50 First Dates (2004)

 50 First Dates (2004)

 

7/10

Starring

Adam Sandler

Drew Barrymore

Rob Schneider

Sean Astin

Dan Aykroyd

 

Directed by Peter Segal

 

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore were the wonderful couple from The Wedding Singer (1998) and seeing them come together for this film again, I knew back then in Uni, I had to see it. I recall owning the DVD for this movie and watched it over and over again. I never got tired of seeing Sandler’s character Henry try daily to make Lucy (Barrymore) fall in love with him every day. The complexity this will take for any man is removed from this movie and the movie just coasts on the idea of a fun romantic comedy about a man hooked on a girl who cannot remember who he is the next day.

The movie’s use of some humor had me laughing and smiling, we do not get such humor anymore these days as the politically correct crew will come after anyone who makes fat jokes, criticise long-term commitment or drug use jokes. This were the golden times when jokes were seen as such, jokes.

The movie explores the life of a lady Lucy who suffered brain damage. She has some sort of amnesia which makes it impossible for her to retain short term memory. Everything to Lucy stopped on the day of her accident and she relives that same day every day. The movie has a sense of Groundhog Day (Bill Murray), with the complexity that followed the movie removed, this is a more easy and funnier Groundhog Day.

Here is where Henry comes in. He sees Lucy at a diner and approaches her. The hit it off had a beautiful breakfast together and were to meet again for another. He shows up the next day and she does not know who he is and is upset that he is coming onto her.

Henry is brought up to speed on what happened to Lucy and instead of turning away, he liked the challenge and tried daily to get her attention but failed many times. Until he decided to stop trying to do it easy and come up with more complex rues to get her attention. This worked and they started a funny relationship.

Things got difficult for them, and the movie takes us through this difficulty when you start to believe that one day at least once she will wake up and remember who you are.

The movie was a box office success back in 2004 and it is a keeper. I know in the future I will again go searching for where I can sit down and rewatch Sandler and Barrymore play love mates again. She to me has been the best on-screen couple pairing he has had so far in his career.