The one movie Adam Sandler wants to be remembered for: “I know I’m going to be proud of it”
Some actors look at their career as a cumulative body of work that reflects who they are as an artist and performer, although it’s probably fair to say that Adam Sandler doesn’t feel the same way, unless he wants to be remembered as modern comedy’s ultimate man-child who’s responsible for some of the most reviled movies of the last 30 years.
To be fair, not only has it made him incredibly successful and ridiculously wealthy, but he’s also accomplished it by spending most of his professional life hanging out with his friends. Most people, whether they’re in Hollywood or not, would kill for that gig, which is why it’s so hard to hate the ‘Sandman’.
It’s easy to hate his films because so many of them are abjectly terrible, but it’s difficult to hold a grudge against the man himself. If you were a movie star, would you make sure your nearest and dearest remain constantly employed for decades? Unless you’re an arsehole, you probably would, so you can’t begrudge Sandler for churning out a slew of shitty flicks, especially when so many people watch them.
Then again, one of the most infuriating things about Sandler is that he’s a genuinely talented actor; he just dedicated himself more to puerile humour than stretching his dramatic chops. That said, he’s been racking up more and more straight-laced turns than ever in the last few years, which may have something to do with the fact he’ll turn 60 years old in September 2026, and you can’t do that schtick forever.
The Happy Madison mogul getting serious used to be a scarcity, with Punch-Drunk Love and Reign Over Me two of the only outliers in a sea of formulaic and lowbrow capers where he’d usually be found palling around with David Spade, Rob Schneider, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, and the rest of the gang.
However, since his impressive performance in Uncut Gems, Sandler has quickly followed it up with Hustle, Spaceman, and Jay Kelly. Naturally, there’s always a Hubie Halloween or Happy Gilmore 2 lurking around the corner to restore some semblance of normality, but it was one of Sandler’s rare early-2000s forays into more serious acting that he wanted to be remembered for.
Since three of his first four features had won a combined haul of seven Academy Awards from 25 nominations, expectations were high for James L Brooks’ 2004 dramedy, Spanglish. Unfortunately, it turned out more like 1994’s I’ll Do Anything, the only one of his opening quartet that didn’t get a look-in during awards season.
It might have been a flop that won middling reviews, but Sandler declared that it was a defining moment when it was first released. “When I’m looking back at my career, when I end up having kids, and I say, ‘Throw in that Spanglish‘, I know I’m going to be very proud of it,” he said. Since then, he’s had two children, and DVD players have largely been phased out, so who knows if the point still stands.
The next generation of Sandlers have even followed in their old man’s footsteps, appearing in many of his films, but it remains unknown if he’s ever tested out his theory that watching Spanglish will let them see the best of what he can do as an actor.
