"Shooter McGavins" I forgot how much I love this movie. Of all the films in the Adam Sandler canon this one is my favourite. It set the standard (and trend) in 1996 for the rest to follow. But wait, what's this…a canon?? Well yeah, sure, why not?
Let's face it, of the films he has either produced or written (The Longest Yard (2005), Little Nicky (2000), Big Daddy (1999), The Waterboy (1998), Happy Gilmore (1996), Billy Madison (1995)) this one is the best. Big Daddy comes a very close 2nd as the most polished (the use of editing and soundtrack - Garbage's "When I Grow Up" anybody?) but morals end up getting in the way of laugh-out-loud moments e.g. Kevin Nealon's character Gary Potter tries to settle Gilmore's first TV appearance nerves…"The ball wants to go home, it's packed its bags, bought the ticket, now just get it on the plane").
Of course some of his films don't work. Not only do they fail to raise a laugh but some even make you cringe as his chauvinistic dialogue and visual gags fail to impress. Do we need to see Julie Bowen wearing next to nothing carrying massive jugs of beer even once, never mind thrice? Thankfully though is doesn't get any worse. But this is something Sandler has developed throughout his body of work and now something his token minority characters, whether Asian, Hispanic, Gay or midget, give nod to. At one point the commentator says "quite a large and economically diverse crowd here at the Michelob Invitational". Sandler's Capra-esque characters are nothing new, these much loved all-American working-class men who put their fellow human kind ahead of themselves are always pleasant and easy to watch.
If you haven't seen it yet then stick it on your list, possibly the finest golf movie made, after Tin Cup (1996) of course.
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