The 4 Worst Adam Sandler Movies, and The 5 Best
With Uncut
Gems, Adam Sandler is once again on top. It'd
be an understatement to suggest the comedic actor hasn't
always received critical or even commercial admiration, but his acclaimed turn in the newest A24 film is considered
one of the Saturday Night
Live veteran's best to date. There's even a chance that The
Sandman might
earn his first Oscar nomination for his
latest performance. If that's the case, then surely it'll be a major turning
point for Sandler's always winding career. For all the hit movies he's had
throughout his 20-plus years in the moviemaking business, there have been a
fair amount of flops along the way, to put it lightly
Either critically, commercially or both, Adam Sandler has had his highs and his
many lows. For every stunning dramatic turn that he pulls,
like the one he provides in Uncut
Gems, there are several misfires that almost
make you forget how good or funny he was in his greatest
triumphs. So we're now taking this opportunity to look back on Sandler's vast
and varied career and explore the great, the good and the very not-so-good
movies found therein.
Adam
Sandler's Best Movies
Whether it's comedies or
dramas, Adam Sandler has often excelled on the silver screen. While his
misfires might make people forget how good he can be, these films in particular
make an easy case for why he's both one of the biggest comedy stars in the world
and a potential Oscar nominee this fall.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Though not without its detractors, Punch-Drunk Love was a major turning point in Adam Sandler's career. Having defined himself as a goofy, boyish comedian through his quirky cast of characters on Saturday Night Live, and his run of commercially successful studio comedies throughout the '90s, Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece is a stunning revelation for Sandler. It showed the stunning complexity and undervalued conviction of his character work with Barry Egan, a socially awkward, psychologically troubled, emotionally-stunted a businessman who finds himself in a hornet's nest of trouble over the course of the film's intense 95-minute runtime.
The depths of the underlying sorrow,
burning rage and frustration, and internal, festering self-loathing provide the
fuel for his fires that burn his soul when he finally finds his soulmate in
Emily Watson's Lena Leonard. It's a deeply unconventional love story, one that
confused and dismayed Adam Sandler's core fanbase when it was released.
Nevertheless, this is his finest work to date.
Billy Madison (1995)
After establishing himself as a fan favorite on Saturday Night Live, Billy Madison was the movie that proved that the TV actor had what it took to be a major movie star. Though savagely torn apart by critics at the time, the studio comedy was nevertheless an immensely profitable commercial favorite, providing one of the goofiest and most inspired film premises of Adam Sandler's career when the title main child must repeat grades 1-12 in order to inherit his father's fortune.
After establishing himself as a fan favorite on Saturday Night Live, Billy Madison was the movie that proved that the TV actor had what it took to be a major movie star. Though savagely torn apart by critics at the time, the studio comedy was nevertheless an immensely profitable commercial favorite, providing one of the goofiest and most inspired film premises of Adam Sandler's career when the title main child must repeat grades 1-12 in order to inherit his father's fortune.
The immensely silly and wacky comedy was
the one that helped mold the public's image of the actor, especially one that
was gleefully lazy, willfully immature and prone to fits of shouting. While
those factors were detrimental to Sandler's likability in his weaker movie
efforts, it worked hilariously in Billy
Madison. Filled with energy, insanity, and spunk, this mid-'90s
charmer is still one of Sandler's funniest, most quotable films.
Funny People (2009)
After establishing himself as a dramatic/dark comedy
heavyweight with his phenomenal performance in Punch-Drunk Love, Adam
Sandler opted not to pursue more intensive characters and artistically
challenging endeavors, veering closer towards the studio comedies that made him
a matinee superstar. Minus the rare Spanglish or Reign
Over Me, Sandler's acting choices were comfortably conventional,
opting not to push too deep into anything too soulful or artistically
diverting. But Sandler surprised everyone by providing yet another compelling,
layered performance, and in a studio dramedy no less!
Judd Apatow's Funny People is an
extensive, sometimes belabored industry tale that focuses on a struggling comic
who is faced with a life-threatening diagnosis and finds himself reflecting on
his past mistakes, including several cinematic flops. Whether it's
intentionally soul-searching or only appearing that way, Adam Sandler gives
another stunning performance in this tender, contemplative, and yes, very funny
film.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
If Billy Madison showcased
Adam Sandler's potential as a film star, Happy Gilmore cemented
the performer as one of the biggest names in comedy in the mid-to-late '90s.
