The Adam Sandler Renaissance

Adam Sandler, or ‘Sandman’ as he’s affectionately called, is a comedian, actor, producer, writer, musician, and unlikely heartthrob. His career has consisted of various waves, all while remaining in the public consciousness even if through negative reviews. The most prominent side of Sandler is his comedic side. At 23, he started off as a writer on season 16 of Saturday Night Live and was promoted to featured cast member the following year. During his time on the show, Sandler was often paired as the straight man to Chris Farley in sketches and equipped with a guitar during his Weekend Update Appearances. Then, after five years, and with little warning, Sandler was fired from SNL. The specifics behind this decision have remained mysterious in the years since, but have primarily been chalked up to a change in line-up in response to low ratings.

Adam Sandler’s time with SNL was a pathway to what we’ll call the ‘Happy Madison Suite,’ Sandler’s production company, named as an amalgamation of his leading roles in Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. Founded by the Sandman himself in 1999, Happy Madison has since produced over 50 films. The production company can best be described as vehicles for Adam Sandler and friends, accompanied by crude humour and various shenanigans. Regardless of perceived quality, running a company that produces this much content means you have to work hard. Happy Madison Productions are a strange moment in the zeitgeist, but they are part of it. Like Sandler, his production company has dipped its toe into the dramatic sphere, putting their names on films like Reign Over Me and Funny People. 

Some of Adam Sandler’s best work has taken the form of romantic comedies, The Wedding Singer comfortably topping the list. This chemistry with Drew Barrymore carried him through to 50 First Dates and Blended, which, despite their lack of critical acclaim, hold deep potential for sentimental value. The same applies to Sandler’s work in buddy comedies. For example, take Grown Ups, a film which can be best described through the dichotomy between Rotten Tomatoes ratings. While critics offer 11%, the audience score currently sits at 62%. We’re getting to a point where enough time has passed that Grown Ups is a source of nostalgia. Yes, it is an objectively bad film, and most of the jokes are lazy, somewhat problematic, or both. But maybe there’s comfort in the stupidity of it all.

Grown Ups was made around the same time that Sandler started a family of his own. Since then, his career has consisted of a number of children's films incluing Bedtime Stories, Pixels, even Click. Delivering a very Steve-Carell-as-Gru performance in the Hotel Transylvania quadrilogy, Sandler has managed to utilise his love for silly voices to lead a billion-dollar animated franchise.

What separates Adam Sandler from his fellow Happy Madison crew is his skillful dramatic turn. Back at the turn of the century, Paul Thomas Anderson saw past Pepper Boy and Opera Man, or more accurately, he saw the potential within them. PTA wrote Punch Drunk Love with Adam Sandler in mind, not only launching Sandler’s dramatic turn, but effortlessly following up Magnolia. Especially with more recent releases featuring stand-out performances like The Meyerowitz Stories, Uncut Gems, and Hustle, he’s a bonafide thespian. 

Sandler has featured on a number of “worst actors in Hollywood'' lists and has been nominated for dozens of Razzie awards. In the past, plenty of people have been willing to comment on how unbelievable it is that Adam Sandler is still making movies. If you didn’t love him, you loved to hate him. More recently, Sandman’s place in pop culture has shifted. 

As shown in his filmography, Sandler has snuck his way into pop culture as a pillar of those that can do both comedy and drama, joining the likes John C. Reilly, Michaela Coel, John Cho, Olivia Coleman and more. He’s also made a name for himself as the goofy dad type in his real life, aided by the relatability of his trademark oversized t-shirt and basketball shorts, often sported in paparazzi photos. His less sophisticated work has humanised him and he hasn’t taken himself seriously in the public eye. Adam Sandler is one of a kind, and while he has never been perfect, there’s something that keeps us coming back for more.