Happy Gilmore

**Happy Gilmore** is a 1996 American sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It was released on February 16, 1996.

## Plot

Happy Gilmore is a short-tempered, unsuccessful ice hockey player whose only skills are fighting and a powerful slapshot he learned from his late father. His inability to skate limits his professional prospects. After yet another failed try-out, Happy learns that his grandmother owes the IRS $270,000 in back taxes and has 90 days to pay off the debt or face foreclosure on her house. Happy sends his grandmother to a retirement home, where residents are secretly mistreated, until he can pay the debt.

Two movers repossessing Happy's grandmother's furniture challenge him to a long-drive contest using his grandfather's golf clubs. With an unorthodox, slapshot-style swing, Happy hits a ball some 400 years, winning $40 from the movers. He starts hustling golfers at a driving range and meets Derick "Chubbs" Peterson, a former professional golf tour star who lost a hand in an alligator attack. Chubbs urges Happy to enter a local tournament where the winner will earn an automatic spot on the tour. Happy, desperate to get back his grandmother's house, agrees when Chubbs informs him of the significant prize money involved.

Happy wins the local tournament and quickly becomes a fan favourite on the tour thanks to his extraordinarily long drives and unorthodox antics, such as asking the crowd to cheer during his swing instead of staying quiet. He also meets arrogant pro Shooter McGavin, the dominant player on the tour, who disapproves of Happy's lack of golf etiquette. Though his driving is incredible, Happy's putting is terrible, and his profane on-course tantrums soon draw the ire of tour Commissioner Doug Thompson. Tour public relations head Virginia Venit convinces Thompson not to expel Happy from the tour, citing improved TV ratings with a broader spectrum of viewers, higher attendance, and new sponsorship offers. She promises to help Happy with his anger. Happy improves his performance and behaviour with Virginia's support, and the two form a romantic connection.

Shooter hires a heckler named Donald to mock Happy at a pro-am event. Happy plays poorly and gets into a fist fight with his celebrity partner, Bob Barker. Thompson fines Happy $25,000 and suspends him for a month, seemingly ending his hopes of saving his grandmother's house. Virginia secures Happy a lucrative endorsement deal with Subway to make up the difference, but the house is put up for auction, and Shooter spitefully outbids Happy. Happy strikes a deal with Shooter for the upcoming Tour Championship and if Happy wins, Shooter will return the house to Happy's grandmother, but if Shooter wins, Happy will quit the tour. Knowing he must improve his short game to win, Happy seeks out Chubbs, who helps Happy improve his putting by practicing at a miniature golf course. As thanks, Happy presents Chubbs with the head of the alligator that bit off his hand, but a startled Chubbs falls out of a window to his death.

Now determined to win the Tour Championship for Chubbs and his grandmother, Happy plays well and leads at the end of the third round. Shooter, desperate to finally win a Tour Championship and get rid of Happy, again hires Donald, who drives a car onto the course and runs over Happy, impairing his long-drive ability and focus. Shooter takes the lead, but Happy, encouraged by his grandmother, rallies to tie with him. On the 18th hole, a TV tower damaged by Donald's car falls onto the green and blocks Happy's line to the hole, but Happy miraculously uses it as a Rube Goldberg machine to sink his putt for the win. Enraged, Shooter tries to steal Happy's gold jacket but is beaten by a mob of fans led by Happy's imposing ex-boss, Mr. Larson. Happy, his grandmother, his caddy, and Virginia celebrate at his grandmother's house, where Happy sees a vision of a two-handed Chubbs with Abraham Lincoln and the alligator.

## Cast and Characters

* Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore
* Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin
* Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit
* Frances Bay as Grandma Gilmore
* Carl Weathers as Derick "Chubbs" Peterson
* Allen Covert as Otto
* Kevin Nealon as Gary Potter
* Peter Kelamis as Garry Potter's Caddy
* Richard Kiel as Mr. Larson
* Dennis Dugan as Doug Thompson
* Joe Flaherty as Donald
* Jared Van Snellenberg as Happy Gilmore's Caddy
* Will Sasso as Mover #1
* Lee Trevino as Himself
* Bob Barker as Himself
* Verne Lundquist as Himself
* Mark Lye as Himself
* Ben Stiller as Hal L.
* Robert Smigel as IRS Agent

## Production

### Development

Happy Gilmore was directed by Dennis Dugan, and written by Saturday Night Live (SNL) alumni Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler. Herlihy and Sandler were roommates in college and wrote stand-up comedy together, before moving on to screenplays. After Sandler was fired from SNL in 1995, he moved on to films. He and Herlihy wrote Billy Madison (1995), which proved successful for distributor Universal Pictures. As such, Herlihy and Sandler began a new project. In an office during a brainstorming session, they came up with a high-concept premise for a film about a "hockey player who smacks a 400 yard drive". Judd Apatow performed a script rewrite, although he went uncredited.

