The reason why Adam Sandler doesn’t care about bad reviews
If you were to look forward from 2012 and map out the next decade for Adam Sandler, the crudely comedic actor whose films such as Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison and Little Nicky made him a household name and the pinnacle of stoner teen comedies, few could have predicted the acclaim he now nestles under his arms in 2022. Now regarded by many as one of the best actors in the game, Sandler’s roles in Uncut Gems, a near-perfect Safdie brothers flick, and his most recent Netflix release, Hustle, have set him up as a welcome addition to the roster of dramatic actors Hollywood has to offer.
That, however, doesn’t mean Sandler’s career is triumph after triumph. Far from it, in fact, as the SNL alumnus has had more than his fair share of misfires. For much of the previous decade, Sandler’s slightly mawkish sense of fun found few fans outside of his usual core group. Pictures like Jack & Jill and Don’t Mess With the Zohan may well be finding cult affection in 2022, but they were widely panned upon release.
It’s an issue that Sandler has had to face throughout his career. When he first broke on to the scene alongside Chris Farley and Chris Rock during a particularly fruitful period of Saturday Night Live, his bold and brash obnoxiousness set him apart from the highly intellectualism alternative comedy scene. Sandler became the everyman’s comic and quickly found a home for his zany production under his own company, soon bashing out cult comedy classics mentioned above as well as The Wedding Singer and The Waterboy. However, what goes up must come down.
As a new generation of slick dark comedies began to become more popular, Sandler’s in-your-face style found a dwindling audience and a critical reception colder than ice. But, it would appear that what reviewers and critics say has always mattered very little to Sandler.
Back in 2017, before his Uncut Gems project would change the perception of Sandler, he opened up about facing down critics: “I know what they’re going to say to every movie — they’re going to say they don’t like it. We’ll be OK. I believe in my stuff. That’s important to me and my friends and the people I make the movies for. I like them; that’s the good news.”
That simple fact has seen Sandler become one of the most successful actors this century and should be a mantra for any budding creator out there. Simply put, the critical reception of a project matters very little; it is the audience reception that will always outlast those reviews.
For Sandler, if he can meet the approval of his friends and the core audience who have always loved his work, then he knows he has achieved his goal. As he goes deeper into more serious acting roles, thankfully for Sandler, those goals are now aligned with critical acclaim and commercial success.
