The depressing decline of Adam Sandler
Simon used to like Adam Sandler films. Even the bad ones. Now? He's not even sure that Adam Sandler does. But there may yet be hope...
A few years back, I wrote a piece for this site entitled the 10 things Eddie Murphy needs to do to resurrect his career (you can read it here). It was written as a fan of Murphy’s earlier work, who had sat and watched in despair as courage-free film choice after courage-free film choice hammered his movie career into the ground.
Looking down the list, as years have gone by, a number of the points in that list increasingly apply to Adam Sandler. I’ve long liked Adam Sandler, but there’s only so long you can peddle the argument that he’s better than the material he’s given, especially as he’s writing most of that material himself (or, at the very least, producing it, given him ample opportunity to call bullshit).
Ever since The Wedding Singer and The Waterboy launched his career into the stratosphere, he’s been one of the most reliable box office draws. Every overtly commercial film he’s made, bar Little Nicky, has generated good numbers, his films are relatively cheap to make, and Sandler’s ability to mine jokes from weak scripts kept the dollars flowing.
At least, until recently. Last year, Adam Sandler took an ill-advised trip down Eddie Murphy Avenue with Jack And Jill. Here, he not only took on two roles, he also played the female lead. Even Murphy doesn’t do this any more, and the decreasing return for the last Big Mommas instalment has hopefully put Martin Lawrence off, too. Sandler’s reward for such a clichéd, depressing decision was the worst box office he’s had in some time. Jack And Jill was no failure, but its $74m US take was his lowest for an outright ‘comedy’ since 2000’s aforementioned Little Nicky.
Was it just a blip? Seemingly not. Sandler’s new film hasn’t made it to the UK yet, but That’s My Boy has arrived in American cinemas, and stands at just $28m in takings, after two weekends. It’ll just about crawl over $30m, but not much further than that. You have to go back to 1996's Bulletproof to see numbers that low for a Sandler comedy.
That’s My Boy has been met by the increasingly usual scathing reviews for a Sandler movie (sadly, the excellent Andy Samberg co-stars in this one), once more citing the risk-free approach to movie-making that the star seems to have settled on. His next live action movie doesn’t bode much better: he’s currently filming the sequel to his biggest hit, Grown Ups 2, which suggests more of the same, with the same old faces around him.
What’s particularly disappointing with Sandler, when compared to Eddie Murphy, is that he had the balance right for a long time. Sandler was brave, where Murphy went for the quick bucks right the way through the past decade or so. Sandler was willing to stretch himself, his lead role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love being the obvious example. And while box office or awards glory didn’t follow his turns in James L Brooks’ underrated Spanglish, or Judd Apatow’s excellent Funny People, they were film choices that were rightly admired. They weren’t damaging the box office of his main brand of comedies, but they were showing there was far more to Sandler than he was often given credit for.
Sadly, since the release and commercial disappointment of Funny People, Sandler has played firmly on safer ground, and shows little sign of leaving it. Thus, we’ve had Grown Ups, Just Go With It, Jack And Jill and That’s My Boy. I’ve got more time than I probably should have for the first two of those, but that’s still four of the most undemanding, forgettable films of the past few years, all in a row.
Yet Sandler is a real comedy talent. I still maintain that. He’s grown lazy in terms of how far he’s willing to push himself, certainly (although his level of industry is hardly slowing down), but he’s far from a lost cause. And there’s a hope that the commercial disappointment of his last two films might just persuade him to try something different. To take on a new risk. To work outside of the usual group (and style) of directors and co-stars, and move out of his comfort zone.
I’m not going to make an argument that Sandler is a De Niro in waiting, but I do think that there’s a much better actor and performer in there than we’ve been able to see for a few years now. It’s to his credit that he’s capable of raising a laugh in even the weakest of films (Jack And Jill aside), but I still believe he’s better than that.
So what should he do? Well, he’s got a few options. He doesn’t actually need to do anything per se: his films have made him very rich, and chances are Grown Ups 2 – his first sequel, to his credit - will return him another sizeable hit. However, the warning signs are there that the cinema-going audience might just be tiring of more of the same.
