Adam Sandler, the performer, is something of an acquired taste. The former star of "Saturday Night Live" and the movies "Happy Gilmore" and "Billy Madison" has long been a favorite with older male teens and college students who love his sly, often boisterously adolescent-like humor. This gifted comedic actor, writer, standup comedian and songwriter/performer, however, has had little appeal outside those limited demographics and none of his films have grossed more than $40 million domestically. With his latest film, "The Wedding Singer," putting him into the new category of romantic leading man, Sandler hopes to boost those figures by drawing in a bigger, more diversified audience.
Whether that happens still remains to be seen, but one thing is certain. This is easily Sandler's most likeable and accessible character and the film is certainly the best he's appeared in so far. Now don't get me wrong, for much like the nonstop music that permeates the soundtrack, this is lightweight, all-fluff material. Like that "Big 80's" music, however, this film is a guilty pleasure that you'll know that you shouldn't enjoy so much, but will find that you can't help yourself.
Anything but unpredictable, the movie will almost certainly draw the ire of some critics and moviegoers who just won't get what this film's supposed to be about. Like many romantic comedies before it -- and the many that will inevitably follow in its footsteps -- this film isn't supposed to be high art. This is pure saccharin, but it sure tastes good and will probably leave a smile on your face.
What really makes the story work (beyond its predictable romantic commodities -- which is the exact reason people love these films -- you know how they'll end but you enjoy watching the journey) are the performances from Sandler and Barrymore. Playing down his normal shtick that often prevents even him from keeping a straight face, Sandler is very enjoyable in his role. While it probably won't win over people who find his "act" irritating, it should endear him to a bigger audience.
Barrymore, who's still "cute as a button" -- as she's been since frolicking with one certain alien a "few" years back -- also creates a likeable, compassionate character. Although both roles are completely forgettable and won't earn either performer any acting accolades, they're sweet, they go down easy, and they leave a pleasant sugary aftertaste.
The rest of the performances are okay, with Christine Taylor trading in her dead-on portrayal of Marcia Brady (from the two "Brady Bunch" movies) for an 80's Madonna look, while Angela Featherstone and Matthew Glave provide the somewhat stereotypical, but obligatory cruel love interests. The most fun, however, comes from the many cameos that pop up throughout the production. Former sneering rock star Billy Idol shows up as himself, Jon Lovitz briefly plays a cocky wedding singer competitor, and Steve Buscemi does a brief, but hilarious take as a disgruntled brother and best man.
The real stars of the film, however, are the many songs from the 1980's that play nearly nonstop during the movie. Whether belted out by Sandler (who yes, does his own singing) or playing in the background, the songs brought back fond memories for me of my own times during that decade. With a collection of tunes that would make a comparable Time-Life compilation blush by comparison, the music never stops and only adds to the fun, fluffy feel the movie constantly exudes.
In addition, there's a rather funny cover of "Love Stinks" (originally done by the J. Geils Band) performed by a just dumped Sandler and a handful of other "social misfits," and a cute bit featuring a string quartet playing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" at the beginning of Robbie's doomed wedding ceremony. Finally, there has to be one of Sandler's patented self-written songs (like the ones he used to perform on "SNL") and this one, with half of it written before he was stood up and the other half written afterwards, is quite funny.
The movie isn't quite as successful at poking fun at the Reagan dominated, "me" decade, but still offers some funny moments. A clever bit includes one of Robbie's band members (ALEXIS ARQUETTE) doing a devilish take on 80's pop icon, Boy George. Whether playing at a wedding or a bar mitzvah, this androgynous character can't help but belt out "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" (the breakthrough hit single that propelled George and his band, Culture Club, to fame), and when the appalled audience doesn't applaud after one rendition, the singer just starts it up again. There are also some jabs at Madonna, Michael Jackson, and some funny moments with the real life Billy Idol playing himself. And to top it off, nearly everyone has "big hair" in a decade popularized with people we used to call "hair farmers."
Some references, however, to other cultural icons such as the TV shows "Dallas" and "Miami Vice" are not that funny, as is also the case with a small bit regarding a Rubik's cube or a newfangled piece of stereo equipment called a CD player. None of them are so bad as to stand out, but you just wish that with a decade's worth of hindsight, the film makers would have come up with some funnier material. Also, as the credits prepared to roll I was expecting the standard "whatever happened to" bylines for the characters, but alas, that never appeared. Although I don't always like those "tack on" endings, it might have been fun for this film.
Still, the movie survives such small moments of "flat" material and should please fans of the romantic comedy genre. While it's not up to the standards of classics like "When Harry Met Sally" or "The Philadelphia Story," and will most likely be quickly forgotten while you're driving home from the theater, it's still a delightful time at the movies. We only hope that Sandler focuses more of his energy on roles and films like this that show he's more than just a goof ball character as in his previous works. Of course your appreciation of this movie will somewhat hinge on whether you can tolerate Sandler, but he's toned down his normal "adolescent" behavior enough to make this bearable for more than just his normal fans. Light, fluffy, and as sweet as can be, "The Wedding Singer" is the sort of movie that just grows on you the longer you watch it. We were pleasantly surprised and give the film a 7 out of 10.
![[Screen It]](https://www.screenit.com/images/screenit_subscriber_logo.jpg){kind=logo}
![[Around the World in 80 Days]](https://www.screenit.com/images/posters/movies/around_the_world_in_80_days_2022_small.jpg)
![[Family Camp]](https://www.screenit.com/images/posters/movies/family_camp_small.jpg)
![[Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness]](https://www.screenit.com/images/posters/movies/doctor_strange_in_the_multiverse_of_madness_small.jpg)