Customer Reviews

50 First Dates (Widescreen Special Edition)

5 star:		(173)
4 star:		(101)
3 star:		(37)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

The idea behind this film is that in a successful relationship you have to fall in love over and over again. In this story it happens literally everyday.

The performances:

Adam Sandler as Henry Roth shows his vulnerable side in his best and most natural performance.
Drew Barrymore as Lucy Whitmore has never been better, and has great chemistry with Adam. She emerges as a fine actor.
Rob Schneider as Ula may fool you that he is really the character he is playing, I didn't know it was him for half the move! He is brilliantly funny.
Sean Astin as Doug Whitmore (better known as Sam from the Lord of the Rings) is funny in this comic role as Lucy's lisping brother.
Pomaika'i Brown as Nick (tattoo face) the cook, is great in his small role and deserves bigger roles in the future.

Shot in Hawaii, it has beautiful cinematography and vibrant color. The movie is a combination of humor and romance with more heart than you might expect.

You know those movies where you see the trailer in the theater and then when you see the actual movie you discover all the good parts were in the trailer? Well, "50 First Dates" is not one of those movies. In fact, I can make the argument that while the trailer may indeed have most of the funniest moments in this film, it most decidedly does not have any of the best moments of the film. When you see the trailer about this movie in which Adam Sandler has to make a first impression on Drew Barrymore every day because she has no short term memory and wakes up every morning forgetting what happened the previous day, you would think that he discovers this the next morning when she wakes up in bed with a stranger and starts screaming. However, I am happy to report, "50 First Dates" is not that movie either.

I have been trying to think of last time a movie prompted tears in my eyes as often as "50 First Dates." We know that Lucy Whitmore (Barrymore) no longer has any short term memory because of a car accident, but what we learn before we meet Lucy is that Henry Roth (Sandler) is apparently the king of the love 'em and leave 'em of the Hawaiian islands. Thus the great irony is that he falls for the one woman who can forget him faster and more completely than any tourist he has ever dumped. What we also learn about are the extraordinary lengths to which Lucy's family and friends go make each day the same happy day for her. Lucy's brother Doug (Sean Astin) needs to lay off the steroids but her father (Blake Clark) is fiercely and lovingly protective of his daughter. Watching everything that he and his son do each night to reset the stage for Lucy's happy day got me big time.

Unlike "Groundhog Day," which only had a few minor flaws in logic (e.g., why does the music teacher claim Bill Murray as a student at the end?) there are giant holes in "50 First Dates" (e.g., how do the three guys manage to every day free to take care of Lucy?), but I do not care. The gaps are covered in just too many sweet and touching moments for me to object to George Wing's screenplay. The reason why I did not give "50 First Dates" is mainly because of the character of Ula (Rob Schneider), who represents the traditional "Adam Sandler" type of comedy in this film. There are a few moments where Sandler goes over the top (basically anytime his voice gets to the yelling level), but I could forgive most of those (the last song he sings redeems much), but every time Ula showed up it was like clips from another movie. The last time he shows up in the film I was really not happy to see him there because he was ruining a moment I had been eagerly awaiting.

One of the impressive things about this movie is that it does not cop out. Dr. Keats (Dan Aykroyd), Lucy's doctor, tells us repeatedly that Lucy is never going to get better and a lot of the power of this movie comes from the different ways in which Lucy and Howard deal with this hard reality. We also learn that for Lucy and his family there are what her dad calls "bad" days, and it because of them that Henry is inspired to try something different and provide another series of sweet moments in the film. As long as he refrains from going into overdrive, Sandler makes it totally believable that Henry would spend every day trying to get Lucy to fall in love with him. But it is Barrymore who is pitch perfect on both the comedy and the pathos of her role as Lucy. If Sandler did not know that he had found his perfect leading lady after "The Wedding Singer," then this film should do the trick.

