50 First Dates (February 10/04)
50 First Dates continues Adam Sandler's transition from all-around wacky guy to honest-to-goodness leading man, following flicks like Anger Management and Punch Drunk Love. Though the film isn't in the same league as the latter (not much is, really), 50 First Dates is notable in that it combines the off-the-wall humor of films like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison with surprisingly dramatic moments. Even more surprising, it works; the characters eventually become altogether appealing, making the more sentimental moments genuinely touching.
Sandler stars as Henry Roth, a Hawaiian marine biologist with a serious aversion to commitment (the film opens with a montage of various women - and one man - talking about their fling with Henry). That all changes when he meets Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), a bubbly teacher who enjoys building houses out of waffles. Despite his best efforts, Henry finds himself falling for Lucy - but is shocked to learn that, as a result of a car crash, her memory of the day's events is erased every time she goes to sleep. Comedy ensues as Henry's forced to introduce himself to Lucy on a daily basis, and convince her to fall in love with him.
If there's any Adam Sandler film that just might win over non-fans, this is the one. Though Sandler gives exactly the sort of performance we've come to expect from him - which certainly isn't a bad thing, depending on your feelings towards the actor - there are enough elements in 50 First Dates to appeal to viewers that haven't had much fun at his previous films. The chemistry between Sandler and Barrymore - who first teamed up for The Wedding Singer - is undeniable, a match that goes a long way towards making the film far more compelling than it should be.
Director Peter Segal does a much better job here of blending moments of comedy with mawkish dramatics than he did with Anger Management, last year's sporadically tedious Sandler/Jack Nicholson pairing. The difference lies in the characters; though Sandler and Nicholson were fun in Anger Management, both were stuck playing broad caricatures (this applies more to Nicholson than Sandler). And while Sandler is playing a similar sort of person here - except, of course, without the hostile tendancies - he does a fantastic job of turning Henry into an endearing figure. That Henry is willing to convince Lucy of his love every single day is an incredibly romantic gesture, but Sandler pulls it off without turning the character into someone that's overwhelmingly sentimental. Barrymore is just as good as Lucy, and effectively veers between comedy and drama (who would've thought Barrymore's most impressive performance in years would be in an Adam Sandler flick?)
The supporting cast is expectedly quirky, with Sandler regular Rob Schneider an obvious stand-out as Henry's wacky buddy Ula. Sean Astin sheds his Lord of the Rings image playing the bodybuilding brother of Lucy, sporting an unexpectedly buff body and comical speech impediment. And it wouldn't be a Sandler movie without appearances from Allen Covert and Peter Dante, though both receive less screen time than is generally preferable. But really, 50 First Dates belongs to Sandler and Barrymore - whose chemistry ensures that the film remains intriguing even during sillier sections, and encourages us to root for them to live happily ever after.
And that's just about all that matters when you're talking about a romantic comedy.
