Happy Gilmore

Rating: 4/10 (27 May 2011)

I had heard about this film, because of the leading actor and the theme of the film, I certainly wanted to see it, from director Dennis Dugan (Big Daddy, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups). Basically failed hockey player Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) is looked after and living with his grandmother, he has no direction in life and his grandma owes money from taxes to keep the house. One day while at a driving range he is bet on that he can't hit a golf ball far, and that is when he discovers his talent to hit a ball a hundred feet away. Retired pro golfer Chubbs (Predator's Carl Weathers) spots Happy and this newfound talent, and he tells him that a lot of money can be made going pro, at first he is reluctant but he enters the debut championship. He manages to win and is ready to go to the real championships to play professional golf, alongside such high profile players like the egotistical Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald). Happy slowly becomes a talking point, not just for his skill to hit a ball far to the hole, but for his temper tantrums and frequent swearing when he goes wrong on the course. He is of course earning loads of cash and the fund needed to pay for the house is slowly being raised, but there is the obvious low point when he is forced to stop playing. Chubbs gives him back some confidence on a mini golf course, and even though his one-handed friend dies, Happy is determined to beat Shooter, they bet with each other to win the championship for ownership. So the big championship match comes round, Happy trails for a little while, letting Shooter gloat and be a bastard, but in the end the hero prevails, and Happy and his grandma get their house back with the prize money. Also starring Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit, Frances Bay as Grandma, Allen Covert as Otto, Robert Smigel as IRS Agent, Bob Barker, The Spy Who Loved Me's Richard Kiel as Mr. Larson, Dennis Dugan as Doug Thompson, Joe Flaherty as Jeering Fan and Lee Trevino. Sandler as always is the fun often moody slightly odd hero, McDonald and Weather also do well in the two main supporting roles, there are some good typical slapstick jokes, and you can enjoy the golfing moments, it's not such a bad sports comedy. Okay!