Happy Gilmore: Dennis Dugan

Dennis Dugan's Happy Gilmore relies almost entirely on one concept and one assumption. The concept is this: what would happen if a hyper-violent hockey player became a professional golfer? Golf has been historically mocked for its pretentiousness and white-collar patronage, so subverting it with a hero who is abrasive, offensive, and decidedly blue-collar is a sound comedic set-up. But methinks that it would best be suited for a single short sketch on a variety show or sketch comedy program like Saturday Night Live or Chappelle's Show. And here's where that single assumption comes in: do you find Adam Sandler funny? If you don't, Happy Gilmore will annoy you to no end. If you do, then the film will be an enjoyable, if slightly repetitive (how many times can a random passerby be hit with a golf ball and still have it be funny?) experience. More often than not, I find Sandler's shtick to be too mean-spirited and unpleasant to enjoy. But in Happy Gilmore, we are blessed with a genuinely sympathetic character. Well...almost. Yes, Sandler's character Happy Gilmore is pathologically violent and confrontational, but everything he does in the film is in the service of helping his grandmother buy her house back from the IRS. It also helps that Christopher McDonald delivers one of his most memorable performances as the arrogant, smarmy, and dastardly Shooter McGavin, a pro golfer who is determined to get Happy kicked out from the sport because he is stealing his fame. If you can't give the audience somebody to cheer for, give them somebody to cheer against. And yes, the fight scene with Bob Barker is worth the price of admission.

7/10