For decades,Adam Sandlerhas been one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, churning out hit comedy after hit comedy despite the less than stellar reputation a lot of them might have. His ’90s run is one of his career high points with an impressive group of films that includeBilly Madison,Happy Gilmore,The Wedding Singer,The Waterboy, andBig Daddy. Most of these films work so well solely because of Sandler’s work in them.
Looking atAdam Sandler’s best filmsoverall tells a much different story, though. Under all the over-the-top comedic antics,Sandler’s ability to bring out incredible dramatic performancesis what helps to set him apart for so long in his career. Even his upcoming run of films would make no sense for most actors, but that is what makes Adam Sandler so interesting as an actor.
Adam Sandler’s Career Has An Identity Problem That Has Led To His Most Successful Movies
The Beloved Actor Is Far From One-Dimensional
Sandler’s career has defied expectations at almost every turn, and has allowed him to showcase his wide range of acting talent that many might not realize based only on his most popular films. It feels impossible that the man behindLittle NickyorEight Crazy Nightscould also turn around and star inPunch-Drunk Love, and yet all three were released within two years of each other. It’s not impossible, though. It’s Adam Sandler. Andit’s precisely this contradiction within his filmography that also makes him so fascinating as an actor.
Going fromSandy WexlertoUncut Gemscan give even the most seasoned movie watcher cinematic whiplash.
In fact, it is his insistence on continuing to make his comedy films that elevate his more dramatic roles even more.The Ridiculous Sixmakes an already impressive Sandler performance inThe Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)better, while going fromSandy WexlertoUncut Gemscan give even the most seasoned movie watcher cinematic whiplash. It feels like his performance inUncut Gemsin particular, whichSandler deservedly got Oscar attention for, really made people take notice of his dramatic acting chops, but Sandler has been doing this throughout his entire career.
Sandler Has Some Serious Range
Adam Sandler has proven time and again to forge his own path when it comes to starring in movies, and his next three projects continue that same wild trend of being all over the place. For one upcoming movie,Sandler will reunite with Academy Award nominated director, Noah Bambauch, who he previously worked with onThe Meyerowitz Stories. That’s just the tip of what’s to come for Sandler, asHappy Gilmore 2, the sequel to his ’90s smash-hitHappy Gilmore,is currently in development for Netflix, which will undoubtedly be a massive success for the platform,
Finally,Adam Sandler will once again star in a Safdie Brothers film, after their collaboration withUncut Gemsled to one of the best American films of the past ten years. The partnership has already proven to produce gold, which will likely be the case for their upcoming film as well, though details of when it will actually be made are unknown. It’s an eclectic range of projects that will most likely all be some kind of success in their own ways.
Anyone who leans into lazy stereotypes about Sandler’s career should remind themselves of the range of incredible work he’s done, and look to the work he’s doing now. He’s not just making throw-away comedies with his friends: he’s potentially got two Awards-worthy projects in his immediate future, and a fan-favorite comedy return that will be a slam dunk no matter how it turns out. In other words, we should be falling over ourselves to praise actors likeAdam Sandler.
