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What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Nell Minow

MR. DEEDS is a remake of the Depression era movie classic starring Gary Cooper (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town). As in the original, the main character is a small-town guy named Longfellow Deeds (Adam Sandler) who writes poems for greeting cards and is kind to his neighbors. Deeds unexpectedly inherits a fortune. So, he goes to the big city, where an unscrupulous reporter named Babe (Winona Ryder) pretends to be a damsel in distress to get close enough to him so that she can write stories about what an idiot he is.

Is It Any Good?

2

This remake removes all of the wit and warmth (and the point) of the original and substitutes jokes about getting hit on the head, getting hit in the genitals, snapping off the arm of a frozen dead body, getting stabbed in the foot, physical deformity, and getting hit in the throat.

Sandler's "I'm just a sweet guy who likes dumb jokes" routine is getting tired, and apparently so is he. He looks puffy and uninterested in many of the scenes and oddly uncomfortable when called upon to kiss his leading lady. Ryder is far classier than the material, as are supporting stalwarts John Turturro, Conchatta Farrell, and Steve Buscemi. The other supporting actors range from bland to incompetent, including an obviously uncomfortable John McEnroe.

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