Release Date: February 13, 2004
Starring: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Blake Clark, Dan Aykroyd
Directed by: Peter Segal
Written by: George Wing
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (on appeal for crude sexual humor, drug references)
50 First Dates is one of the worst Adam Sandler movies in a long time -- which is saying quite a lot, considering that this is an actor who, despite being nearly 40 years old, still traffics in the adolescent comedy that first received widespread distribution when he was a regular cast member of “Saturday Night Live” in the early 90’s. Lately, though, he has been trying (if sporadically) to move away from that, turning out a number of romantic comedies that sometimes succeed (such as The Wedding Singer) but more often than not, and most recently with 50 First Dates, crash and burn in a spectacular display of un-funniness.
In this movie, Sandler plays Henry Roth, a Hawaiian bachelor who specializes in one-night stands with tourists before saying aloha as they return to the mainland. But then he falls in love with Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), a local girl who threatens to end his run of non-commitment -- at least until he discovers that she has a strange form of short-term memory loss (acquired in a car accident a year ago), and that every day when he meets her, she won’t remember him at all. Henry is smitten, though, and with the help of her father (Blake Clark) and brother (Sean Astin), he submits to the daily process of winning her love anew. (It should be said that there are not actually 50 first dates in the movie, and it’s unclear as to why that number was chosen other than that it rolls off the tongue.)
It reads like Groundhog Day meets Memento by way of Sandler, and for 105 minutes it plays out that way -- except that throughout, Sandler is clearly trying for brand every scene with his unique style of comedy. The result is that this movie is neither romantic (bizarre would be a more apt description) nor funny (the jokes hit the floor like a ton of phone books -- with a thud). Most viewers will probably wonder where the chemistry between Sandler and Barrymore has gone, since it was powerful enough to light up an entire movie in The Wedding Singer. Here the two stars looks as if they’re stumbling around in the dark for the leftovers.
Perhaps Sandler’s goal, under the direction of Peter Segal (who also did the Sandler starrer Anger Management), was to replicate the most memorable parts of all of his movies in one package. To that end he has employed the usual standbys: a lifeless supporting character who might be a man or a woman; Rob Schneider desperately going for yuks as Henry’s native Hawaiian of a best friend; and plenty of jokes in which someone either gets showered with vomit or whacked with a piece of sporting equipment (with a preposterously exaggerated sound effect to go with it). But none of these pieces make the movie any funnier, they simply dilute the Sandler formula that audiences will no doubt have come to see.
Some parts of the movie do work, including (and mostly limited to) Sean Astin as Lucy’s steroid-addled brother Doug, who talks with a lisp and constantly threatens to beat the tar out of Henry (with, of course, no success). Dan Aykroyd has a small part as Lucy’s doctor which is amusing, and Barrymore, as Lucy herself, is no slouch in the key role; despite being stuck in a dismal movie she gives every ounce of plucky energy she has toward making this an enjoyable experience.
If there is one reason why 50 First Dates goes south, it is probably because, like many a failed Dmocratic presidential candidate, somewhere along the line Sandler lost his focus. It used to be fun watching his movies because he could be counted on to play a half-man, half-boy who was just barely in control of his emotions -- at least until he ran into some real-world problems, and then it was only a matter of time before he imploded in one of his characteristic breakdowns. He has attempted to soften that image, trading in his blowtorch for a cigarette lighter, and losing quite a bit in the process. Yes, comedians reinvent themselves all the time, and it’s even crucial for those who want to endure; but at the least, Sandler should be doing it in movies like Punch Drunk Love and not derivative garbage like this.
-- Craig Roush (craigroush@hotmail.com)