50 First Dates
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Silly, crude humor and a dash of romance.

A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
50 First Dates
Community Reviews
Based on 11 parent reviews
Report this review
ROMANTIC, FUNNY! Great for kids
Report this review
What's the Story?
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 short-term memory impairment makes it impossible for her to make any kind of commitment. But he falls in love with her.
Is It Any Good?
Barrymore is as delicious 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 there is too little romance and too much gross-out humor. And some will be sorry about the waste of talented performers like Dan Aykroyd, as Lucy's doctor, and Sean Astin (Rudy) as Lucy's lisping, steroid-using brother.
And, yes, it's another Adam Sandler movie, which means that a sweet but very immature man will fall for a winsome young lady amidst many, many, many attempts to find humor in sexual orientation, the impact of steroid use on sexual function, the relative merits of different sexual partners, getting walloped on the head, getting walloped on the stomach, getting bit by a shark, various physical disabilities and impairments, and more references to penis size and sexual stamina than a mailbox full of spam.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the tape Henry makes for Lucy. 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?
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: Bisexual actors
- Studio: Columbia Tristar
- Genre: Romance
- Run time: 96 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: crude sexual humor and drug references.
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate