Happy Gilmore | |
---|---|
Directed by | Dennis Dugan |
Written by | |
Produced by | Robert Simonds |
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Arthur Albert |
Edited by | Jeff Gourson |
Music by | Mark Mothersbaugh |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $12 million [1] |
Box office | $41.2 million [2] |
Happy Gilmore is a 1996 American sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, produced by Robert Simonds, and starring Adam Sandler in the title role, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, and Carl Weathers.
The film follows the namesake failed ice hockey player who seeks to gather enough money to stop the foreclosure of his grandmother's house. Happy discovers a talent for golf and competes in paid tournaments, causing upset in the golf community as he gains a following for his skill and unconventional behavior.
The screenplay was written by Sandler and his writing partner Tim Herlihy, in their second feature collaboration after the previous year's Billy Madison . The film also marks the first of several collaborations between Sandler and Dugan.
Happy Gilmore was released in theaters on February 16, 1996, by Universal Pictures. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film was a commercial success, earning $41.2 million on a $12 million budget, and it won an MTV Movie Award for Best Fight for Sandler and Bob Barker. A sequel is set for release in 2025.
Happy Gilmore dreams of becoming an ice hockey player, but despite a powerful slapshot learned from his late father, his poor skating skills and short temper limit his professional prospects. One day, Happy learns that his grandmother, who raised him after his father's death, owes the IRS $270,000 in back taxes; she has 90 days to pay off the debt or face foreclosure on her house. Happy sends Grandma to a retirement home until he can figure out a way to pay off the debt; unbeknownst to Happy, the residents are mistreated and forced to work in a sweatshop.
While challenging a pair of movers repossessing his grandfather's old golf clubs, Happy discovers that his unorthodox slapshot-style swing can drive a ball 400 yards. He begins hustling golfers at a driving range, where he meets Chubbs Peterson, a former pro golf star who lost a hand in an alligator attack. Chubbs urges Happy to enter the Waterbury Open, the winner of which will earn an automatic spot on the PGA Tour, as well as a sizable cash reward. Desperate to reclaim his grandmother's house, Happy agrees, and wins the Open. Learning that he needs to supply his own caddy on the tour, Happy hastily hires a homeless man named Otto.
Happy quickly becomes a fan favorite thanks to his extraordinarily long drives and unorthodox antics. Though his driving is incredible, Happy's putting is terrible, and his on-course profane meltdowns and lack of golf etiquette soon draw the ire of tour officials. Citing improved television ratings with a broader spectrum of viewers, higher attendance, and new sponsorship offers, tour public relations head Virginia Venit intervenes on Happy's behalf and promises to help him with his anger. With Virginia's support, Happy improves his performance and behavior, and the two form a romantic connection.
Shooter McGavin, the tour's arrogant presumed favorite, develops a grudge against Happy, and bribes a heckler named Donald to taunt him at a pro-am event. The heckling causes Happy to play poorly, and a subsequent fistfight with his celebrity partner Bob Barker leads to a $25,000 fine and one-month suspension. Virginia secures Happy a lucrative endorsement deal with Subway to make up for the lost revenue, giving Happy the $270,000 he needs to pay Grandma's taxes. However, he is too late to stop the house from being put up for auction, and Shooter spitefully outbids Happy in an attempt to force him to quit the tour. Virginia encourages Happy not to quit, and he makes a deal with Shooter: if Happy wins the Tour Championship, Shooter will return the house to Grandma, but if Shooter wins, Happy will quit golf.
Knowing he must improve his short game to defeat Shooter, Happy seeks out Chubbs, who helps Happy improve his putting by practicing at a miniature golf course and gifts him with a custom putter in the shape of a hockey stick. As thanks, Happy presents Chubbs with the head of the alligator that took his hand, startling him and causing him to fall out of a nearby window to his death.
Happy is paired with Shooter for the Tour Championship, where he takes an early lead. Desperate to finally win a Championship jacket, Shooter again bribes Donald, who drives a car onto the course and runs over Happy, impairing his long-drive ability and focus. Shooter takes the lead, but Happy, encouraged by Grandma, rallies to tie him.
