Ah, the joy of the newsgroup. These psuedo-anonymous message boards can be home to freaks, weirdos, and just about anyone else that would like to walk in the door and put their opinion on the ground… myself included. They also can be home to the flame war, a particular brand of argument with well thought-out yet often incoherent point-counterpoint arguments that more often than not sound like the ravings of a truculent drunk (go ahead, flame me for that comment, see if I care). Of course, I'm not exempt from this. My profession as a critic makes me the prime target of many a flame war, such as one going on at present at alt.movies discussing the fate of the cinema, and whether the entire form has gone to crap.
The key argument in this has been that younger individuals are incapable of writing a screenplay: a point I vehemently disagree with, yet my antagonist has missed a prime example: Billy Madison, Adam Sandler's attempt at getting out all of those demons of k through 12 school (God knows what will happen when he gets out those collegiate demons… a former classmate of Sandler's described him as `the kid who thought he was really funny that just annoyed everyone.'). After all, with a concept as unimaginative as a man going back through all of his grades so he can inherit a company, how far can your really go?
The movie reeks of desperation. Nonsensical musical numbers, imaginary penguins, and cheap sex jokes… they're all here. No one will escape the wrath of Adam in his quest for laughter and a better tomorrow.
In case you really wonder about the plot, Adam Sandler is Billy Madison, loony toon son of a millionaire who stands to inherit a hotel chain if only he'll stop acting like a moron. But instead of placing Billy around mature individuals to accomplish this, his father sends him back through every grade, giving two weeks for each one. Billy goes to school, falls for his 3rd grade teacher, and sings crazy selfmotivational music numbers as he attempts to pat himself on the back so he can make it through high school.
Adam Sandler, please learn that many (extending the `I' here) don't like your catharsis, and you should keep the moral message in check and just deliver an idiotic comedy. As an idiotic comedy, Billy Madison almost works – after all, Sandler is immature enough to nail the part – but the film also has misguided attempts to insert such goody-goody messages as `love thy [insert unloved party here]' that just interrupt what would have been enjoyment. The result: a dumb comedy that I can only stand if I'm watching it out of the corner of my eye and paying attention only during certain scenes.
This, needless to say, is not great filmmaking.
Oh well. Like The Blob, there is no escape from the Adam Sandler film. They have become cultural icons, films that are regularly broadcasted when they should have been boycotted. But now I have been there, I have done that, and I would love it if Adam Sandler would just leave us alone.
RATING: **
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Tamra Davis Producer: Robert Simmons Writer: Adam Sandler, Tim Herilhy Starring: Adam Sandler, Bridgette Wilson, Bradley Whitford, Josh Mostel, Norm MacDonald, Mark Bletzman
James Brundage at Epinions: http://mk2k.epinions.com/user-mk2k
James' mailing list: http://filmcritic2000.listbot.com/
Short Stuff short film review: http://www.othercinema.com/~jbrundage/
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