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(DAILY_WILDCAT)

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By Doug Levy
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 16, 1998

Master of ceremonies


[Picture]

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema
Arizona Daily Wildcat

Adam Sandler flashes back to the 80s as singer Robbie Hart in "The Wedding Singer." The film, which opened on Friday, features a soundtrack of "classic" 80s songs and a look back at some of the silliest trends to mark the decade.


Ain't love grand?

Well, that depends.

As I'm sure a lot of people could have told you this past weekend, sometimes love sucks.

Like, when, for example, the object of your affection doesn't feel quite the same way you do. Or like when your relationship falls apart and you're nauseated by the sight of any other happy couple you encounter.

Then, there's always the possible realization that you're just with the wrong person, that your ideal mate is really someone else. Sometimes it takes meeting that someone else to open your eyes.

Any one of these experiences can be quite debilitating on its own, but imagine if you had to go through all of them.

In "The Wedding Singer," Adam Sandler's latest film, Sandler's character, Robbie Hart, has to do just that.

Robbie used to be the singer for an '80s rock band called Final Warning, with dreams of stardom, but somewhere along the way, he ended up as a full-time wedding singer instead.

He's still a happy guy, though. After all, he enjoys what he's doing and he's about to get married himself, to his longtime sweetheart, Linda (Angela Featherstone). When she abandons him at the altar, however, things are no longer quite so rosy in Robbie's world.

Returning to work, Robbie becomes the wedding-lover's worst nightmare. A prominent song in his new repertoire is the raging "Love Stinks."

His clients end up about as happy as he is.

Luckily, "The Wedding Singer" is a comedy. A romantic comedy at that. So we know things have to get better.

See, there's this new girl in town, named Julia, played by Drew Barrymore. She's also about to get married, and it's definitely to the wrong guy. In fact, her fiancé, Glenn (Matthew Glave), is such an asshole that the only way to explain Julia's feelings for him is to say that love is not only blind, but that it makes you blind, as well.

Anyway. Julia and Robbie are perfect for each other. All they have to do is admit it to themselves and get rid of their insignificant others (Linda tries to get Robbie back) and they can live happily ever after.

Throw in an old lady who pays Robbie in meatballs for singing lessons, a cameo by Billy Idol, another by Steve Buscemi, and an exploration of all that was the '80s, and you've got a film that is funny, touching and thoroughly enjoyable.

Adam Sandler fans, of course, are going to see "The Wedding Singer" no matter what. One thing you should know, though, is that this film diverges from the Sandler formula; it's not about Adam just being Adam this time. As Robbie Hart, he's actually taking on a role, playing a character, as opposed to playing the character, the one he's so well known for.

As Robbie, Sandler shows that he's not afraid to be the nice guy, that he's willing to be the brunt of the joke instead of the originator. Robbie is sweet, shy and vulnerable. At times, one wonders if perhaps Sandler's relishment of the role doesn't come from the fact that this may actually be closer to who he really is than Happy Gilmore or Billy Madison ever were.

Drew Barrymore also does a great job as Julia, actually getting the audience to believe her as an innocent, friendly, romantic girl. I mean, this is Drew Barrymore we're talking about here. She flashed David Letterman on the air, remember? She does pull it off, though, and the feelings between her and Robbie come off as not only genuine, but easy to share.

Allen Covert, as Robbie's friend Sammy also keeps things lively; you'd never recognize him as Otto, the homeless caddie from "Happy Gilmore." (Well, I guess you will now).

The humor of the film goes slightly over the top, but is much more grounded than in other Sandler films. A lot of it rests on '80s jokes, and everything from Michael Jackson's glove to breakdancing to Boy George gets hit on here. And it works.

There's a lesson here, folks. True love doesn't come around that often, so when it's there, you've got to grab it, even if it means shaking up your life a little.

Go on. Take a chance.

 


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