50 First Dates

Release year: 2004
My Rating: ★★★★ out of 5

Tagline: Imagine having to win over the girl of your dreams… every friggin’ day.

Synopsis: Henry is a player skilled at seducing women. But when this veterinarian meets Lucy, a girl with a quirky problem when it comes to total recall, he realizes it’s possible to fall in love all over again…and again, and again. That’s because the delightful Lucy has no short-term memory, so Henry must woo her day after day until he finally sweeps her off her feet.

Oh my god, I'm gonna cry again :(

In a sea of mediocre to bad movies coming up in Adam Sandler's catalogue, 50 First Dates shines so much brighter than the rest. Not only is it a good move, but I would call it a great movie. 

I think as we approach the mid-2000s, Adam Sandler somewhat develops a complacency in his movies that makes him feel a bit devoid of passion. Like he is still making all these movies, but for the most part, it feels like it's just he's just doing it for the paycheck. And as this is both the first Sandler movie filmed in a truly amazing location like Hawaii and it's actually good, you can kinda feel him chasing that high in future movies of how amazing it must have been to make this one.

This is the epitome of the Adam Sandler love interests. Not only is Drew Barrymore incredible in this, but her and Sandler's chemistry is among the best of any romantic comedy I've ever seen. These two are not actually together in real life, nor have they ever been. But I think it's easy to see how deeply these two care about each other. And if they don't and this is all an act, bravo.

It's such an interesting concept for a movie: can you get someone to fall in love with you if they forget you every day? I think the movie does a so much better and more respectful job than I would ever expect a Sandler movie to handle this. It would be very easy to view Adam Sandler as a major creep in this movie. I mean there's a world where a guy like this would take advantage of Barrymore's lost memory to just make her sleep with him without repercussions. But I think they show how he falls in love so convincingly, and have him start to fall for her before he even knows her condition that it feels okay. I think it's smart that everyone else treats him as being a creep initially, because, wouldn't that be how you feel? But he proves himself both to us and those around him.

And I also think the challenges of this relationship also work so well. You start to think that of course this can't go well. But as Sandler learns more about Barrymore's character, and we see how he gets her to fall in love with him every single day, we start to root so hard for them. But then when she starts to feel she can't be with him, you also understand. Every moment in this movie feels earned up to the very end. And I think we get such a great ending that doesn't just try to minimize Barrymore's condition. I won't spoil it because it shocked me at how satisfied I was.

I'd say I'm an emotional person, but very often while watching movies, I can find it hard to get something to make it through my exterior. Lots of emotional and romantic movies don't get me. But this movie. I think I remember a point watching this where I was straight up bawling. There's just so much adoration between the two characters and the actors. Add into that the 5 months I've spent seeing Adam Sandler grow as an actor and a person, all while I'm about to go through such a major milestone and life change of graduating in 2 weeks, and it just hit me like a truck. 

You know, this blog works in mysterious ways. Never would I have thought in a moment of going through my own emotions and hardships in current day that I would be here writing about my most emotionally impactful Adam Sandler movie. But I think this movie couldn't have come at a better time. Sometimes you need a big cry to get all those emotions out you've been holding in, and just maybe after you do that, eventually you start to realize everything is going to be okay. There is a moment you might be feeling so much, crying so hard, but it always comes back around to that moment things start to feel a little better. I'm feeling that now, and I think 4 years ago when I watched this movie, I needed that too.

I love this movie and cannot recommend it enough. I understand that romantic comedies are not everyone's cup of tea, but maybe this could be the one to pierce your cold, black heart, you soulless monster! If your ever in a moment where you're in love, dealing with the difficulties of love, or just want to watch something to make you feel a little hope in the world trying ever so hard to drag you down, give this a watch. Hopefully you're able to see what I see.

No, I'm not going to talk about Rob Schneider this time!