Happy Gilmore

Adam Sandler is not everybody’s cup of tea, but he’s a fascinating actor to observe because his track record is frustratingly inconsistent. He can go from starring in one of the worst comedies ever conceived by Hollywood like Little Nicky or Jack & Jill, to appearing in genuinely liked and entertaining movies as well as legitimately dramatic features (his performance in Uncut Gems was so loved, people were upset he wasn’t nominated for an Oscar). Being a multi-time Razzie nominee who just so happens to be an incredibly kind-hearted soul who puts on a crassly juvenile cinematic persona, choosing whether to despise or adore his work is usually what audiences are forced to contemplate, but it’s safe to say there’s at least one film most people can get behind, and one prominent example is the 1996 sports comedy, Happy Gilmore.

Aspiring hockey player, Happy Gilmore (played by Adam Sandler) constantly tries to compete in the sport but is turned away due to his shoddy abilities on the rink and his explosive temper which often results in him beating up the surrounding players. To make matters worse, he learns that the house of his beloved grandmother (played by Frances Bay) is set to be foreclosed by the bank due to owning the IRS $270.000 in back taxes. Wanting to find a quick way to make money, Happy unexpectedly finds out that his ferocious swing makes him an ample golfer, which gets the attention of former golf star, Chubbs Peterson (played by the late Carl Weathers) who in turn convinces Happy to compete in the PGA Tour in order to win off his grandmother’s expenses. After a shaky start and plenty of failed putts, Happy starts to get the hang of this new sport, and despite his profane meltdowns being viewed as heinous by the tour officials and arrogant star golfer, Scooter McGavin (played by Christopher McDonald), the head of public relations, Virginia (played by Julie Bowen) helps convince them to let him keep playing as his antics are bringing in new viewers. With Scooter eying to humiliate Happy by any means necessary, this underdog with a violent edge swings for the top position in the hopes of saving his grandmother’s home.

Happy Gilmore is unanimously seen as one of Sandler’s better comedies and considering its recent resurgence with a sequel released in 2025 on Netflix, it’s clearly developed enough of a cult following to still be in people’s awareness almost twenty years later. As it stands, Happy Gilmore is not providing any clever or even original material and can feel very stripped back in terms of meaningful character or even emotional investment but has enough memorably funny moments and passionate performances to make it a tolerably brainless watch.

Being the second collaboration between Adam Sandler and SNL alumni, Tim Herlihy, after the financially successful 1995 Universal comedy, Billy Madison (which they both wrote together), Happy Gilmore (also released by Universal) came out during a time when Sandler was still finding his footing as an actor, having been fired from SNL two years prior and only starring in supporting roles in zany comedies that weren’t always the best received like Coneheads, Shakes the Clown and Going Overboard (even Billy Madison took a while for people to come around to it). With this in mind, you can feel how this premise would work well with a comedian like Sandler given his affinity for hyperactive childish situations and abrasive physical slapstick, and with it thankfully excluding some of his less-than-endearing staples like incessantly crass humor and occasionally racial-insensitive portrayals, it manages to stay on most people’s good sides. There is nothing that remarkable about this story, with it being a very standard comedic situation even for the 90s with a focus on saving a relative’s house from an evil corporation and needing to beat a jerk to win big in a championship to win money (a tale as old as the genre itself). It doesn’t really try anything that unique for this synopsis and the dialogue is usually pretty bland and not that funny most of the time, so it can feel like a bit of a dull slog in some areas, but what helps it is how it’s presented.

There haven’t been too many comedies centred around golf (probably because golf as a sport is pretty boring and not the easiest to make interesting), but much like how younger demographics were drawn to golf by Happy’s unproper demeanor, audiences were attracted by this more crazed take on what’s usually a peaceful sport, and since the film is moreso premature than idiotic, most would be more willing to tolerate its simplicity as long as it gives them a harmless fun time, which is kind of does. It’s a pretty short movie at only 90 mins, both Sander and Herlihy’s past SNL work comes through in how it feels like an extended sketch (with the cliched story beats and character archetypes) but with that format comes a sense of unpredictability to the jokes so it’s not always easy to expect what’s coming (like getting in a fist fight with Bob Barker) and the directing by Dennis Dugan (a four time Razzie nominee who would direct some of Sandler’s poorer films like both Grown Ups films and Jack & Jill) doesn’t bring anything special or fresh out of this idea and feels pretty safe in delivery, but at least goes at a good pace, doesn’t waste too much time on conflict the actors aren’t talented enough to pull off effectively, and composes the comedy just enough that it doesn’t feel aimless.