On the 18th and final hole, Shooter's tee shot lands in the crowd, but, despite having to play the ball off the foot of Happy's imposing ex-boss, Mr. Larson, he manages to save par with a long putt. A television tower damaged by Donald's car falls onto the green and blocks Happy's line to a winning putt. Shooter insists Happy play the ball "as it lies," and, with Chubbs' divine intervention, Happy uses the tower as a Rube Goldberg machine to sink his putt for the win. Enraged, Shooter tries to steal Happy's gold jacket and is chased and beaten by a mob of fans led by Larson. Back at Grandma's house, Happy celebrates with Virginia, Grandma, and Otto. Happy sees a vision of Abraham Lincoln, along with a two-handed Chubbs; having made peace with the alligator, waving to him in the heavens above.
Additionally, Ben Stiller is uncredited for his role as abusive orderly Hal. Robert Smigel plays the IRS agent who informs Happy that Grandma is delinquent on taxes, and Will Sasso and Dee Jay Jackson appear as the movers who challenge Happy at golf.
Jared Van Snellenberg portrays Happy Gilmore's caddy at the Waterbury Open and Kevin Nealon plays Gary Potter, an eccentric professional golfer and Happy's partner at the AT&T Open. Professional golfers Lee Trevino and Mark Lye, sportscaster Verne Lundquist, and game show host Bob Barker all play themselves.
Happy Gilmore was directed by Dennis Dugan, [3] and written by Saturday Night Live (SNL) alumni Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler. [4] [5] Herlihy and Sandler were roommates in college and wrote stand-up comedy together, before moving on to screenplays. [4] After Sandler was fired from SNL in 1995, he moved on to films. [6] He and Herlihy wrote Billy Madison (1995), [4] [5] which proved successful for distributor Universal Pictures. As such, Herlihy and Sandler began a new project. In an office during a brainstorming session, they came up with a high-concept premise for a film about a "hockey player who smacks a 400 yard drive". [5] Judd Apatow performed a script rewrite, although he went uncredited. [7]
The Happy Gilmore character is loosely based on Sandler's childhood friend Kyle McDonough, who played ice hockey and would golf with Sandler as they grew up. Sandler could never hit the ball as far as McDonough, and figured that McDonough's hockey skills gave him an edge. [8] Meanwhile, Chubbs Peterson's missing hand is an in-joke referencing actor Carl Weathers' film Predator (1987), which depicts his character losing his arm. [9] Herlihy and Sandler included any joke that made them laugh and do not remember who came up with which, although Herlihy takes credit for Shooter McGavin's "I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast" line. [5] In a 1994 interview, Sandler cited the golf comedy Caddyshack (1980), [10] a film he and Herlihy bonded over in college, [11] as inspiration. [10]
Former pro golfer Mark Lye served as a consultant on the script, [12] and told Herlihy and Sandler after seeing their initial ideas, "You gotta be crazy. You cannot do a movie like that." [13] According to Lye, the initial drafts featured Happy winning the Masters Tournament: "They had the green jacket. They were desecrating the USGA. Making fun of Augusta National." [13] He suggested that Happy win a fictional tournament, and Herlihy and Sandler changed the jacket's color from green to gold. Lye also disliked the unrealistic nature of early drafts, which depicted Happy repeatedly making 400-yard drives, so he took the crew to a PGA Tour event so they could understand the atmosphere of golf. [12] [13] The final script, the one Lye gave approval, was Herlihy and Sandler's fifth draft. [13]
Dugan became attached to direct through Sandler. Years earlier, Dugan had attempted to cast Sandler in one of his films, but the producers did not let him because Sandler was not well-known. "A couple of years later, [Sandler] is big", Dugan said. "I wanted to be hired to direct Happy Gilmore with him. I walk in the room, and he says: 'You're the guy who wanted to give me that part. I don't need to know anything else, I want to work with you.'" [14] Happy Gilmore was produced on a budget of $12 million [9] and filmed entirely at locations in British Columbia. Most scenes taking place at golf courses were filmed at Pitt Meadows at the Swan-e-set Bay Resort & Country Club, [15] while interior shots, such as those in the broadcast booth, took place in an abandoned Vancouver hospital. [16] Arthur Albert served as cinematographer, while Mark Lane was the set decorator. [17] Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh composed the film's soundtrack. [9]
Christopher McDonald declined the role of Shooter McGavin twice because he was tired of playing villains and wanted to spend more time with his family. [9] [18] Kevin Costner was approached but turned it down in favor of another 1996 golf-themed comedy, Tin Cup , while Bruce Campbell lobbied hard for the part. [9] McDonald became interested in the role after winning a round of golf, and decided to take it after he met with Sandler. According to McDonald, Dugan "didn't want to see the Bad Guy 101 again" and gave McDonald the freedom to improvise on set. [18]
Happy Gilmore features appearances from Richard Kiel, known for playing Jaws in the James Bond film series; [3] Bob Barker, the host of The Price Is Right ; [9] and Verne Lundquist, a golf sportscaster. [16]
According to Lundquist, he filmed his scenes in the abandoned hospital as production wrapped. Sandler's New York University roommate Jack Giarraputo sat next to Lundquist in every shot, as Sandler wanted him to appear in the film. In 2016, Lundquist stated he still gets a monthly $34 check from the Screen Actors Guild for his appearance in the film. [16]
According to Sandler, Ed McMahon was originally hired to do the fight scene instead of Bob Barker, but McMahon changed his mind when he learned about the movie's crude humor and didn't want to lose the fight, so Bob Barker was chosen because Chuck Norris was Barker's neighbor and taught him karate and Sandler rewrote the script to make Barker win the fight.
