Sandler & Barrymore: A Trio of Romantic Comedies
I admit to being a big fan of both Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. That isn’t to say I’ve loved every movie they have done, but the majority have been enjoyable to some degree with a number amongst my all-time favorites. Recently I watched the third movie the two acted in together, so thought I’d post a Barrymore and Sandler blog! Here we go, in order of the year they were released.
The Wedding Singer (1998)
He’s gonna party like it’s 1985.
Synopsis: It’s 1985, the decade of junk bonds, Michael Jackson and Madonna, CD players, hair mousse, and hair bands. Robby Hart’s dream of being a singer/songwriter are long gone, and he now makes a living playing wedding receptions, where his easy charm and ability to schmooze brings him a steady income. His burning desire is to get married. The problem is that no one seems to want to marry him. His fiancée, Linda, doesn’t show up on their wedding day, plunging him into a deep depression. Luckily, Robby soon finds consolation in his friendship with Julia Sullivan, a waitress who is engaged to a wealthy, obnoxious, self-obsessed, chronically unfaithful Wall Street broker. When Julia begs Robby to help plan her wedding, he reluctantly agrees, never anticipating that during their long hours together he will discover the woman of his dreams. Can Robby save Julia from making a terrible mistake? Does she love him in return? And where does Billy Idol fit into all this?
My thoughts: The Wedding Singer is, by far, my favorite of the three movies. In fact, it is one of my top 20, or maybe 10, romantic comedies. In large part this is because I was a teenager and young adult during the 1980s, so the music and pop culture references are immediately recognizable and a hoot!
Fun Trivia:
- Robbie tells Linda at one point to “Get out of my Van Halen T-shirt before you jinx the band and they break up”. David Lee Roth did leave Van Halen in 1985 (the year in which the movie is set).
- The car Glenn drives is a DeLorean, the same model car Doc Brown uses as his time machine in Back to the Future, which also takes place in 1985.
- Steve Buscemi and Jon Lovitz cameo roles were uncredited.
- A Broadway Musical musical adaptation of this movie, opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 27, 2006, ran for 285 performances and was nominated for the 2006 Tony Awards for the Best Musical, Actor (Stephen Lynch), Book and Score.
- The butterfly jean jacket that Julia wears throughout the movie actually belongs to Drew Barrymore. The director liked her jacket and told her to wear it as part of her costume.
Adam Sandler as Robbie Hart
Drew Barrymore as Julia Sullivan
Christine Taylor as Holly Sullivan
Allen Covert as Sammy
Matthew Glave as Glenn Guglia
Ellen Albertini Dow as Rosie
Alexis Arquette as George
Christina Pickles as Angie Sullivan
50 First Dates (2004)
Imagine having to win over the girl of your dreams…
every friggin’ day!
Synopsis: Henry Roth lives in a Hawaiian paradise with the company of endless women with no strings attached. More than content with a life of one-night-stands, Henry decides to give up his noncommittal lifestyle when he meets and falls for Lucy Whitmore. However, when he discovers that Lucy has no short term memory, Henry finds himself having to win her heart again with each new day.
My thoughts: I confess that I’ve only seen this movie once, and while I didn’t hate it, I didn’t overly like it either. Perhaps I should give it another try since perceptions change over time. Maybe I was expecting a repeat of the charm and lighthearted fun of The Wedding Singer, little of which is present in this second pairing of Sandler and Barrymore. For one, the humor is cruder, more of the “bathroom humor” sort that I don’t appreciate. For another, the subject of Lucy’s memory loss is rather sad, and the ending, while not tragic, isn’t exactly the “happily-ever-after” one typically expects with a romantic comedy.
Directed by Peter Segal
Adam Sandler as Henry Roth
Drew Barrymore as Lucy Whitmore
Rob Schneider as Ula
Sean Astin as Doug Whitmore
Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Keats
Allen Covert as Ten Second Tom
Maya Rudolph as Stacy
Blended (2014)
Synopsis: After a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren and Jim agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. Fate, however, has decided otherwise. A series of chance meetings seem to instill their mutual dislike, but when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids at a luxurious African safari resort, opposite emotions gradually creep in. Attraction grows as their respective kids benefit from the burgeoning relationship. Question is, can a deceased mother and conniving ex-husband keep them from becoming a new, blended family?
My thoughts: Blended is the movie I just watched the other day, and I have no idea how I missed it! I can’t rate it above The Wedding Singer, but it was very enjoyable. Reviews seem to be mixed, and I’m glad I paid no attention to them before hand. Critics, IMHO, tend to be far too harsh. The chemistry between Sandler and Barrymore was awesome, and every one of the child actors were fantastic. The humor did veer to the a-bit-too-crude from time to time, but compared to the majority of comedies made these days, this one was tame. Besides, the two Hobbit jokes made up for any unsavory jests! Best of all, it had a truly great ending. Worth seeing, and I intend to buy my own copy to re-watch.
Adam Sandler as Jim Friedman
Drew Barrymore as Lauren Reynolds
Kevin Nealon as Eddy
Terry Crews as Nickens
Wendi McLendon-Covey as Jen
Emma Fuhrmann as Espn
Bella Thorne as Hilary
Braxton Beckham as Brendan
Alyvia Alyn Lind as Lou
Shaquille O’Neal as Doug
