Common Sense Media Review
Silly, crude humor and a dash of romance.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
50 First Dates
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 14 parent reviews
Based on 63 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is a mix of humor and romance that beautifully explores the theme of love despite challenges like memory loss. While many find it hilarious and heartwarming, others caution that it contains significant sexual references and language that may not be suitable for younger viewers.
- humor
- romance
- memory loss
- adult content
- heartwarming
- age-appropriate
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In 50 FIRST DATES, Lucy (Drew Barrymore) wakes up every morning with no memory of anything that happened since her brain was injured in a car crash 18 months before. Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) is an affable marine veterinarian at a Hawaiian aquarium who's had many, many short-term relationships with female tourists, which keep him safe from commitment. Then he meets Lucy, whose disability makes it impossible for her to make any kind of commitment. By going on a new first date every day, Henry begins to fall in love with her.
Is It Any Good?
Barrymore is as fun as ever, and, as in The Wedding Singer, she and Sandler have an easy chemistry that showcases their offbeat appeal. But some viewers will find that 50 First Dates has too little romance and too much lewd, gross-out humor. And some will be sorry about the waste of talented performers like Dan Aykroyd as Lucy's doctor and Sean Astin as Lucy's steroid-using brother. Furthermore, Rob Schneider's slapstick portrayal of an accented local Hawaiian man hits a bad chord.
And, yes, it's another Sandler movie, which means that a sweet but very immature man will fall for a sweet woman. And that journey will inevitably include crude comments about sexual situations and sexual orientation; slapstick violence like people getting walloped on the head, getting walloped on the stomach, getting bitten by a shark; corny jokes about pot use; and more references to penis size than a mailbox full of spam.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the tape Henry makes for Lucy in 50 First Dates. If you had to make a similar tape of your family, what would you put on it?
When is it OK to laugh about a disability, and when is it not? Were there any jokes that crossed the line? Can you think of movies that have crossed the line? Who decides where the line is drawn?
What are some ways Lucy's friends and family support her decisions and goals?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 13, 2004
- On DVD or streaming : June 15, 2004
- Cast : Adam Sandler , Drew Barrymore , Rob Schneider
- Director : Peter Segal
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Columbia Tristar
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Friendship , Animals ( Ocean Creatures )
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : crude sexual humor and drug references.
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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