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Adam Sandler is a household name in Hollywood, renowned as one of its top A-list stars. His rise to fame began on the iconic Saturday Night Live show, after which he became a mainstay in comedy films, creating a unique brand of humor. In this article, we'll highlight 15 of Adam Sandler's best movies that showcase his comedic genius.
1. Uncut Gems
The first film we want to highlight in our list of Adam Sandler's best works is Uncut Gems. Sandler's performance in this movie earned widespread praise from audiences. While still humorous, his portrayal in this film delves into deeper, more meaningful comedy compared to his previous roles. He plays Howard Ratner, a jewelry store owner and a compulsive gambler who finds himself drowning in debt and desperately trying to find a way out.
At that moment, Howard stumbled upon news about the discovery of a rare black cat's eye gemstone in Ethiopia. Seizing the opportunity, he decided to smuggle the gem into the country with plans to auction it for a profit. However, before he could execute his plan, a series of unexpected events unfolded, compounded by Howard's gambling addiction, which saw him quickly squander any money he had. The situation spiraled out of control, leading to a series of increasingly complicated problems.
2. Reign Over Me
Reign Over Me is one of the rare films in Adam Sandler's career that steps away from his usual comedic roles, showcasing his dramatic acting talent. The film tells the story of Charlie Fineman (played by Adam Sandler), who loses his entire family in the tragic events of 9/11. Since then, he has refused to speak about them, isolating himself from the world. Once a successful and outgoing man, he now lives alone, constantly wearing headphones to shut out everything around him.
One day, Charlie unexpectedly runs into his old college friend, Alan Johnson (played by Don Cheadle). Alan is now a successful dentist with a happy family life, but beneath the surface, he too is struggling with his own pressures and unable to express them to anyone. Their reunion, after so many years apart, becomes a healing bond for both men, helping to restore their emotional well-being.
3. Punch-Drunk Love
Another critically acclaimed performance by Adam Sandler, this role earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor of the Year. In Punch-Drunk Love, Sandler plays Barry Egan, a small business owner with seven overbearing sisters. Each one regularly ridicules and mocks Barry about his sexual orientation, while also invading his privacy, which has led to Barry becoming shy, passive, and suffering from anxiety disorders.
One day, Barry unexpectedly meets and falls in love with Lena Leonard (played by Emily Watson), a colleague of one of his sisters. Determined to hold onto this newfound love, Barry resolves to overcome his shy nature and assert himself as a real man, fighting to win the love of his life.
4. Happy Gilmore
The story centers around Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler), who has an intense dream of becoming a professional ice hockey player. However, he lacks the necessary skills for the sport. When he learns that his grandmother is in debt and at risk of losing her home unless the tax money is paid within 90 days, Happy decides to place her in a nursing home and urgently seeks a way to raise the money to save her house.
In the midst of this financial crisis, Happy discovers a natural talent for golf. While still holding onto his passion for ice hockey, the need for quick money leads him to reluctantly agree to turn professional in golf after being persuaded by experts. His decision is driven solely by the desire to earn enough to save his grandmother's home.
5. The Meyerowitz Stories
The Meyerowitz Stories brings together two of the most prominent comedic actors, Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller, who play half-brothers in this film. Sandler portrays Danny, the eldest of the three Meyerowitz siblings. Danny has recently separated from his wife, is struggling with unemployment, and is forced to move back in with his father.
The film revolves around a family spanning three generations, all living together under one roof. Each member grapples with their own concerns, which creates an atmosphere of constant anxiety and unease. Throughout their time together, they manage to resolve misunderstandings and conflicts, ultimately moving towards reconciliation and mutual understanding, discovering the true value of familial bonds.
6. The Wedding Singer
This movie marks the first collaboration between Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, one of his most frequent and successful on-screen partners. It also represents Adam Sandler's first romantic lead role. He plays Robbie Hart, a wedding singer who is about to marry his fiancée.
However, on the day of the wedding, his fiancée suddenly changes her mind and wants to call off the marriage. Robbie has a close friend, Julia (played by Drew Barrymore), who works as a waitress at wedding receptions. Julia is also set to marry, but her fiancé is a deceitful man. As their paths cross, the two heartbroken souls begin to form a bond, eventually falling for each other through their shared experiences and mutual support.
Adam Sandler shared in an interview that his pairing with Drew Barrymore in 'The Wedding Singer' led to numerous offers for romantic films. Prior to that, Adam's roles had mainly been in comedic performances.
7. 50 First Dates
'50 First Dates' marks the second film in which Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore star together, and it's regarded as one of Adam's most popular and beloved films. In this movie, Adam plays Henry Roth, who falls for a woman named Lucy, played by Drew. Unfortunately, Lucy suffers from short-term memory loss after an accident, and every 24 hours, she forgets everything that happened the previous day. As a result, Henry must start over every day, but he is determined to show her family that his love for Lucy is real and unwavering.
