Posted: 02/23/2004

50 First Dates

(2003)

by Hank Yuloff

Here is how I went into 50 First Dates: Love Drew. Hate Sandler. But the story seems cute. Let’s see if it’s as good as Groundhog Day or will I call it Sappy Gilmore.
Here is how I cam out of 50 First Dates: Still love Drew. Sandler was the best I have seen him. Here’s a good twist on the “live every day over” scenario.

Drew Barrymore is Lucy Whitmore. A year ago, she was in an automobile accident that ruined her short term memory. Every time she goes to sleep, her previous day is erased. She thinks it is October 12 all over again. The people who love her do their best to make her feel like everything is normal on the Hawaiian island they live on and to that end play a charade that makes her feel that it is Sunday all over again. There are some days she finds out but her anger and stress is gone when her head hits the pillow.

Adam Sandler is Henry Roth, a veterinarian at a Sea World type attraction who likes his relationships short term. His specialty is to meet a female tourists, wine her, dine her, sleep with her and send her back to the mainland happy… and without his phone number. Until one fateful day he meets Lucy on Sunday October 12.

They hit it off and plan on meeting the next morning for breakfast as well. But when Henry shows up, Lucy does not remember him. The restaurant owner shares Lucy’s story with Henry and we are off to Groundhog Day II.

Normally I could roundly say how much I dislike Adam Sandler’s… well, everything. Happy Gilmore had its moments and The Wedding Singer was good but Big Daddy, The Animal, The Waterboy and his part in Anger Management all s u c k e d. But I really liked him in 50FD. He was thoughtful, smart and funny. Not too over-the-top and I even liked the song he sings to Lucy about their relationship.

The cast is excellent. Dan Akroyd (The Blues Brothers, My Girl) is convincing in his role as Lucy’s doctor with the great bedside manner. Rob Schneider (from basically any other Sandler movie) is cute as Henry’s best friend. Blake Clark (ditto Schneider) is touching as Lucy’s caring father. Sean Astin chose this as one of the first projects after being a hobbit for three years and I don’t understand why. Did he really need the paycheck for the crap he was made to do and say? And then there is Drew. Ah, Drew. Still too cute for the room, she gets some of the best comic parts of the movie while also having the most dramatic.

This is a really good date movie for adults. It’s pace is excellent and they answer all of the nagging plot questions I would have had including what happens a few years later. BUT and this is a big one: if you think you can bring your small tykes to see the latest Adam Sandler movie be warned that the language is very R-rated. There are many, many sexual references that you may or may not want to explain later to the little ones. But you should go see it and laugh at all of them.

Hank Yuloff benefited from seeing this movie so he can continue to teach his class on Husbanding 101. He evidently was able to add a couple of lines to the syllabus.

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