Product: 50 First Dates (Widescreen Special Edition) (2004)
Rating: 5.0
Poignant & beautiful film from Adam Sandler; no not a joke!
"50 First Dates" is an Adam Sandler movie of surprising depth and heart. As an avid movie-watcher and someone who's traditionally not a fan of Sandler, no one is more surprised than me. This film is NOT typical Saturday-Night Live fare, despite the unfortunate guest appearance of a shark-bitten (and unfunny) Rob Schneider.In perhaps his most likeable character to date, Sandler breaks from his traditional stereotypes of playing the misunderstood social misfit with an anger management problem. This time he plays Henry Roth, who although retains some classic "Sandlerisms", is a surprisingly normal, sweet-natured, down-to-earth guy who happens to be in love with a girl with no short-term memory. Adorable Drew Barrrymore's limitless cuteness and feminine charm makes his dilemma believable; were I in Sandler's shoes, I'd be in love with her too.In one of her best performances to date, Barrymore (playing Lucy Whitmore) hits a perfect balance between comedy and sombreness for her character's tragedy. The movie works because that tragedy is not overlooked; the characters reflect and deal with it, they try to work around it. The movie works because Sandler and Barrymore's chemistry is real and palpable. But perhaps most of all, and most amazing to me, is that despite losing her memory everyday, Lucy's character develops as the film progresses. Barrymore's performance keeps getting better and better as the film goes on, giving great depth to what potentially could have been nothing more than a comedic gimmick.The ending of the film is especially well done for a film of this type. At once poignant, wildly romantic, and beautiful, cry I nearly did! The movie's heart lies in the sacrifices the characters make, the believable love they share, and their will to make things work without a magical "deus ex machina" that fixes everything and saves the day. From that perspective, the film is quite bold, choosing to rely on the strength of its storytelling and acting to hold itself up. The film had its humorous moments, but those will not be what I remember years from now. Kudos, Mr. Sandler. I hope to see more films like this from you, but somehow I doubt it. The lure of making more films based on 3rd grade potty-jokes instead of emotion and depth is strong. Well, at least I get to enjoy this little gem.