Filming took place from July 6 to September 1, 1995, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Happy Gilmore was a commercial success, ranking number two at the U.S. box office on its debut weekend with $8.5 million in revenue, behind Broken Arrow . The film was made for $12 million and grossed a total of $41.2 million worldwide, with $38.8 million of that at the North American domestic box office. [2] [1]
On Rotten Tomatoes, Happy Gilmore has an approval rating of 62% based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Those who enjoy Adam Sandler's schtick will find plenty to love in this gleefully juvenile take on professional golf; those who don't, however, will find it unfunny and forgettable." [19] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 31 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [20] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [21]
Brian Lowry of Variety wrote, "The general tone nevertheless makes it difficult to elevate the gags beyond an occasional chuckle". Lowry only noted a few scenes he found inspired, including the fight scene with Bob Barker and when Happy attempts to find his "Happy Place" which was described as "Felliniesque". [22] Roger Ebert gave the film one and a half stars out of four, stating that Adam Sandler's character "doesn't have a pleasing personality: He seems angry even when he's not supposed to be, and his habit of pounding everyone he dislikes is tiring in a PG-13 movie". Ebert also noted the film's product placement stating that he "probably missed a few, but I counted Diet Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Subway, Budweiser (in bottles, cans, and Bud-dispensing helmets), Michelob, Visa cards, Bell Atlantic, AT&T, Sizzler, Red Lobster, Wilson, Golf Digest , the ESPN sports network, and Top-Flite golf balls". [23] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a grade "D+" calling it "A one-joke Caddyshack for the blitzed and jaded," although he did praise Sandler's confident performance. [24]
Darren Bignell of Empire wrote: "The real surprise is that it's a lot of fun, with Sandler becoming more personable as the film progresses, and a couple of truly side-splitting scenes." [25]
The film has developed a cult following in the golf community, with Golf.com, Consequence of Sound , and Golf Digest praising the film, predominantly praising the villain Shooter McGavin. [26] [27] [28]
The "Happy Gilmore swing", featuring a walking or running approach, is often imitated or attempted for fun, including by touring golf professionals. [29] Three-time major champion Pádraig Harrington is particularly well known for his impression and even uses the technique in training. [30] The TV series Sport Science has featured Harrington's "Happy Gilmore swing", demonstrating how it can indeed generate additional distance, though at the cost of accuracy. [31]
Long drive champion and professional golfer Jamie Sadlowski, also a former hockey player who can hit golf balls over 400 yards, has been called "the real-life version of Happy Gilmore". [32]
Lee Trevino regretted his appearance in the film and said he would not have done it if he had known how much swearing there would be in the movie. [33] [34]
In 2020, McDonald reprised his role as Shooter in the trailer for the video game PGA Tour 2K21 . [35]
The scene with Barker beating up Gilmore increased interest in The Price Is Right among younger demographics, particularly young men. Barker said that someone in the audience asked him about Happy Gilmore almost every day. Barker parodied the Happy Gilmore fight in a 2014 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful , where he fought Wyatt Spencer after arguing with him. [36]
In 2015, Sandler and Barker reenacted their fight for the Comedy Central Night of Too Many Stars fundraiser in aid of autism charities. [37]
The fight scene was also highlighted in special primetime episodes of The Price Is Right, as well as various news articles that announced Barker's death on August 26, 2023, at the age of 99.
