Club Benefits
Every person from 21 to 70 has a relationship with Adam Sandler. The boomer looks at Sandler as the guy who does dumb voices and tries to be Rodney Dangerfield. Gen Z likely looks at the Sandman as a Netflix star who bounces between raunchy comedies and kid-friendly projects. For millennials (like myself) and Gen X, Sandler is a god. From his days on “Saturday Night Live” through the early 2010s, Sandler had a strong claim to being the most important comedy star of that era.
Asking someone to name their favorite Sandler movie is like asking someone to pick what they want for dinner; it’s all about the vibe. One night, penne alla vodka is on the menu, and the following night, it’s fried rice. The same can be said for Sandler movies. If I want unhinged Sandler, I’m going with “Uncut Gems.” For a heartfelt Sandler, “Big Daddy” still plays with my emotions.
‘Happy Gilmore’ has an unorthodox premise, but it follows the sports movie formula
“Happy Gilmore” is a comedy built inside a sports movie. The modern-day sports movie traces back to 1974 with the first outstanding one, “The Longest Yard.” Two years later, “Rocky” set the template that many sports movies have followed, including “Happy Gilmore.” “Rocky” centers on a down-on-his-luck boxer who overcomes the odds to become a hero. Throughout his journey, Rocky faces adversity from both his enemies and himself. Several training scenes show off Rocky’s talent as he prepares for the showdown.
"Just tap it in. Give it a little tappy. Tap tap taparoo." - Happy Gilmore
"It’s all in the hips. It’s all in the hips. It’s all in the hips." — Chubbs Peterson
"You’re gonna die, clown!" — Happy Gilmore
"Stay out of my way, or you'll pay! Listen to what I say!" — Shooter McGavin
"You’re in my world now, Grandma." — Hal L.
"The price is wrong, bitch!" — Bob Barker
"Are you too good for your home? Answer me!" — Happy Gilmore
Is “Happy Gilmore” golf’s version of “Rocky”? It’s not. Happy would have become a hockey player in that scenario. However, there are “Rocky-esque” beats in “Happy Gilmore” that would make Sylvester Stallone proud.
First, there’s the unlikely protagonist, Happy Gilmore (Sandler). Happy dreams of becoming a pro hockey player, but he doesn’t have the skills or talent to compete at the next level.
Like any underdog, Happy faces an adversary in the form of the IRS, which will take his grandmother’s (Frances Bay) house in 90 days unless he pays around $300,000. Desperate for money, Happy turns to an unlikely sport: golf. He might not be able to putt, but Happy can drive the ball over 400 yards, which helps him win a local tournament to earn a spot on the PGA Tour.
Happy refining his game on the tour and practicing with his coach, Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers), is equivalent to Rocky punching the meat or running in the streets. More than halfway through the movie, you think Happy is going to get the money, the house, and the girl — PGA Tour employee Virginia Benit (Julie Bowen). However, a setback in the form of an alligator's head derails his progress.
But like any successful sports movie, the hero makes a late comeback against the villain, Shooter McGavin (more on him later), setting the stage for the last component of a sports movie: the chills scene. In “Rocky,” it’s the final round between Rocky and Apollo. In “Happy Gilmore,” it’s the final putt, where instead of hitting around the scaffolding to force a playoff, Happy goes for glory. One impossible shot later, and Happy wins the Tour Championship, completing his hero’s journey. Happy might have taken the unorthodox route, which included a few fights and a car crash, but he got it done nonetheless.
Unforgettable supporting characters and hilarious gags
The strength of any Sandler movie is the supporting cast. Sandler is known for gathering his Happy Madison crew, flying them to a tropical location, and filming a movie with them. It’s the Sandler special: Go on vacation and have the studio pay for it. Genius move. In 1996, Sandler’s crew was still in its infancy, meaning he had to find the right ensemble to deliver.
Forget sports movies; Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin is one of the best-cast villains of the last 30 years. “Happy Gilmore” does not work without McDonald, nor does it have this unbelievable legacy as an iconic comedy. It’s not hard to create a villain based on golf stereotypes — rich and arrogant white dudes. Shooter fully embraces his country-club roots and becomes Happy’s biggest detractor. You have no choice but to hate the guy who uttered the phrase, “Real estate speculation is a hobby of mine,” after buying Grandma Gilmore’s house.
The secret to why Shooter works as a character is his lack of intelligence. Shooter is a dummy, which makes it that much sweeter whenever Happy can sneak in a dig or two. He eats pieces of you-know-what for breakfast. He rhymes when he’s frazzled. He had to hit a ball off Sasquatch’s foot. This is Shooter’s tour, finger guns and all, which makes it that much funnier that he loses to a guy who uses a Ritz cracker to mark his golf ball.
The other great villain of “Happy Gilmore” is Hal, the evil nursing home manager played by Ben Stiller. Hal might not have five minutes of screen time, but he makes the most of it. “You could trouble me for a warm glass of shut the hell up!” “Now your back’s going to hurt because you just pulled landscaping duty. “Does anybody else’s fingers hurt?” I’d like to think that Stiller used Hal as inspiration for White Goodman in “Dodgeball.”
While Shooter and Hal are evil, Chubbs is the perfect sidekick for Happy. With a wooden hand and an affinity for hip movements, Chubbs takes Happy’s game to the next level and inspires him to find his “Happy Place” and “tap it in.” It’s a shame the gator that got Chubbs’ hand also caused his death.
Other indelible characters include Donald Floyd (Joe Flaherty), the man who taunted Happy and ran him over with a car; Otto (Allen Covert), the homeless man who becomes Happy’s caddy; and Bob Barker as himself, who quite literally gives one of the funniest heat-check performances in movie history when he fights Happy at the pro-am. The price is wrong…
It all comes back to Sandler
As much as I love the supporting characters, Sandler and his performance are the movie’s lasting memory. The fact that Sandler can unite audiences through immature humor and ridiculous voices is a testament to his talent and, more importantly, likability. I don’t like Sandler; I love him. It's like if your cool older brother had the stories of your fun uncle. It’s always a fun time hanging out with him.
I understand that to a certain generation, screaming “You’re gonna die, clown” will generate a distasteful reaction. It’s quite the opposite for me. Give me all of the Sandlerisms — singing into the intercom, fighting an alligator, screaming at a golf ball, and wearing sweatpants and Timbs on a golf course. If I catch Happy making his comeback at the Tour Championship on television, cancel my plans because I’m not moving until he gets his gold jacket.
I’m always going to ride for Sandler. He’s one of our finest actors because of his versatility. Sandler can play Happy Gilmore and then star in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. Could Leonardo DiCaprio ever play Little Nicky? I don’t think so. Sandler's flexibility makes him one of the greats. While I'm still searching for his next great comedy, I'm more than OK revisiting his one about the foul-mouthed hockey player who turns to golf to save his grandma's house.
By the way, “Happy Gilmore 2” is not that bad. I laughed more than expected.
Stream Happy Gilmore on Peacock
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