The tagline for this film is "Imagine having to win over the girl of your dreams... every friggin' day" is a funny line, but it is as much misdirection as the trailer. Henry may treat his strange assistant Alexa (Lusia Strus) badly, but he could not possibly be more patient with Lucy. Even her skeptical father has to admit that he and Henry are kindred spirits. Because this is Adam Sandler we keep waiting for him to try and take advantage of the situation, but, to repeat myself, this is not that film. Yes, "Groundhog Day" is the better movie, but "50 First Dates" is also full of grace and more importantly the film finds of way of delivering on its promise. First kisses might be the sweetest of all, but in this film it is the last date that makes you surrender on the off chance you manage to hold off that long.

Adam Sandler's previous track record has been shaky, with some underwritten comedies (Anger Management) and movies that failed to find a mainstream audience (Big Daddy). 50 firsts Dates makes an improvement by not only providing an original script that lends itself to both comedic double entrees and depth, courtesy of Drew Barrymore's stunning performance, with convincing pathos. Sandler brings another great character to the screen, especially since this story provokes just as many tears as guffaws. This is possibly Sandler's best film and boasts great comedic turns from Rob Scheider and Sean Astin. This film really does work on all levels, and considering I'm not a fan of the genre. Combining an impressive supporting cast with a sprightly running time and hip soundtrack, and you have one of the best comedies of recent years. Highly reccomended.

The 2004 film "50 First Dates" that was directed by Peter Segal (who directed "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" in 1994) was an unexpected pleasant surprise as I typically don't like films starring Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider. However, Sandler's role as Henry Roth, who falls in love with the artist Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), is well-acted in showing both the character's frustration and determination in dealing with Lucy's short-term memory loss that prevents her from remembering just about everything from one day to the next. Taking place in Hawaii, Henry works at a sea aquarium as its veterinarian with walruses, penguins and dolphins, as well as one of the animal trainers named Ula (Rob Schneider). For many years, Lucy has been taken care of by her aging father, Marlin Whitmore (Blake Clark) and her stuttering bodybuilding brother named Doug (Sean Astin). Henry is smitten with Lucy from the first time that they meet, but unfortunately, their relationship becomes difficult, as Henry must start over afresh each day because Lucy can't remember whom he is. Though they spend many wonderful days together and find a way to help Lucy remember what has transpired between them, she comes to the conclusion one day that she is holding Henry back from his dreams. He goes off to finish working on his sailboat and plans to leave the island (and her), but when he visits her one last time, he finds that she has been remembering him in her dreams and in her paintings. Will they find a way to build a lasting relationship or go their separate ways? You'll just have to watch this highly recommended film to find out!

Overall, I rate "50 First Dates" with 4 out of 5 stars. It's an inspiring and touching light romantic comedy with a wonderful soundtrack that features such songs as "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (by the Beach Boys), "Another Day" (by Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney, 1941-1998), "Could You Be Loved" (by Bob Marley, 1945-1981), and "Is This Love" (also by Bob Marley) to name a few. Other memorable characters in the film include Alexa (Lusia Strus), Dr. Keats (Dan Aykroyd), Stacy (Maya Rudolph) and Nick (Pomaika'i Brown). Of course, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Dan Aydroyd and Maya Rudolph are all veterans of the long-running TV comedy variety show "Saturday Night Live", which has been on the air continually since 1975.

Just when I start getting used to the cookie-cutter formula of most romantic comedy movies, a film like 50 First Dates comes along, picks me out of my seat, spins me around, and drops me back down so I don't know which way is up. I walked into the movie theater expecting this movie to be cute and funny at best-and crude and obnoxious at worst. What I found instead was a touching, sweet romantic comedy that occasionally brought tears to my eyes. Best described as Groundhog Day with a twist, this movie tells the story of a love that defies a huge and unusual obstacle.

Adam Sandler plays Henry Roth: ladies' man, man's man, man about town-the love `em and leave `em type. Henry's the sort of guy most women detest-he dates a woman briefly, sleeps with her, and then tells her he's married/gay/about to be deported, etc. He's committed to his work as a veterinarian, and he's terrified of any other kind of commitment. This all changes when he meets Lucy Whitmire in a coffee shop.

