Happy Gilmore (1996)

Joining the plethora of "Saturday Night Live" alumnus who have forayed into the world of feature-length motion pictures, Adam Sandler is still taking baby steps. Relying on his goofy, sweet, coy charisma, Sandler's second film persona, after "Billy Madison," is "Happy Gilmore." It's another piece he's co-written with Tim Herlihy, who also helped pen "Madison." Wisely the two take on a subject rife with comic possibilities, professional golf.

Golf is such a boring, pretentious and snooty sport that it needs a few barbs hurled it's way. Sandler succeeds admirably here. But to get him to the links, the script has Sandler's Gilmore start as a pro hockey fan who wants to be a pro hockey player. But Happy can't really even skate well. His only true talent is the slap shot and this still won't get him on his favorite team. Later, when Happy hits a golf ball on a bet and it soars over 400 yards, he seems to have found his true calling. Of course, the aggressive Gilmore has little interested in the links, he still wants to be a hockey player. The scripters opt for a pretty standard reason for Happy to go ahead and play golf anyway: a need of money. In this case it's a grandmother (Frances Bay) who been a little negligent in paying her taxes that acts as the incentive.

But the film is really an iconoclastic jab at golf and it's ostentatious trappings. Along for the ride are Julie Bowen, as a golfing promoter who becomes a love interest for Sandler; Dennis Dugan, the film's director who also plays Bowen's straight boss; and, most importantly, Christopher McDonald as Shooter, the pro golfer posed to win a long- deserved championship. Sandler, of course, is more than "Happy" to provide comic fodder for all of them. But it is McDonald who does the film it's greatest service. As the pompous Shooter, he is smarmy with a capitol S. He doesn't need to hire goofball Joe Flaherty to bug Happy on the course during play (McDonald is bothersome enough) but he does so anyway. McDonald is the perfect straight man here. As both a rival and as a representative all that is wrong with the sport, he becomes the perfect recipient for Sandler's comic jabs. Their contest is the true heart of the film.

The film also has numerous secondary characters who are allowed the opportunity to make fun themselves, the most prominent being Carl Weathers. The "Rocky" alumni has his hands full (you'll get the pun later) as a golf pro who wants to aid Happy. Playing Burgess Meredith to Sandler's Stallone, Weathers has so many funny moments here, most of them based in physical comedy, that we can't believe he isn't known for this kind of role. Weathers may succeed George Kennedy in the role of hilarious sidekick if he gets more opportunities like this. Meanwhile, Ben Stiller is cast as a corrupt orderly in the rest home where Granny has to take up residence. Stiller, wearing a moustache that makes him look like a reformed biker, is a little too scary here. The script calls for him to abuse the elderly in a pretty harsh, albeit sometimes amusing, manner and Stiller takes it to the brink of acceptability. However, his scenes are a little too disquieting to be truly comic. And Richard Kiel ("Jaws" from the 007 movies) acts as a former boss who, although shot in the head by a nail gun manned by Sandler, still becomes Happy's biggest fan. His role is fairly moot here and the nail-in-the-skull bit is a tad too hackneyed to be funny. Finally there is a real pro golfer (whom I don't know by name) that has several small gags in the film, but the true cameo star is Bob Barker who has one of the most amusing sequences in the film with Sandler. Playing himself, Barker is teamed up with Happy in a celebrity pro tourney. The resulting mayhem, which is too funny to destroy by detailing here, is pure genius. Barker proves he isn't too stodgy to make fun of himself nor is he too old to do what it takes physically to be funny. It's one of the film's many high points.

Dugan's direction, while not perfect, is quite likable. He seems to be quite adept at keeping Sandler on the right track and rarely includes footage that doesn't fit the story. There are no inside jokes and few silly sight gags. Almost everything fits nicely. Dugan, with the writers aid, of course, even works a promotional product (Subway sandwiches) into the film in a way that is humorous and still logical to the plot. One of Dugan's most important assets here, in fact, is the way he films the golf footage. Again, this is always realistic. Dugan makes everything look legit. And when he initially shows Sandler whacking the ball for distance, he often gives us rapid traveling shots that show us the action from the ball's P.O.V. In this way he is able to both stay with the film's plot, show some style, and propel the film all at the same time. Like Happy's slap shot, Dugan rarely wastes time here and keeps the pace moving nicely. When he does pause for a gag, it usually works. And when he pauses for romance, it usually has enough humorous elements involved to keep us interested. He may not have the panache of Penelope Spheeris but his film hold up better than those of most of the other SNL comics.

"Happy Gilmore" is a good film - and it's funny. You don't have to know anything about golf to get the jokes. Sandler and Herlihy offer plenty of opportunities for humor and they spread it around between those involved nicely. This isn't a one-trick-pony when it comes to humor. Dugan brings all of this to the screen ably. Sandler uses his seemingly real persona throughout most of the film, but he's a likable guy, so we like him throughout. I can't think of a single reason why someone might not like this film. It seems to me even those who do not like the SNL brand of off-beat satire still might like this film. It's quite accessible.

Note: Director of Photography is Arthur Albert. Mark Lye is the "golf Consultant." Music by Mark Mothersbaugh. The film also uses songs often linked to sports, such as Gary Glitter's "Rock 'n' Roll Part 1."

The film is dedicated to "Grandma Anna" and "Grandma Mollie."

Review written in 1996

Report Card

Script: B+

Acting: B+

Cinematography\Lighting: B+

Special Effects\Make Up: A

Music: A-

Final Grade: B+