Adam Sandler can be pretty intolerable in the wrong role, with his man-child attitude and preference for playing loud, obnoxious, high-pitched whiners who have an affinity for crash and vulgar jokes, but he proves to be more of a chameleon than anticipated as despite essentially playing the same part multiple times over, he can pull off something memorable and even credible if given the opportunity. Given that he was still fresh by this point and hadn’t really starred in too many movies yet, his acting abilities in this movie aren’t really that great, with any moment that’s supposed to be taken ‘’seriously’’ feeling a little flat and even laughable in a bad way, but in terms of the comedy, he knows the routine and pulls it off effectively enough given the benchmark. Like a lot of his characters, Happy isn’t that interesting as a comedic lead, with his only stand out trait being his random violent outbursts (which even then kind of happen at random, so it isn’t always consistent). It’s not like he’s annoying like other Sandler leads and he does have a few great moments and lines that will always be iconic, but to call him a stand out character would be giving him way too much credit. In all honesty, most of the characters from a scripting level are not very good, only feeling like basic archetypes usually associated with these kinds of sports stories. The person who suffers this the worst is Julie Bowen as the bland love interest, as she offers next to nothing of value, has no memorable lines or interactions, and is solely involved just so Happy can get a girlfriend (even though she’s way out of his league, but wish fulfilment is also a staple of Sandler films).

What partially fixes this issue is that most of the actors do a good job bringing a spontaneity to their scenes, which in turns breathes more life into their parts and makes them stand out more, with the obvious stand out being Christopher McDonald as the villain. Despite being stuck with an incredibly boring character, McDonald is so well known for this part that it essentially created his career going forward, as he was usually cast as one-note villains who have a sense of humor about themselves which made them funnier and more memorable, and that routine is at its best in Happy Gilmore. He easily has some of the best reactions and line deliveries in the whole film, and it’s no surprise he remains as one of the most memorable villains in one of these comedies. The rest of the cast are also pretty good at bringing a lot to very little, whether its Frances Bay as a very endearing grandmother, Ben Stiller as a disturbed nursing home worker, Carl Weathers as Happy’s less-than-mentally-stable mentor, or even Bob Barker as a deranged version of himself, it’s a pretty good ensemble that knows the assignment.

What’s extra funny about this movie is that it’s actually decently well regarded in the golfing space. This isn’t the case with everybody as some weren’t a fan of the diminutive portrayal, but otherwise, it proved to be just as much a cult favorite amongst golfers as it was with film viewers, and that is a little endearing considering the movie does a decent enough job emulating the sport. It’s clearly heightened for cinematic purposes and it’s safe to presume the amount of beating up competitors and extreme swearing wouldn’t be commonly accepted on the course (even with higher viewership), but by showcasing the contrasting personality styles of hockey and golf through a player with a desire to play one, but has more capacity for the others,  leads to a memorable situation and showcases the differences but also the similarities between them.

The grassy hills and lakes of a golf course make for more of a peaceful environment than a cold hockey rink (which makes the ensue chaos more noticeable), the way some of the golf matches are filmed by cinematographer, Arthur Albert, brings a nice balance of overly exaggerated zoom-ins that comedically showcase the extreme distance the balls are going, and a more realistic viewpoint that truly make the hit feel more impactful, and even though the sport is mocked in the film for being a little dull and full of stuffy people, it doesn’t feel mean-spirited and by the end, demonstrates the drive and effort the players have to put in to obtain success (just like any other sport). The soundtrack is packed full of songs of the time that feel a little irritating (although not as bad as other movies), and while Sandler films always have painfully forced product placement (with this film being no different), it’s also not as terrible as later examples.

Happy Gilmore feels like one of Sandler’s few dumb comedies that probably won’t get any major negative responses from people (even critics who were mixed on it at the time still had nice things to say), and it set him up to be an actor audiences would be interested in seeing more of (he would continually take that for granted with abhorrent release after abhorrent release, but that’s beside the point). This isn’t a great comedy by any stretch of the word and even by basic movie standards, it doesn’t really do anything remarkably well with subpar characters, a very stock story, and a pretty unfunny script, but through a solid enough premise and execution, good performances, and at least some stability behind its choice of humor and tone, it turns out something that is worth remembering. Considering the quick but quiet failure of the sequel, it’s not a movie that will last forever, but for its brief time in the sun, it probably did earn its rightful prize.