50 First Dates

From AwardAnnals

Reviews

Amazon.com

With generous amounts of good luck and good timing, 50 First Dates set an all-time box-office record for the opening weekend of a romantic comedy; whether it deserved such a bonanza is another issue altogether. It’s a sweet-natured vehicle for sweet-natured stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, and their track record with The Wedding Singer no doubt factors in its lowbrow appeal. But while the well-matched lovebirds wrestle with a gimmicky plot (she has no short-term memory, so he has to treat every encounter as their first), director Peter Segal (who directed Sandler in Anger Management) ignores the intriguing potential of their predicament (think Memento meets Groundhog Day) and peppers the proceedings with the kind of juvenile humor that Sandler fans have come to expect. The movie sneaks in a few heartfelt moments amidst its inviting Hawaiian locations, and that trained walrus is charmingly impressive, but you can’t quite shake the feeling that too many good opportunities were squandered in favor of easy laughs. Like Barrymore’s character, you might find yourself forgetting this movie shortly after you’ve seen it. —Jeff Shannon

Barnes and Noble

The success of Adam Sandler confounds innumerable detractors, who find most of his screen characters boorish, dimwitted, and frequently mean-spirited. In his latest film, however, the erstwhile Saturday Night Live star plays a slightly more endearing character, and he is also re-teamed with Wedding Singer costar Drew Barrymore, whose natural lovability rubs off on him. Sandler plays Henry, a water-park veterinarian whose seemingly idyllic life in Hawaii has failed to yield a lasting relationship. That all changes when he meets Lucy Whitmore (Barrymore), an adorable islander with only one drawback: She’s afflicted with short-term memory loss and awakes every morning with all recollection of the previous day erased. The bulk of the movie revolves around Henry’s progressively elaborate efforts to reintroduce himself each day, win Lucy’s heart, and somehow imprint himself on her consciousness. Sandler’s friend and SNL crony Rob Schneider plays an eccentric islander who helps Henry; Dan Aykroyd appears as Lucy’s sympathetic doctor; and Sean Astin pops up as her self-absorbed but protective brother. Director Peter Segal demonstrates a keen appreciation of the material and doesn’t allow Sandler to get carried away with the outrageous mugging he tends to rely on. Barrymore is typically adorable, and her warmth lends even more appeal to an already sympathetic character. Not without its gross moments but generally more restrained than most Sandler vehicles, 50 First Dates is a charming little comedy that will disarm the star’s most vociferous critics and delight his diehard fans. Ed Hulse