Adam Sandler’s Best Film Roles
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The post Adam Sandler’s Best Film Roles appeared first on Consequence.
When Adam Sandler first broke out as a Saturday Night Live cast member, he probably wasn’t at the top of anyone’s list of future awards season contenders. But that’s life for you — full of surprises, like how the same guy who got into an on-screen fistfight with Bob Barker could prove to be a sharp, nuanced, and vulnerable dramatic actor.
Sandler has always kept his feet firmly planted in both worlds, as evidenced by his recently announced 2022 stand-up tour, and not all of his dramatic work has flourished — much like his comedy projects, which have sometimes been great and sometimes suffered from lazy execution or premises that were a little too far out there. (On the advice of counsel, at this time we will not be mentioning the existence of Jack & Jill or The Cobbler.)
But one consistency is this: When the Sandman really commits to a project, one that clearly has deep personal significance for him, the results can be truly extraordinary. That, and his occasional fearlessness when it comes to taking creative risks, has ensured his place as one of his generation’s greatest comedians — who might yet win an Oscar someday.
— Liz Shannon Miller
10. Sonny Koufax, Big Daddy
Following a breakup with his girlfriend, who thinks he’s too immature, Adam Sandler’s Sonny Koufax attempts to become a responsible adult by adopting and raising a five-year-old boy. Sonny Koufax is considered to be a major step in Adam Sandler’s acting career, deviating from Sandler’s usual crude humor to showcase him in a more heartfelt role. While Sandler could have chosen a completely serious role, Sonny Koufax had the perfect mix of innocent immaturity and heart that eased the audience into Sandler’s acting range. — Caitlyn Taylor
09. Stanley Sugerman, Hustle
A basketball savant in real life, Hustle feels like a passion piece for Sandler, as his immersion into the NBA realm is seamless. As prospect scout Stanley Sugerman, we see a determined Sandler attempting to not only make his dreams come true, but do the same for an unknown talent with immense potential.
Sandler plays well off of the unexpected performance from NBA forward Juan Hernangomez, as the two grow together both physically and as characters through their training sessions. Hustle serves as a reverse version of Rocky, where the emphasis is placed on this story’s Mickey Goldmill, and the lengths a trainer will go to prepare their protege for their end goal. – Joe Eckstein
08. Danny Meyerowitz, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
The Meyerowitz Stories continued Sandler’s pattern of playing characters down on their luck but with enough heart to make the audience laugh. Like many of Sandler’s best characters, Danny is at a turning point in his life as the black sheep of the Meyerowitz family, recently divorced, with a daughter ready for college. While the Noah Baumbach dramedy isn’t the most humorous of movies, the familial and relationship drama between the film’s characters adds maturity without suppressing Sandler’s innate comedic spark. — C.T.
07. Count “Drac” Dracula, Hotel Transylvania
You can’t have Count Dracula without Adam Sandler. Considered to be Sander’s highest-grossing performance (in a career filled with blockbusters), Sandler has proved to the world that he has the acting chops for both emotion and comedy with this role. Sandler enhances the Count’s personality with his fantastic line delivery and conviction, submerging himself in the role so naturally that average moviegoers might not even realize that it was him behind the fangs. — C.T.
06. Michael Newman, Click
The 2000s were packed with high-concept comedies like Click, but while certain elements of the film have aged pretty terribly, Sandler’s performance still stands out as a notable transition point in his career. Look, this is a film about a guy who gets a magic remote from the Angel of Death, as played by Christopher Walken, but Sandler still manages to bring real gravitas to the second half of the film, as he starts literally fast-forwarding through his life, only realizing the repercussions once it’s too late. — L.S.M.
05. Happy Gilmore, Happy Gilmore
In the Sandler pantheon, Happy Gilmore belongs to the same subcategory as broader efforts like Billy Madison and The Waterboy, but Happy Gilmore deserves recognition for how early he found a sweet spot between his rage-filled manchild persona and likable comedic protagonist.
As an aspiring hockey player who finds his talents much better suited to golf, Happy as a character has just enough edge to keep the action interesting, with him learning how to control his anger as a major plot point of the film. And the breezy naturalism of his interactions with the supporting cast, including Christopher McDonald, Carl Weathers, and Julie Bowen, prove his ability to thrive in an ensemble. — L.S.M.
04. Barry Egan, Punch-Drunk Love
By the time Paul Thomas Anderson had the idea to follow up his epic Magnolia with a 90-minute romantic comedy, Adam Sandler had already established himself as a bankable comedy star. But their collaboration here was the first real evidence of Sandler’s deeper talents, as Anderson wrote Sandler a perfect role: an anxious, occasionally angry young man who just wants to find someone to love.
Not only is it fascinating to see Sandler slip so naturally into a different gear, but without Anderson unlocking Sandler’s potential here, this list would be a whole lot shorter (or might not exist at all). — L.S.M.
03. George Simmons, Funny People
Sandler teamed up with his old friend Judd Apatow to make a movie about a big comedy star facing a midlife crisis, and the results were shockingly intimate, as young comic Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) comes to understand the upsides and downsides of fame after working with George on material.
Known for playing big characters, Funny People challenged Sandler to play a character not all that different from himself, grappling with issues around career, family, and life in general. And Sandler’s really funny in it too, whether it be flexing his stand-up muscles or starring in the movie-within-a-movie clips (still scarred for life by the image of Baby Adam Sandler announcing “I have a one-inch penis”). — L.S.M.
02. Robbie Hart, The Wedding Singer
Coupling Sandler’s love for singing with his comedic sense yielded his charming performance as Robbie Hart. While not nearly as dramatic as other roles, Sandler’s hopeless romantic manages to balance himself between humor and anguish, crafting a character you can’t help but root for. Whether it be eviscerating a crowd after a misery-filled rendition of “Love Stinks” or accepting meatballs as currency, the charm of Hart derives from Sandler’s range of emotions coming together to form a character that encapsulates past and future performances. – J.E.
01. Howard Ratner, Uncut Gems
A performance that was years in the making, the Safdie Brothers knew from the jump that Sandler was the perfect fit for Howard Ratner. And their patience paid off, as the way Sandler navigates such a complex character produced a restless character study for the ages.
The sleaziness of Ratner is palpable, as his inability to recognize his mistakes continue to fuel an addiction to gambling, not just in sports, but in life as well. Yet, you root for him. You feel your adrenaline rise as his does. The losses hit viewers as hard as they hit him. As corrupt as Ratner is, you manage to ignore the red flags, thanks in part to just how captivating Sandler portrays him in each moment. – J.E.
Adam Sandler’s Best Film Roles
Liz Shannon Miller, Caitlyn Taylor and Joe Eckstein
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