Could he, then, try some more serious fare again? That’d be my biggest wish. For him to stretch himself again as a performer, and ideally, as a writer and producer, too. Even if he doesn’t want to move away from comedy, his decision to make Funny People was an interesting one. Here, he moved away from directors like Frank Coraci and Dennis Dugan, to whom he’s most closely aligned, and worked with Judd Apatow (not for the first time: Sandler cameoed in Undeclared once upon a time). That was a good move, even if the box office numbers didn’t follow.
It’d be interesting to see Sandler working with different comedy talent, particularly writers, to see where else he can take his movies. The better comedy hits of recent years – 21 Jump Street and Easy A spring to mind – all had a strong screenplay at the heart of them, and I can’t honestly remember the last big Sandler-style comedy where that was the case. The Wedding Singer, perhaps?
Sandler is far from a lost cause, but he’d still do well to heed the warnings of Eddie Murphy. Murphy took his audience for granted, and hit them with more of the same, after more of the same. It was a cynical approach in the end (one that made Murphy lots of money), and one that rightly backfired.
Going back to that Murphy list I mentioned right at the start, at least half the points of that apply to Adam Sandler right now. And it’d be a real pity if that was still the case in five years’ time, on the eve of the release of Grown Ups 3. Even though recent evidence is to the contrary, I still believe that Sandler is better than that.
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The single most unfunny member of the Saturday Night Live alumni ever! At least Eddie Murphy made Beverley Hills Cop.
You've got to bloody kidding me. Sandler is one of the box offices most bizarre enduring phenomena. He is not funny and how his movies continue to rake cash in from the US market is beyond me. This guy past his sell by date ten years ago.
Decline infers that he was once good.I say he is just as crap as he ever was.
I absolutely love early Sandler- Billy Madison; Happy Gilmore and the Wedding Singer (both probably top 20 comedies of all time IMO), even some later work like 50 First Dates, Funny People and Mr Deeds are all very funny, solid pieces of work. Recently though, I've just lost heart- he used to be someone who would make me pick up a DVD just by being in it, but now I don't even look at the covers.
My solution- make another film with Drew Barrymore. They have such brilliant chemistry, I think that could be the first step on putting him back on my map and hopefully a first step away from the drudge he's currently putting out.
This article could easily apply to WIll Ferrell too in a couple of years too but he seems to have toned it down a bit recently.
It would only be depressing if his movies still made money! It appears that the Yanks have finally had enough....
How long before they wake up to Tyler Perry?! That dude's making a fortune dressing up as his ugly Aunt, and doesn't have a 'Punch Drunk Love' in his oeuvre to defend him!
He has Three Mississippi with Will Ferrell coming up.
You were doing well until you described Andy Samberg as excellent.
How can you decline when you were at the bottom to begin with?
They'll never wake up to Tyler Perry, because he aims his movies at a very loyal segment of the US population. The black community, for whatever reason, loves the guy and really gets behind his projects, be they film or television.
I actually liked Grown Ups. I caught it about halfway through on TMN the first time I saw it, and laughed a lot. It felt like a 90 minute SNL sketch...from when those guys were on it, not the abysmal attempt at comedy SNL is now. The only thing that kept Grown Ups from being perfect, in my mind, was the constant reminder that Kevin James' role was supposed to be Chris Farley. It's fact; that should've been Chris Farley.
That being said, Grown Ups 2? Didn't we say all that needed to be said in the first Grown Ups? A sequel just seems unnecessary and like a cash-grab.
I will defend Mr Deeds to the death because it has so much heart, which is also true of The Wedding Singer. Simon is so right that there's a gifted performer in Adam Sandler. Maybe it's just a question of heart - and brain - being in the right place...
South Park warned us of the horrors of Jack and Jill back in season 8 and no one listened or perhaps someone did and they're to blame for such an abysmal idea reaching the big screen. I personally can't stand Adam Sandler he comes across as irritating to me in everything I've seen him in but different strokes for different folks there's obviously plenty of people that do enjoy his brand of entertainment.