8. Blended
Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore teamed up for the third time in a romantic comedy. In this film, Adam plays Jim Friedman, a single father of three daughters. Jim works at a sports store and has raised his daughters in a way that makes them dress like boys. He is set up on a blind date with a single mother, Lauren Reynolds, played by Drew Barrymore. However, their personalities clash, and they both agree to never meet again. Fate intervenes when their families end up on the same vacation, forcing them to share a room. What begins as a clash of personalities soon turns into mutual respect and understanding.
9. Just Go With It
In this film, Adam Sandler plays Danny, a man who pretends to be married and unhappily so, in order to gain sympathy from young women and use it to flirt with them. One day, he meets Palmer, played by Brooklyn Decker, and decides to propose to her. However, because he had lied about being married to a woman named Devlin, he asks his best friend Katherine, played by Jennifer Aniston, who is a single mother of two, to pretend to be his wife.
For various reasons, Danny, Palmer, Katherine, her two kids, and Danny’s cousin (whom Danny enlisted to pretend to be Katherine’s lover) head to Hawaii for a vacation. Trouble arises when Devlin, Danny's real ex-wife, played by Nicole Kidman, unexpectedly appears.
10. Click - The Click of Fate
This movie revolves around Michael Newman (played by Adam Sandler), a man who is obsessed with his work and often neglects his wife and children. One day, while looking for a remote control, he receives a mysterious one for free, along with a warning that returns are not allowed under any circumstances. Michael soon discovers that this remote can control everything in his life. He carelessly skips over unpleasant moments like sickness and frustration and fast-forwards to the successes in his career. The remote learns his preferences, continuing to skip through parts of his life even when he doesn't press the button. Despite trying to throw it away, it always comes back. As time passes, Michael watches his children grow up without having any memories of spending time with them. Is there still a chance for him to start over?
11. Spanglish - The Latin Experience in America
This captivating film explores the stark contrasts between Latin and American lifestyles as they live together under one roof. Adam Sandler plays John Clasky, a friendly and easy-going American chef who is very supportive of his children and treats everyone with kindness. However, his wife suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and demands perfection in everything around her. She behaves in a controlling and extreme way, forcing her family, including their children, to adhere to rigid standards, which verges on emotional abuse. This causes John to feel torn, as he disagrees with his wife’s approach to parenting but doesn't want to create conflict in their marriage.
12. Big Daddy - The Great Father
In this film, Adam Sandler plays Sonny Koufax, a 32-year-old man who leads a carefree life without any clear purpose. One day, he wakes up to find a 5-year-old boy named Julian McGrath (played by Dylan & Cole Sprouse) standing on his doorstep. A note is attached, stating that Julian's mother can no longer care for him, and that the boy is the son of Kevin, Sonny's roommate, who is currently in China. With no other option, Sonny reluctantly agrees to temporarily take care of Julian until Kevin returns. This leads to a series of humorous and heartwarming situations as Sonny unexpectedly becomes a father figure to Julian.
13. Funny People - The Funny People
George Simmons (played by Adam Sandler) is a comedian who transitioned into acting. However, his films have not received the widespread acclaim he hoped for. When George is diagnosed with acute leukemia and learns he only has 8% chance of survival, he believes his time is running out. In response, he returns to his roots in stand-up comedy and hires a young, inexperienced comedian as his assistant.
14. Bedtime Stories - Midnight Tales
In this movie, Skeeter Bronson (played by Adam Sandler) works as a janitor at a luxurious hotel called Sunny Vista Nottingham. One day, his sister asks him to take care of her two young children while she looks for a new job. After telling the kids his own made-up fairy tales, Skeeter discovers that whatever details they add to the stories will come true shortly after. As a result, he tries to craft stories with himself as the main character, hoping that these tales will bring him success and make his life smoother.
15. Pixels - The Great Pixel Battle
Adam Sandler is known for his versatile choices in film scripts, and his work in Pixels is a perfect example of his ability to engage audiences with a variety of comedic styles. Pixels is a sci-fi comedy film that offers a fresh and unique take on the genre. Set in 1982, the plot revolves around humanity's desire to make contact with aliens by sending up clips that showcase evidence of life and human civilization on Earth.
Unfortunately, the aliens misunderstood Earth's intentions and began creating characters resembling those from popular video games they had observed, using them to attack Earth. In the film, Adam Sandler plays the character Brenner, a legendary figure from the game Donkey Kong. Brenner, along with the bosses of other video games, must team up to stop the alien invasion.
This film stands out for its fresh storyline and impressive character designs that closely resemble the classic video games. Pixels (2015) evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, reminding viewers of the iconic games of the past.
In this article, we have compiled a list of the 15 best movies starring comedy king Adam Sandler. We hope you enjoy your day!