Year | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | MTV Movie Award | Best Comedic Performance - Adam Sandler | Nominated |
1996 | MTV Movie Award | Best Fight - Adam Sandler and Bob Barker | Won |
1996 | Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | Worst Actor - Adam Sandler | Nominated |
1997 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Actor - Adam Sandler (also for Bulletproof ) | Nominated |
1997 | Kids' Choice Awards | Best Movie | Nominated |
In September 2022, Sandler stated that he hoped to eventually make a sequel, saying he had been creating ideas for what a follow-up film would be, while stating the character would be involved in a senior golf tour. [38]
In March 2024, Christopher McDonald stated in an interview that he had been shown a first draft of the script of the sequel by Sandler, reviving speculation of a sequel being made. On May 15, 2024, Netflix confirmed a sequel was in development. [39] Filming began in New Jersey on September 9th, 2024. Travis Kelce is expected to have a cameo in the film. [40]
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor and comedian. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, his accolades include nominations for three Grammy Awards, five Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2023, Sandler was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Carl Weathers was an American actor, director and a former football player. His prominent roles included boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films (1976–1985), Colonel Al Dillon in Predator (1987), Chubbs Peterson in Happy Gilmore (1996), and Combat Carl in the Toy Story franchise. He also portrayed Det. Beaudreaux in the television series Street Justice (1991–1993) and a fictionalized version of himself in the comedy series Arrested Development, and voiced Omnitraxus Prime in Star vs. the Forces of Evil (2017–2019). He had a recurring role as Greef Karga in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian (2019–2023), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
The Wedding Singer is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Coraci, written by Tim Herlihy, and produced by Robert Simonds and Jack Giarraputo. The film stars Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore and Christine Taylor, and tells the story of a wedding singer in 1985 who falls in love with a waitress. The film was released on February 13, 1998. Produced on a budget of US$18 million, it grossed $123 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics. It is often ranked as one of Sandler's best comedies.
Big Daddy is a 1999 American comedy-drama film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Steve Franks, Tim Herlihy, and Adam Sandler from a story conceived by Franks, and produced by Sid Ganis and Jack Giarraputo. The film stars Sandler, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Stewart, Rob Schneider, Dylan Sprouse, Cole Sprouse, and Leslie Mann, with Allen Covert and Josh Mostel in supporting roles. The plot follows a 32-year-old man who gets dumped by his girlfriend for not accepting responsibility and then tries to be responsible by adopting a five-year-old boy who appears on his doorstep.
Richard Dawson Kiel was an American actor. Standing 7 ft 2 in (218 cm) tall and often referred to as "the Gentle Giant", he was known for portraying Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979). Kiel's next-most-recognized role is the tough but eloquent Mr. Larson in Happy Gilmore (1996). Other notable films include The Longest Yard (1974), Silver Streak (1976), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Cannonball Run II (1984), Pale Rider (1985), and Tangled (2010). On television, he portrayed the giant alien in the highly regarded 1962 Twilight Zone episode, "To Serve Man".
Little Nicky is a 2000 American dark fantasy comedy film directed by Steven Brill, written by Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler, and Brill, and starring Sandler in the title role, Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel, Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., Rhys Ifans, and Rodney Dangerfield with supporting roles by Allen Covert, Kevin Nealon, Jon Lovitz, Michael McKean, and Quentin Tarantino.
Happy Madison Productions, Inc. is an American film and television production company founded in 1999 by Adam Sandler, which is best known for its comedy films. Happy Madison takes its name from the films Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy, and distributed by Universal Pictures.
Allen Stephen Covert is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for his starring role in the 2006 comedy film Grandma's Boy, and his supporting actor role in the movie Strange Wilderness (2008). He is a frequent collaborator of actor and friend Adam Sandler with prominent roles in such films as Happy Gilmore (1996), The Wedding Singer (1998), Big Daddy (1999), Little Nicky (2000), Mr. Deeds (2002), Anger Management (2003), 50 First Dates (2004) and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007).
Christopher McDonald is an American film, television, theatre and voice actor.
