The Wedding Singer (1998)

As we dove into Sandler’s career, we looked at his earlier work and found one film that stood above the rest.

A perfect example of his charm, star power, and what exactly the Adam Sandler “persona” is.

The Wedding Singer is a unique film in Sandler’s filmography.

It's a silly studio comedy but also possibly his most heartfelt, even if today’s scene may not seem to immediately reflect it.

In addition to its importance as an emotionally open Sandler, it’s the first Adam Sandler film to have a female lead. This would start a trend of two-handers with charming leading ladies who could go toe to toe with the Sandman in the charisma department.

It’s easy to say Sandler plays the same characters over and over again.

Yes, later in his career that becomes true with films like Bedtime Stories and Grown Ups as a lazy quippy guy that wears cargo shorts.

This, like Sandler’s best work, plucks from the best elements of his personality. It hones in on them to create a more realized character.

This movie plays with the boyish charm of his SNL persona, especially his musical Weekend Update appearances, mixed with his then signature movie star superpower: Rage.

This movie blends the two to create a vulnerable person who has gone through the worst heartbreak of his life. In a way you can feel for and laugh at him without feeling guilty.

It’s impossible not to talk about today’s scene and not mention the incredible power of the reaction shots.

Let's start with Drew Barrymore.

Her incredible facial expressions start at appreciation, moves into shock/embarrassment, then empathy, and rests on support. That’s a lot of heavy lifting to do nonverbally but she pulls it off flawlessly.

Now contrast that with the unexpected cut to John Lovitz.

Eyes bulging, absolute shock and fear. It creates a perfect punchline you didn’t even know was being set up.

This is a PG-13 movie.

With a PG-13 there comes rules and regulations. Starting with, of course, only one use of the F-word.

This is, once again, a very tender movie. It's not a Tarantino movie where they are dropping that bomb every 1.2 minutes (we did the math).

But don’t get us wrong we love a good F-Bomb, but it loses its luster when you use it a Sam Jackson amount.

This movie has one shot to make the biggest impact it can.

To the filmmaker's credit, it hits hard. Especially to have such a kind soul like Sandler’s Robbie Hart use such a word. To be the only one to use it not only tells us how hurt he is, but how bitter he is towards this person.

Guess Tomorrow’s Film