Maybe there needs to be an Expendables-type film for washed-up/unfunny comic actors. I can see it now: Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, Martin Lawrence, Sasha Baron Cohen, Chris Tucker, Jack Black, Rob Schneider, Mike Meyers...
Adam Sandler is a great talent. He is a writer, producer, actor, he has his own production company. He is answerable to no one. He can make whatever films he likes, and they still make money. I wouldn't mind being in his shoes. He may be having a lean period, but you can almost guarantee good things to come. I have only seen 1 or 2 films at the flicks, but I have watched many when flicking through the channels and finding one on. The sort of films which fill in a couple of hours, and lighten the mood. That's all they need to be.
I used to love his older stuff but haven't really watched anything of his since
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
I'm Black, and I hate the guy. Just for the reason's you named. But you are absolutely right. His fan base is so strong. Not screening his films for critics, doesn't even hurt his box Office take.
The only Adam Sandler film I have seen is 50 first dates which was at best average, every time I see a trailer for one of his films it looks terrible.
I will never forgive him for the excruciating two hours I had to endure when I watched that Larry and Chuck film. I couldn't even leave because I was in the middle of canada and didn't have any way to get back without my co watchers.
Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore, Mr Deeds, Little Nicky - all funny. There should be some kind of law which prevents people from writing and producing their own movie roles - possibly called the Costner rule. Only Clint seems immune from this. Just remembered Katherine Heigl- would She ever work again if she stopped writing and producing herself? Sandler has so lost his way.
I liked him best in Reign Over Me.
I Agree. He always makes films with kevin james and rob schnieder.
He needs to get out of his comfort zone and do another one like reign over me, or punch Drunk love. Pity about samberg though
Punch Drunk Love and Funny People are the only Sandler movies I've really enjoyed...
'The excellent Andy Samberg'? This is presumably a different Andy Samberg to the one the rest of us are thinking about.
That sounds so godawful it might just work, dammit. Or at least tank at the box office and bury all their careers for good. Either way, I'm in!
I don't even know who Tyler Perry is... Never seen his face on dutch tv. Guess we don't like him :P
How much bathroom humor can people take? He loads up his movies with hot chicks (usually in bikinis) to draw in guys but even most guys have tired of this junk....
That's My Boy is freaking hilarious. A much funnier film than 21 Jump Street... I'm not saying that as an Adam Sandler fan either, didn't even want to go to the film. My younger brother persuaded us to take our dad. Turned out to be a great idea. Haven't been to a theater that laughed half as much since Superbad.
The rest I can agree with, but Jim Carrey? Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind was probably my favourite film of the last decade. I wouldn't exactly call him washed up
you forgot some cruddy movies like click,zohan,anger managment, bedtime stories,the longest yard...
Thats My Boy was really fun and it was actually a good movie as well.
When you watch it just watch it and let your self be entertained. Dont go looking for Citizen Kane
Actually that was a good film... I stand corrected, sir!
I think he's great from a sheer success story angle; he's doing this ALL HIMSELF and it's amazing to see him raking in serious money and turning Atlanta into Black Hollywood (or Black Vancouver, since they're shooting so much TV there now). Still, his movies? Not my cup of tea.
I am really just sick of Adam Sandler, Vince Vaughn and Ben Miller. Don't really see how they carry on getting roles. They were good early in their careers but dragged themselves into the mud of playing the same characters again and again and again until people got tired. It is the same with these threes; same characters, same jokes, same stories.
But they problems is that they are so out-of-touch and up-themselves that they refuse to change. Their humour is not that funny anymore. Look at the Dilemma, Little Fockers and That's My Boy to see what I mean.
Maybe they should branch out, be innovative and launch a different type of acting career instead of comedy, that might only be the only ways to resurrect their careers. More Growns Up or Meet the whatevers won't do it.
As for Eddie Murphy, he should go back to stand-up, I've said this time and time again.
Eva Amurri Martino could have been in that's my boy for longer, but it was bloody funny anyway
Thats my boy was so terrible and disgusting I had to turn it off
Agreed, although Kevin Nealon could give him some competition in the 'Most Unfunny' category of SNL alumni.