SlapStik Comedy By Domingo Claudio
“Stop looking at me, swan”. If you understood that reference, then you must love Adam Sandler as much as I do. Adam freaking Sandler, I mean what more is there for me to say on the matter? If you’re as big a fan of him as I am then you realize how important this guy remains. Starting off with a little background, Adam Sandler began his movie career after his departure from NBC’s iconic show Saturday Night Live in 1995. After receiving the boot from SNL, Sandler went on to star in the eccentric and entertaining film Billy Madison released the same year. With the ball set in motion, Adam Sandler went on to appear in a plethora of films for almost 3 decades. Some exceptional examples are Grown Ups 1 & 2, Little Nicky, The Longest Yard (2005), 50 First Dates, Click and Anger Management.
So many funny scenes flood my brain when I think of the time Jack Nicholson made Adam sing that “I Feel Pretty” song from Westside Story as they were stuck in the car. Or the scene in Click where he freezes time to beat the hell out of his boss with multiple hits to the head. Or the scene in Jack & Jill when Jack (Sandler) dresses up as Jill (Also Sandler but with a wig) to impress Al Pacino’s character, Al Pacino, at his house. He really just brings these characters to life, and it was always rare to leave the theatre without a great feeling or some new quotes to spout around your friends but, this is the part where I feel Adam does not get the full recognition, in which he deserves as an actor.
One thing that I have always found really impressive about Sandler is how diverse of an actor he truly remains. He definitely has roles that are overlooked due to the vast amount of comedic roles he has played throughout his career, but there are films that really show how versatile he is outside of comedy. Sandler is typically known for always being the man-child who acts weird and awkward. He is always hyper, jumping, pacing, or screaming in short bursts of anger but, one key feature about him is that there is more he always offered to cinema that doesn’t revolve around potty humor. It is unfortunate and unfair to see how underrated he is as a true actor. Now I’m not saying he’s up to par with Marlon Brando, but he has done roles where he was the complete opposite of what he usually portrays. Punch-Drunk Love, a romantic-comedy drama about Barry Egan (Sandler) is an example of a film where he shows both awkwardness, realism, and humor. But there is another great example to talk about here that really brought out his acting skills. Sandler stars in this film where little to no humor is present throughout the movie. He amazed the world in his role as Howard Ratner from A24’s Uncut Gems. I adore this movie so much because Sandler really acted his butt off. Not to mention how devasted we were after the credits rolled as we thought he finally caught the break he deserved.
This role really made me think about how we should really take his acting seriously. I remember hearing from some people how his acting was decent or, how he didn’t do as good a job as people make it seem because it was a role he usually does not portray. It really opened my eyes to how amazing he is overall as both a comedian and an actor. Adam Sandler is not only a comedic genius who perfectly executes his humor at almost every mark but, he really is underrated as an actor, and I hope that people will reevaluate his legacy in the world of cinema. Sandler really needs to embrace his acting skills by taking on more roles similar to Uncut Gems. We love him for how much he makes us burst into laughter but there are times when we take his skills for granted.
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