The Happy Gilmore character is loosely based on Sandler's childhood friend Kyle McDonough, who played ice hockey and would golf with Sandler as they grew up. Sandler could never hit the ball as far as McDonough, and figured that McDonough's hockey skills gave him an edge. Meanwhile, Chubbs Peterson's missing hand is an in-joke referencing actor Carl Weathers' film Predator (1987), which depicts his character losing his arm. Herlihy and Sandler included any joke that made them laugh and do not remember who came up with which, although Herlihy takes credit for Shooter McGavin's "I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast" line. In a 1994 interview, Sandler cited the golf comedy Caddyshack (1980), a film he and Herlihy bonded over in college, as inspiration.

Former pro golfer Mark Lye served as a consultant on the script, and told Herlihy and Sandler after seeing their initial ideas, "You gotta be crazy. You cannot do a movie like that." According to Lye, the initial drafts featured Happy winning the Masters Tournament: "They had the green jacket. They were desecrating the USGA. Making fun of Augusta National." He suggested that Happy win a fictional tournament, and Herlihy and Sandler changed the jacket's colour from green to gold. Lye also disliked the unrealistic nature of early drafts, which depicted Happy repeatedly making 400-yard drives, so he took the crew to a PGA Tour event so they could understand the atmosphere of golf. The final script, the one Lye gave approval, was Herlihy and Sandler's fifth draft.

Dugan became attached to direct through Sandler. Years earlier, Dugan had attempted to cast Sandler in one of his films, but the producers did not let him because Sandler was not well-known. "A couple of years later, [Sandler] is big", Dugan said. "I wanted to be hired to direct Happy Gilmore with him. I walk in the room, and he says: 'You're the guy who wanted to give me that part. I don't need to know anything else, I want to work with you.'" Happy Gilmore was produced on a budget of $12 million and filmed entirely at locations in British Columbia. Most scenes taking place at golf courses were filmed at Pitt Meadows at the Swan-e-set Bay Resort & Country Club, while interior shots, such as those in the broadcast booth, took place in an abandoned Vancouver hospital. Arthur Albert served as cinematographer, while Mark Lane was the set decorator. Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh composed the film's soundtrack.

### Casting

Christopher McDonald declined the role of Shooter McGavin twice because he was tired of playing villains and wanted to spend more time with his family. Kevin Costner was approached but turned it down in favour of another 1996 golf-themed comedy, Tin Cup, while Bruce Campbell lobbied hard for the part. McDonald became interested in the role after winning a round of golf, and decided to take it after he met with Sandler. According to McDonald, Dugan "didn't want to see the Bad Guy 101 again" and gave McDonald the freedom to improvise on set.

Happy Gilmore features appearances from Richard Kiel, known for playing Jaws in the James Bond film series; Bob Barker, the host of The Price Is Right; and Verne Lundquist, a football sports caster.

According to Lundquist, he filmed his scenes in the abandoned hospital as production wrapped. Sandler's New York University roommate Jack Giarraputo sat next to Lundquist in every shot, as Sandler wanted him to appear in the film. In 2016, Lundquist stated he still gets a monthly $34 check from the Screen Actors Guild for his appearance in the film.

### Filming

Filming took place from July 6 to September 1, 1995, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

## Reception

### Critical Response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Happy Gilmore has an approval rating of 61% based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 5.8 out of 10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Those who enjoy Adam Sandler’s schtick will find plenty to love in this gleefully juvenile take on professional golf; those who don’t, however, will find it unfunny and forgettable." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 31 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally unfavourable reviews." Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

Brian Lowry of Variety stated that "The general tone nevertheless makes it difficult to elevate the gags beyond an occasional chuckle". Lowry only noted a few scenes he found inspired, including the fight scene with Bob Barker and when Happy attempts to find his "Happy Place" which was described as "Felliniesque". Roger Ebert gave the film one and a half stars out of four, stating that Adam Sandler's character "doesn't have a pleasing personality: He seems angry even when he’s not supposed to be, and his habit of pounding everyone he dislikes is tiring in a PG-13 movie". Ebert also noted the film's product placement stating that he "probably missed a few, but I counted Diet Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Subway, Budweiser (in bottles, cans, and Bud-dispensing helmets), Michelob, Visa cards, Bell Atlantic, AT&T, Sizzler, Red Lobster, Wilson, Golf Digest, the ESPN sports network, and Top-Flite golf balls". Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a grade "D+" calling it "A one-joke Caddyshack for the blitzed and jaded," although he did praise Sandler's confident performance.

Darren Bignell of Empire wrote: "The real surprise is that it's a lot of fun, with Sandler becoming more personable as the film progresses, and a couple of truly side-splitting scenes."

### Box Office

Happy Gilmore was a commercial success, ranking number two at the U.S. box office on its debut weekend with $8.5 million in revenue, behind Broken Arrow. The film was made for $12 million and grossed a total of $41.2 million worldwide, with $38.8 million of that at the North American domestic box office.