asks Theo how things went on a televised dance contest, only to become more enamored with Theo's friend Cockroach who performed better. Sandler would appear on Cosby four times.
Remote Control (1988)
Sandler was a writer and frequent guest star on this MTV game show hosted by the late Ken Ober and Sandler's future fellow SNL cast member, Colin Quinn. Sandler would play a plethora of different characters associated with Ober's questions, including, in this clip, Stud Boy.
Saturday Night Live (1990-95)
In the fall of 1990, SNL started to transition from the Dana Carvey/Jon Lovitz era (Lovitz left the show in the spring of 1990) to the Sandler/Chris Farley era. Added as featured players in 1990, Sandler, Farley and David Spade would dominate the show by 1993. Unfortunately, SNL would later enter one of the worst phases in its history with this cast in place, culminating in Chris Smith's infamous "Saturday Night Dead" exposé for New York Magazine. After the 1994-1995 season, Sandler (along with Farley and pretty much the rest of the cast other than Spade) would be fired. By the end, Sandler's SNL wasn't conducive to a cohesive sketch comedy show, but that doesn't mean he didn't shine in some individual moments -- which would wind up pretty much defining his film career.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
O.K., let's be honest: Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore are pretty much the same movie. If anything, Gilmore (the character) is even less likable than Madison (if that's possible); the best thing Sandler ever did was let Bob Barker beat the piss out of him on screen. For Sandler, he finally had a moment that transcended his own film and became an important piece of popular culture.
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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