Drew Barrymore is Lucy, a sweet, beautiful girl with a severe handicap. She was in a car accident over a year before the story begins, and, as a result, she lost her ability to retain her short-term memory. Each night when she goes to sleep, her brain "resets" itself, and she wakes up each day thinking it's October 13 of the previous year-the day the accident took place.

The story gets rolling when Henry not only decides that he cares about Lucy enough to have her meet and fall in love with him each day, but he also manages to convince her overprotective family and friends that he's the real deal.

Sandler and Barrymore prove once again that they have unbelievable chemistry onscreen (they were also wonderful together in 1998's The Wedding Singer). They remind me a little of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, etc.) Although the character of Henry Roth has a softer, gentler persona than many of the characters we've seen Sandler play in the past, fans of the former SNL comedian will appreciate the subtle jokes and references to some of his earlier movies, such as Happy Gilmore. Even the requisite Sandler-composed song, "Forgetful Lucy," is sweet and romantic rather than over-the-top. Drew Barrymore portrays the sweet and confused Lucy to perfection-the audience can completely understand why Henry would go to such great lengths for this girl. Sean Astin and Rob Schneider are hilarious in their supporting roles, and the film has a great soundtrack to back it up.

This movie is definitely a must-see-whether you're on a first date of your own, with a long-term sweetie, or just with the gang. I highly recommend it.

I am not an Adam Sandler fan. And haven't been one for quite sometime. After seeing this film I am going to have to take back what I have said time and time again about his being a terrible actor. In one review I wrote on here for a different film of his I went so far as to say "he's a no talent hack." But with this film he completely won me over. This is the first Sandler film I can say that I really really loved. It is more of a romance than a comedy but it does have some genuinely funny moments (the supporting actors were perfectly cast-Sean Astin is especially hilarious in this.) This is probably Drew Barrymore's best performance ever. Peter Segal really did a fantastic job directing this film...And Hawaii as the backdrop couldn't be better. As ridiculous as it may sound to some cinephiles out there I was far more touched and moved by this film than I was by the critically hailed Punch Drunk Love. If you like romance movies at all this is a must rent, buy...And I might even have to admit it is one of the best films of 2004.

Like MEMENTO, this is a movie that deals with a person with "short-term memory" loss. I put the term I just used in quotes, because, although it is standard psychological term, it is clearly a confusing misnomer. "Short-term memory" is clearly NOT the shortest term memory that we have. If it were, a person who had lost all short-term memory could not complete an intelligible sentence. He or she would have no memory from one syllable to the next what he or she were talking about. But both the main character in MEMENTO and Lucy in this movie can carry on seemingly "normal" converstions with people over certain periods of time. Perhaps that is one reason why their disability is all the more troublesome. It can appear to be no disability at all for a while to any observer. Lucy in this movie could appear entirely to have a "normal" memory as long as she is awake during a given day. But after she had slept, one could observe that she retained no memory of the previous day. The guy in MEMENTO had a shorter period over which he could remember "new" memories, but still over a sufficiently short period, he remembered things "normally" so as to completely baffle somebody as to why he would have to write down the simplest of directions or he would promptly forget them. Neither movie paints any clear picture of what "short-term memory" is that concurs with or can build upon what little I learned about the term in the psychology course that I took. Allegedly, according to fans of one or both of these movies, losing "short-term memory" means no longer being able to form new memories. The paradox here is that these subjects efinitely DO remember new things, but only for short terms, It is said that their "long-term memories" ae intact, but in a literal sense of speaking, long-term memory of anythig happening after the accident that deprived them of "short-term memory" is excactly what they DON"T have. So, when one loses "short-term" memory but retains "long-term" memory, memories of new events become troublesomely short-term. Shouldn't that mean that "long-term" memory is what is really impaired? Maybe it all makes sense if properly explained. Ardent fans of movies like this often insist that it is all perfectly clear and those of us who point out the confusing paradoxes are just dummies. That doesn't help. If more movies dealing with the subject are to be made, I hope some will really clarify it. By the way, subjects of movies do come to have long-term realization that they DO have "short-term memory loss. And that is something that they couldn't have learned before their accidents, because it wasn't the case until after the accidents. Gee, I wish clarification could be found somewhere.
What redeems this movie somewhat, to make it worthy of four stars, is that it does tell a touching and OFTEN coherent story of Lucy and her disability, even though it only confuses in implying both that her condition can "never get better" but also that she can learn to know and accept her condition better from day to day and she can form a long-term relationship with someone she met since her accident. Overall though, it tells a more coherent story than MEMENTO, and injects enough humor and charm to make a movie that is highly watchable. Some have said that the humor clashes withe the movie's serious theme. I can see how it has that feeling at times. But if you consider where the movie would be without the humor, I think the humor more enhances than impairs the ability to make this a palatable story.

