| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that the biggest red flag for this movie is the cursing and violent behavior of Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler). His short fuse results in a number of skirmishes, including an extended (comic) fight scene with Bob Barker. The two brutally pound on each other until Gilmore is eventually knocked unconscious. Another scene has Gilmore threaten another golfer with the shards of a broken beer bottle. The profanity shies away from sexual comments, and is comprised mostly of the F word and the S word. Kids will enjoy Sandler's over-the-top and abrasive humor, as well as the ongoing joke of a golfer's handicapped hand that had been eaten by an alligator.
What happens when you take a psychotic hockey player who holds the only league record of trying to stab somebody with his skate and throw him on the links with tranquil golfers? Adam Sandler in one of his funniest roles. Happy Gilmore is a man with a hard aggressive core and a surprisingly sweet center. After hearing his grandmother lost her house due to back taxes, Gilmore is forced to come up with $270,000 to save his grandmother's home. Despite the maniacal hockey player's thunderous slapshot, Gilmore can't skate worth a dime and thus seeks alternatives to raise money for his beloved grandmother. Under the guidance of "Chubbs," an ex-pro golfer who lost his hand to an alligator, Gilmore surges up the golf circuit and knocks out his competition.
Second only to Billy Madison, HAPPY GILMORE stands out as one of Adam Sandler's best works. The movie pokes fun at the rather "stiff" golf world and spices it up with a character that makes Mike Tyson look like a level-headed individual. Anyone and everything sets Sandler into a crippling fury. For anyone who has previewed Sandler's work in the mid-90's (SNL or Billy Madison), the film's humor becomes quite predictable, but kids are likely to enjoy it. Appropriate for older teens.
Families can talk about Sandler's character. His best friends in the film include a physically challenged ex-pro golfer, a homeless man, an amiable public relations woman, and his sweet grandmother. In addition, Gilmore earns a lot of money through his golf tournament wins with the goal of saving his grandmother's house. Do these sweet-natured friendships and altruistic deeds make up for his violent behavior? Is it the humor or the violence that makes Adam Sandler films so popular?
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Dennis Dugan |
| Cast: | Adam Sandler, Carl Weathers, Christopher McDonald |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 92 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 16, 1996 |
| DVD release date: | February 24, 1998 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | language and some comic sexuality |