50 First Dates [M]

Henry Roth has got the perfect love life: one holiday fling after another as he only goes for girls who are vacationing on the island and aren’t looking for a man. But then one day he meets Lucy a local art teacher and it’s true love. At first Henry is concerned about commitment, but he soon discovers that that’s the least of his worries: a year ago Lucy was in a car accident and suffered a head injury that caused her to lose her short-term memory. When she and Henry meet and hit it off, she doesn’t remember him the next day and soon Henry finds himself having to woo her day after day after day. 

I think that this is the best thing that Adam Sandler has done. As I’ve confessed in various posts, I’m not a Sandler fan; I don’t plan to get on that wagon any time soon either, I just find him annoying and very hard to take. But 50 First Dates I will gladly sit down and watch again and again because this is a very lovely little romantic comedy. It’s fresh, witty, and fun, and even Sandler shines as the goofy Prince Charming. I really like this movie. 

Henry Roth has got the perfect love life: one holiday fling after another as he only goes for girls who are vacationing on the island and aren’t looking for a man. But then one day he meets Lucy a local art teacher and it’s true love. At first Henry is concerned about commitment, but he soon discovers that that’s the least of his worries: a year ago Lucy was in a car accident and suffered a head injury that caused her to lose her short-term memory. When she and Henry meet and hit it off, she doesn’t remember him the next day and soon Henry finds himself having to woo her day after day after day. 

The story, for a start, is wonderful. It’s a fresh and original idea and lends itself to all sorts of different interpretations in terms of genre. We have the romance aspect with the leading man constantly having to woo the girl of his dreams. There is plenty of comedy that then arises in the process of the wooing. And finally there is a very dramatic aspect that comes into play when we see Lucy learn of the accident and what it did to her. 

Drew Barrymore stars as Lucy and she delivers a wonderful performance that’s vibrant, funny, emotional, and very beautiful. I’ve always loved Drew Barrymore and she’s irresistible in this film. 

On the downside, some of the comedy can be a little tongue-in-cheek and occasionally a bit tasteless, but overall this movie is a sparkling little stone of a romantic comedy that I think holds some enjoyment for everyone. One of my personal favourite parts is with Jacko the walrus. HE’S FANTASTIC! 

Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Sean Astin, Rob Schneider, Lusia Strus, Amy Hill, Blake Clark, Maya Rudolph, Pomaika’j Brown, and Dan Akroyd, 50 First Dates is a wonderful little movie filled with romance, drama, adorable live animals, and comedy. It’s one of the really rare Sandler movies that I will willingly sit down and watch again.