You tell me:

ADAM SANDLER
DREW BARRYMORE

50 FIRST DATES

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore star together for the first time since The Wedding Singer in one of the funniest romantic comedies in years.

Henry Roth (Sandler) lives an enviable life in a Hawaiian paradise, spending every night with a beautiful tourist in search of an island fling. It's a sweet life with no strings attached...until he meets Lucy (Barrymore). He and Lucy hit it off from the get-go, but the next day she acts like she doesn't know him. Has his karma come around to kick him in the butt or what? Actually, Lucy has short-term memory loss, so every night all memory of her day is erased. But a man in love will go to any lengths to win over the girl of his dreams, and if that means having to find imaginative ways of doing it over again every day, then Henry's up for the challenge.

Rob Schneider (Big Daddy) and Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) co-star in 50 FIRST DATES, which will win you over every time you watch it!

PG-13 - PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED
Crude sexual humor and drug references

SPECIAL FEATURES

-Director and Cast Commentary
-Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
-The Dating Scene: The Making of 50 FIRST DATES
-Music Videos
-Comedy Central Reel Comedy Special
-Gag Reel
-Talkin' Pidgin Featurette
-Filmographies
-Previews

Special Features not rated.

In my opinion, 50 FIRST DATES is any Adam Sandler fan's movie.

I must admit I was shocked when I saw this movie. We chose to watch it as a compromise between a chick-flick and a comedy and I had my doubts. I didn't think there would be any way to make Adam Sandler serious or believable in a love story, but he and Drew Barrymore really pulled it off. This movie takes a very tragic and touching story and makes it enjoyable and cute.

I've heard some people say that this movie is an insult to people with mental health disabilities and I think they are 100% incorrect. This movie is not offensive in the least.

Overall the storyline, casting and cinematography is excellent. I would highly recommend this film to all.

I know there are a million reviews on this movie, but I just had to add my opinion to the throng. Why? Because this movie is perfect. I am maddeningly picky about movies, and I usually only expect to chuckle through an Adam Sandler movie, but this one...wow.
Adam Sandler plays a womanizing marine biologist in the beautiful setting of Hawaii. He meets Drew Barrymore's character, a witty, funny, and charming woman who just happens to have a slight memory problem- in that she relives the same day over and over again thanks to a car accident. Both these characters could have been simple fluff, with no depth or anything that would cause the audience to connect, but for some reason, throughout the entire movie, you are willing them to overcome their incredible circumstances. Sandler undertakes the mad task of building a long-term relationship with Barrymore's character, starting from scratch every day! His methods are sweet and funny, its no wonder he's so successful at wooing her.

The supporting cast is great and not overbearing or interruptive to the story- though the man-woman-person is not my favorite...just disturbing. Sean Astin was great, managed to be a caring, sweet character even with that annoying lisp.

Bottom line, this is a movie to watch with your boyfriend/husband- it's got enough comedy (both low-brow and intelligent) to entertain everyone, plus...this is a sweet, sweet story that will break your heart a few times, right up to the ending, which had me in tears, sobbing. If you don't have the same gut-twisting reaction, then you better have somebody take your pulse. However, if this movie lacked humor in your opinion, watch The Wedding Singer. If you want more drama/reality with a dash of intellectual humor, try Spanglish. Adam Sandler is awesome!