50 First Dates

Plot Summary

Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) works at a marine zoo in Hawaii.  In his spare time he hooks up with beautiful woman who are on holiday and is happy to wave them off when it's time for them to go home.  Everything changes one day when he meets local girl Lucy (Drew Barrymore).  Following a car accident, Lucy suffers from short term memory loss and everyday she wakes up with no memory of the day before.  It is as if sleep wipes the slate clean of her short term memory.  This should be perfect for Henry because he can be free of commitment but Henry is besotted with Lucy and each day he must make Lucy like him again.  Some days it works and some days he strikes out...

Review

There is an uneasy mix of sentiment, sincerity and juvenile humour in this romantic comedy.  Very often the cruder sexual humour doesn't gel with the sentimental romantic side of the movie which gives an uneven feeling as if two different movies somehow got intertwined.  Having said that, it is very funny in parts - the type of movie that will entertain you while you watch but is forgettable soon after.  The sincerity in the movie comes when Henry tries to help Lucy even though the doctors say that there is no cure. Henry still looks for the best solution to help Lucy cope each morning when she learns that she cannot remember anything from day to day.  He wants her to get the most out of life in spite of her affliction.

Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler also starred together in The Wedding Singer which was perhaps Sandler's funniest movie with a great soundtrack for 1980's clubbers!  The pair work well together again and it's a pity the movie didn't leave the schoolboy jokes out and concentrate on the romance and the interesting "groundhog-day" idea.

Sean Astin plays Lucy's brother and Blake Clark her father.  Dan Aykroyd has a small part as her doctor.  Rob Schneider plays a local Hawaiian man and Henry's sidekick.

The Bottom Line:  Interesting story, very funny in parts but if you like your humour sharp and clever you will be disappointed.

Reviewed by Niall Quinn, Premier Movie Reviews 2004.

RELATED REVIEWS:  DREW BARRYMORE:  Charlies Angels,  Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle,  Riding In Cars With Boys.  ADAM SANDLER:  Mr. Deeds.  SEAN ASTIN:  The Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship Of The Ring,  Lord Of The Rings - The Two Towers,  The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Certificate: 15's

Director: Peter Segal

~ Main Cast ~

Drew Barrymore

Adam Sandler

Rob Schneider

Sean Astin

Dan Aykroyd

Amy Hill

RATING

ONLY IF YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO