Happy Gilmore

Cast:  Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Carl Weathers

Review by The Ranting WolfCastle

    Many comedies may not have the most realistic plot in the world, but that is normally what makes them so funny.  "Happy Gilmore" is just about as unrealistic as they come, but what makes it really funny is Adam Sandler.

    Happy (Sandler) is a man that just wants to play hockey.   However, he can't skate, he doesn't have good puck handling skills, and he has an overblown aggressive attitude.  The only thing he does have going for him, is a glass shattering slap shot.  He soon discovers that his one hockey skill, can also be used to drive a golf ball over 400 yards.  When the IRS takes his Grandmother's house away, Happy reluctantly decides to try his luck at the professional golf tour, to buy it back.  But along with his hockey slap shot, Happy brings to the course his hockey attitude.  Because of his outrageous antics, and violent temper Happy soon becomes the newest golf superstar, much to the dismay of leading tour money winner, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald).  Shooter becomes jealous of Happy's popularity and tries to sabotage his golfing career.

    "Happy Gilmore" is funny.  That's all a comedy is supposed to be, is comical.  It may have some inaccuracies when it comes to the rules of golf, but if you aren't a golfer, who the hell cares?  It has a huge amount of hilarious dialogue, (much of which is practical in everyday dialogue) and the plot line flows nicely.  Not only are the golf course scenes good, but even the nursing home scenes are laughable.  Thanks mainly to Ben Stiller, who plays the deranged orderly.  I think Adam Sandler is probably the funniest man in movies today.   He doesn't need a great script written by an overpaid screenwriter to make him seem funny, he actually IS funny.  This movie was based on his original idea, and he plays the character perfectly.  I don't think there is a scene in it that I don't like, which is rare.   There may have been parts I wouldn't have liked, if they chose to handle them differently.  They could have tried to make the audience feel sorry for his Grandmother in the nursing home, but they decided to stay away from the emotional appeal card that so many comedies are playing these days ("Liar, Liar," "The Nutty Professor").  A lot of people, I'm sure, will become irritated by Sandler's voices and overdone actions.  If you don't care for Sandler, don't see this movie, it's that simple.  I liked pretty much everything about "Happy Gilmore," some people look down on the slap-stick side of it, but c'mon,  violence is funny!   It's just a comedy, and that's all it tries to be.

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