Dennis Barton Dugan is an American film director, actor, and comedian. He is known for directing the films Problem Child, Brain Donors, Beverly Hills Ninja and National Security, and his partnership with comedic actor Adam Sandler, for whom he directed the films Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, The Benchwarmers, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups, Just Go with It, Jack and Jill and Grown Ups 2. Dugan is a four-time Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director nominee, winning once. It is to be noted that the films he was nominated for, grossed a total of $1.1 Billion dollars at the box office.
Timothy Patrick Herlihy is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and playwright.
Grown Ups is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Adam Sandler and Fred Wolf, produced by Sandler and Jack Giarraputo, and starring Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph. The film tells the story of five lifelong friends who, after winning their junior high school basketball championship in 1978, reunite three decades later for a 4th of July weekend after learning about the sudden death of their former coach.
Jack and Jill is a 2011 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan from a script by Steve Koren and Adam Sandler. Released on November 11, 2011 by Columbia Pictures, the film stars Sandler in a dual role as the titular twin siblings, as well as Katie Holmes and Al Pacino. It tells the story of an advertisement executive who dreads the visit of his unemployed twin sister during Thanksgiving and overstays into Hanukkah at the time when he is instructed to get Al Pacino to appear in a Dunkin' Donuts commercial.
That's My Boy is a 2012 American comedy film directed by Sean Anders, written by David Caspe, and produced by Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo, Heather Parry, and Allen Covert. It stars Sandler and Andy Samberg alongside Leighton Meester and James Caan, with Vanilla Ice, Tony Orlando, Will Forte, Milo Ventimiglia, and Susan Sarandon in supporting roles. The film follows Donny Berger (Sandler), a middle-aged alcoholic who once enjoyed celebrity status for being at the center of a teacher-student statutory rape case, as he tries to rekindle his relationship with his adult son, Todd Peterson/Han Solo Berger (Samberg), born as the result of that illicit relationship, in hopes that their televised reunion will earn him enough money to avoid going to prison for his tax debts.
Grown Ups 2 is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Adam Sandler, Fred Wolf, and Tim Herlihy, and produced by Sandler and Jack Giarraputo. It serves as a sequel to the 2010 film Grown Ups and stars Sandler alongside Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello and Nick Swardson. Lenny moves his family back to his hometown, where he reunites with his old friends. Together, they face bizarre situations and new enemies in the form of a local fraternity.
Pixels is a 2015 science fiction action comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written by Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling and based on a story by the former. Loosely adapted from the 2010 short film Pixels by Patrick Jean, the film stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad and Brian Cox. Combining animated video game characters and visual effects, the film involves an alien force misinterpreting video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, to which they respond by attacking Earth with technological recreations of icons from the games. The President of the United States assembles a team of former arcade champions to lead the planet's defense.
The Ridiculous 6 is a 2015 American Western action comedy film directed by Frank Coraci and written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler, and starring Sandler, Terry Crews, Jorge Garcia, Taylor Lautner, Rob Schneider, and Luke Wilson. As Happy Madison Productions' first Western film, the plot follows six men who discover that they share the same bank-robbing father and thereafter set out to reunite with him.
Hubie Halloween is a 2020 American horror comedy mystery film directed by Steve Brill, co-written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler, and starring an ensemble supporting cast consisting of Sandler, Kevin James, Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, Rob Schneider, June Squibb, Kenan Thompson, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Buscemi, Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, and Ben Stiller, with the latter reprising his role from Sandler's 1996 film, Happy Gilmore. The film follows a Halloween-loving delicatessen worker who must save the town of Salem, Massachusetts from a kidnapper as various hijinks occur.
"Let It Go" is a song by American record producer DJ Khaled, featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber and British-American rapper 21 Savage. It was released on May 10, 2021, as the second single from Khaled's twelfth studio album, Khaled Khaled. Khaled, Bieber, and Savage wrote the song with producer SkipOnDaBeat, while the song was also produced by Al Cres. Deemed a "fun" song, it is supported by bouncy production and playful lyrics about not worrying over what cannot be controlled and, instead, "let it go".
Happy Gilmore 2 is an upcoming American sports comedy film directed by Kyle Newacheck, and written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler. It is a sequel to Happy Gilmore (1996). Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Dennis Dugan, and Ben Stiller reprise their roles from the original film.