Product: 50 First Dates (Widescreen Special Edition) (2004)
Rating: 4.0
Oddly Touching
Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore team up once again in 50 First Dates. Their first foray together in The Wedding Singer was a raving success. I enjoyed that one so much that I watched it more times than I could count. I love the 80's theme and the cutesy song he composed for her at the end of the movie.Ok, back to 50 First Dates. I can find no fault with this movie and found it very touching at some parts. Both leads were ok when they were together but there was more focus on their interactions and relationships with the other supporting actors in the movie. It's like a community love story.This movie about commitment-phobic man Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) who strives to capture the heart of a cute girl Lucy (Drew Barrymore) every single day because she has a weird brain disfunction. Lucy could not remember a single thing that happened after a bad car accident she was involved in. They made the car accident bit into a spoof of Mission Impossible 2 which was hilarious in a corny kind of way. So day after day she meets Henry, falls in love with him and forgets all about him when she wakes up the next morning. The perfect girl for a commitment-phobic guy? You bet, but not in the way that you think.The comedy factor was good. There were some hilarious shots of what two people who are giddy with the euphoria of finally meeting the person of their dreams would do. However, I did not enjoy the parts where Adam Sandler made fun of his earnest German colleague by calling her a man. Surely, there is no need for cruel humor of this sort.It was a treat to see Dan Ackroyd in a cameo role of the doctor (or was it the neurosurgeon?) and the other supporting actors who played Barrymore's dad and brother were great in their respective roles.But the biggest treat of all was seeing Rob Schneider as the Hawaiian, Ula. He was so convincing as a Hawaiian bum that I did not recognise him as the Hot Chick Rob Schneider. Imagine the shock I had seeing his name when the credits were rolling.I loved how the movie started (won't share it here because it will spoil your enjoyment of it) and how it ended. It was amazing to see how a commitment-phobe like Sandler turning 180 degrees because of the challenge of getting a girl who is worse than he is. He forgets a girl after a week but she can only remember him for 24 hours or less.While I admire the transformation and tenacity of the man, it makes me wonder if someone who has no short-term memory like Lucy is really the cure for commitment-phobic people. Hmmm...