The Kokomo Post Rewinds: Adam Sandler movies
By DAN WEST
The Kokomo Post staff
Nostalgia can be a heck of a thing, but do the movies we loved as kids really hold up? Is “Space Jam” really my favorite movie, or have I just not watched it since I was 10? In The Kokomo Post Rewinds, we will check out movies and shows from decades past and see if they hold up to today’s scrutiny. This week’s theme: Adam Sandler movies!
I have been quoting this line for 25 years.
“Billy Madison”
This is the first Adam Sandler movie I ever watched, so it has a special place in my heart. I remember loving this story of an idiot manchild stepping up and learning responsibility to make his father proud. The slapstick comedy mixed with Sandler’s classic mix of funny voices and yelling made my 10-year-old heart sing.
The Verdict: My sense of humor has evolved a lot since I was 10 (thank goodness), but I still really enjoyed this movie. Some people might be annoyed by the story of a lazy rich kid getting to do whatever he wants, but this story also involves him chasing an imaginary penguin so I think it’s fine. That being said, I am absolutely shocked my parents let me watch this movie when I was that young. It’s full of profanity, there’s tons of alcohol overuse, and some pretty heavy sexual themes throughout. This one’s a good time, but maybe hold off on showing it to your kids.
3 Pog slammers out of 5: This movie was Adam Sandler’s first major lead role, and he came out swinging with a fun blast of juvenile humor. Head over here to check out Billy’s explanation of how the Industrial Revolution changed the face of modern literature.
And whoever this guy is
“Happy Gilmore”
In Adam Sandler’s second major lead role, he again plays a slacker man child with anger issues. One more of these and I’m going to start thinking he’s got a type. I remember loving this movie as a kid because hitting and yelling are the height of comedy for an 11-year-old boy. I remember laughing particularly hard at the fistfight with Bob Barker and when Adam Sandler attacked the laughing clown on the mini-golf course. With those being my fondest memories, I wasn’t optimistic that I’d still enjoy this movie.
The Verdict: This is an excellent movie with side characters that do some incredibly heavy lifting. The main character is actually the least interesting in the movie, with standout performances from every single member of the supporting cast. Carl Weathers as Chubbs shines, Ben Stiller as the evil nursing home attendant was incredible, and Christopher McDonald is a perfect villain. Add them to Julie Bowen setting the stage for her role as Claire on Modern Family, Frances Bay as the incredibly sweet Grandma Gilmore, and a killer cameo from Kevin Nealon and you almost don’t need Adam Sandler in his own movie.
5 Episodes of All That out of 5: I was shocked at how much I still enjoyed this movie. This year is the 25th anniversary, so head over here for a fun clip of Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald in character talking trash, followed by the Bob Barker fight.
This movie made so little impact that there were only four gif options available, and this was the best one.
“Mr. Deeds”
I remember this movie being a pretty significant departure for Adam Sandler, mainly because he starts out the movie as a nice guy who has his act together. He still plays a fish out of water with some anger issues, but those anger issues come out when someone is being rude instead of just whenever he wants to fight someone, and I think that counts as growth. The biggest difference between this and every Sandler movie that came before is that he wasn’t a moron slacker refusing to grow up. He starts the movie as a small business owner with dreams of something bigger, and through the course of this movie he finds the success he was looking for.
The Verdict: This movie is fine. It’s definitely not bad, but it’s also nothing special. It’s frozen yogurt. The laughs aren’t as common or as big as the other two Adam Sandler movies, but there are laughs. It’s not as heartwarming as Big Daddy, but there are sweet moments. Ultimately, this movie is the equivalent of the final season of Scrubs when they were suddenly a medical school for some reason. It has some familiar faces from Adam Sandler movies, some of the things you liked, but it’s just not the same.
2 copies of Windows 95 out of 5: This movie isn’t breaking any new ground, but it does have an inexplicable cameo from John McEnroe, so I guess that’s cool.