The kooky story of a rage-friendly rejected hockey player who finds an unlikely
calling in competitive professional golf, Sandler's signature flair for
screaming, shouting and over-the-top displays of fragile male frustration came
to possibly peak form in this film.
The Meyerowitz Stories (New And Collected)
With Uncut Gems, Adam Sandler is
in the awards conversation for his visceral, unnerving performance. But only a couple of years earlier, the movie star delivered another tour-de-force
performance that would've gotten Sandler into the awards consideration had the movie has gotten its proper due. That film was The Meyerowitz Stories (New and
Collected) from writer/director Noah Baumbach, who is also
looking to enter awards consideration this year for his newest film, the
similarly excellent Marriage Story.
Adam Sandler's Worst Movies
Alas, for all the good work he's done throughout the
years, Adam Sandler has often depleted his goodwill through an unfortunate
stream of mediocre or outright terrible movies. It hasn't always been pretty.
When Sandler makes a stinker, it can result in some of the worst comedies in
recent memory.
Grown Ups 2 (2013)
In every one of Adam Sandler's best movies, you can see
the clear skill and effort that are on display. Oftentimes when he's pushed to
give a strong, soulful performance, Sandler will deliver, even when the movie
itself doesn't always give the goods. (I'm looking at you, The
Cobbler and Men, Women & Children.)
Nevertheless, when Sandler is absolutely slumming it, it's even more apparent —
and it's certainly much more disappointing.
Jack And Jill (2011)
If you ever wanted to know what it is like to have nearly
$80 million dollars and throw it all into a dumpster fire, look no further than Jack
and Jill. The foul, soulless 2011 studio flick is like a bad Saturday
Night Live parody-turned-real-life Sony disaster,;the type of
movie that anyone involved should be embarrassed to be associated with. The
creatively-dead comedy finds Adam Sandler playing a pair of twins,
the straight-laced Jack and the deranged Jill, as these two dysfunctional twins
find themselves reconnecting over a series of wacky encounters.
That's My Boy (2012)
An aggressive, mean-spirited attempt to transition Adam
Sandler's comedy into the R-rated comedy territory that dominated the studio
genre at the time, That's My Boy is an
entirely unpleasant ordeal. Filled with unlikeable characters, unbecoming jokes
and just an all-around nastiness in terms of its focus and tone, this
ill-conceived project finds Sandler playing Donny, a single parent who fathered
a child with his teacher when he was a teenager. It is very apparent to see why
this comedy doesn't work. In fact, it's crazy it was made in the first place.
Nevertheless, this uncomfortable, the unfulfilling movie is a filthy, off-putting effort all-around, never allowing
itself to earn its eventual left-heel attempts at poorly-rationalized emotional
resonance. The actor has pushed himself to make more R-rated movies recently,
and while there are much better than That's
My Boy, it's hard to think of much worse.
The Do-Over (2016)
Outside of his incredible dramatic turns in
the past few years, Adam Sandler hasn't necessarily been producing his best
work. For every Meyerowitz Stories or Uncut
Gems, there are several dead-in-the-water Netflix movies that
aren't even bothered with making themselves look presentable.
While there are many bad movies from this
streaming service deal to pick from, including the horrendously panned The
Ridiculous Six and the intolerable Sandy Wexler, The
Do-Over might be the worst of the bunch — which is saying
something. Starring alongside David Spade, The Do-Over is another
foul-mouthed, gross-out friendly adventure story that doesn't have the humor or
heart to be entertaining. If only we could have gotten a do-over here...
These are only a handful of the classics (and
not-so-classic) movies made by Adam Sandler. Surely, there are several others
to pick from with this line-up. In particular, the worst section could easily
pack at least a few other titles to add to their growing collection, like
perhaps Little
Nicky. Please pick your favorite Adam Sandler movie in the
comments, and let us know your favorite and least favorite films from the
famous funnyman below. Also, be sure to check out Uncut Gems whenever it
hits theaters starting December 13.
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