Product: 50 First Dates (Widescreen Special Edition) (2004)
Rating: 4.0
Sweet Drew Barrymore Shines: Funny, and Very Romantic
About six years ago, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore made a charming romantic comedy 'The Wedding Singer.' '50 First Dates' brings back the two stars in this equally likeable, warmhearted romantic story with a 'Memento'-like twist. And the location of O'ahu, Hawaii, is very beautiful.Sandler is a vet named Henry Ross living in Hawaii. He is also known as playboy whose girlfriends, he insists, must be the travellers from outside the islands, for he doesn't like the whole idea of commitment. However, he meets a nice girl named Lucy (incredibly charming Drew Barrymore) eating waffle at the local diner, he falls in love with her seriously. So far, nothing new.But Lucy has a secret, of which she herself is not aware. Since the car accident last year, Lucy forgets everything that happened to her after sleeping at night. That means, though she remembers the things that happened before the accident, including her father, brother, old friends, and that 'today' is her daddy's birthaday, Lucy cannot remember her first kiss with Henry, or the second one, and the third....The film starts with, and often relies on, the predictable, gross-out gags that are not as great as Peter Segal thinks (and he happens to be responsible the comedies like 'Nutty Professor 2' or 'Naked Gun: 3 1/3'). We get good supports from Rob Schneider, Blake Clark, Sean Astin ('Sam' of 'The Lord of the Rings'), and Dan Aykroyd, but though the film is often funny, the fact cannot be denied that the gags themselves sometimes could be better.[SWEET, VERY SWEET] But it is the characters that are impressive, and the film shows these likeable people with a heart-felt touch. In short, we really care these characters, and wish their happiness. Adam Sandler is known for depicting characters who suddenly get hostile, but in '50 First Dates' he remains calm and natural, which is refreshing to see. And as to Drew Barrymore, who simply shines through the film, what can I say?I still believe that Peter Segal is not the right choice for director, and most of the gags should be left in the cutting room. But the romantic part of the film about the man who literally goes through the '50 First Dates' is surprisingly moving, and I really love the last scene which turns out a little surprise.