Product: 50 First Dates (Widescreen Special Edition) (2004)
Rating: 4.0
A comedy that delivers the funny with some unexpected warmth and charm...
In the long line of men who act like children Adam Sandler is probably the most successful. Here, with `50 First Dates' he gives us a good reason as to why. Coupled with the talented Drew Barrymore he wonderfully crafts a funny yet sincere romantic comedy that whops a wallop of a tear jerking ending. The chemistry between the two stars is impeccable and believable despite the beauty factor of Barrymore and the goofy factor of Sandler. They work wonderfully together and Barrymore has proven to get the best out of Sandler for the second time. Arguably their first pairing in `The Wedding Singer' is a better movie, but that's arguable since this little gem is just as funny and just as sweet.The story is one that could have gone either way in the genre department. Barrymore's character Lucy is a beautiful Hawaiian native who attracts the attention of playboy Henry Roth, a native who entertains tourist women with good times and one night stands and loves the bachelorhood he's built for himself. Lucy is different though, she's otherworldly to Roth in a way, so much different than the girls he's used to being with. Lucy's main difference though is not anything Henry would have expected. Lucy has no short term memory. In fact she lives everyday as if it were the same day, going to sleep and waking up on her fathers birthday, the day she suffered a horrendous accident that caused her to lose her ability to remember anything after that point. This same plotline could have made a brilliant drama, but I'm glad they went funny with this one.After Roth finds out Lucy's problem he makes a special effort each day to make her fall in love with him again, not for the sheer satisfaction of the chase but because there's something about Lucy that he can't let go of. He loves this girl. At first her father and brother are indifferent to the idea, opposed even, but when they see the positive effect that Henry is having on Lucy they decide that maybe this isn't such a bad idea.Adam Sandler, while still giving the audience the slapstick and comedy they are used to, delivers a more mature performance than most of his other comedic films. His relationship with Barrymore's character is much more sympathetic then in previous films and is one the audience can get behind and cheer for. Barrymore though upstages Sandler every step of the way delivering an on point comedic performance that will make any fan proud. She's beautiful, sweet, sincere and hilarious. The supporting actors all do a fine job, Rob Schneider delivering most of the big laughs as Ula the pot smoking father of a small tribe of children. Blake Clark and Sean Astin are good as Lucy's father and brother and Pomaika'i Brown is hilarious as `tattoo face', the chief at the local restaurant where Lucy and Henry meet.There are some one-liners in this film that almost take away from the effortless hilarity of the balance of the film. Dan Aykroyd has resorted to painful roles and this is one of them, a role littered with dialog that's hard to listen to without cringing, and that Hawaiian native who gives the audience language lessons is more than annoying. Aside from this minor downfall the audience will have a great time watching Henry's pathetic attempts at swooning Lucy, Ula's hilarious attempts at helping him, not to mention his pathetic advice, but I'm sure nothing will give the audience more pleasure than trying to decide just what gender Henry's horny associate really is!