Mr Deeds
| Year: | 2002 |
| Director: | Steven Brill |
| Cast: | Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, Peter Gallagher, John Turturro, Steve Buscemi |
As much as can be expected from an Adam Sandler comedy. He seems to be 'maturing' (term used very lightly) in that his early roles were all the same - his idiotic violent temper in a smarmy loser shtick. But like The Wedding Singer, this film instead sees him playing a good-natured hero.
A remake of a 1936 film, it tells the story of schmoe Deeds (Sandler) from a small town where everyone knows everyone and all are friends, delivering pizzas and writing awful poems to sell to greeting card companies.
When he's identified as the sole heir to a media fortune, he goes to New York to collect it, being told to wait a few weeks while the scheming CFO of the company (Gallagher) tries to wring the lot out of him without him knowing.
Falling for an equally scheming reporter for a trashy National Enquirer-style news show (Ryder) who's trying to track him down and break the story, a classic fish out of water story ensues as the good natured small town kid is let loose in the big bad city.
A well-worn setup leaves no room for guesses, and some of the characters are a bit jagged around the edges of their identities. But the laughs were pretty consistent and hearty.
It's Ryder's first big appearance since her shoplifting charge, and it seems that even playing second fiddle to teen gross out king Sandler is a blessing for her career, even after great dramatic roles like those in Bram Stoker's Dracula and Little Women .
Way below Turturro's talents, although his appearing and disappearing on a breath of air was a nice comedic touch. And Sandler fixture Steve Buscemi has a great part as loony recluse 'Crazy Eyes'.
A remake of a 1936 film, it tells the story of schmoe Deeds (Sandler) from a small town where everyone knows everyone and all are friends, delivering pizzas and writing awful poems to sell to greeting card companies.
When he's identified as the sole heir to a media fortune, he goes to New York to collect it, being told to wait a few weeks while the scheming CFO of the company (Gallagher) tries to wring the lot out of him without him knowing.
Falling for an equally scheming reporter for a trashy National Enquirer-style news show (Ryder) who's trying to track him down and break the story, a classic fish out of water story ensues as the good natured small town kid is let loose in the big bad city.
A well-worn setup leaves no room for guesses, and some of the characters are a bit jagged around the edges of their identities. But the laughs were pretty consistent and hearty.
It's Ryder's first big appearance since her shoplifting charge, and it seems that even playing second fiddle to teen gross out king Sandler is a blessing for her career, even after great dramatic roles like those in Bram Stoker's Dracula and Little Women .
Way below Turturro's talents, although his appearing and disappearing on a breath of air was a nice comedic touch. And Sandler fixture Steve Buscemi has a great part as loony recluse 'Crazy Eyes'.