Two Tube movie critic Mike Sheridan wonders why talent like Adam Sandler makes movies like ‘Jack and Jill’.
I’ve met Adam Sandler on several occasions and I can attest to the fact that he’s a genuinely funny, warm and cool individual who is inexplicably grounded given his mammoth success. He’s also a very talented comedian and actor, and if you haven’t seen his work in ‘Punch Drunk Love’ or ‘Funny People’, I urge you to do so.
You may ask yourself then, why on earth does he continue to make complete and utter rubbish like ‘Jack and Jill’ – a horrific comedy about a twin brother and sister, with Sandler playing both parts.
If you look at Sandler’s career so far and the films that have done well at the box-office, whenever he attempts something moderately different (‘Love’ or ‘Reign on Me’ for instance) they belly flop at theatres. Critics will fall over themselves to complement him, and artier audiences will be shocked at his ability to show impressive range but his fanbase simply doesn’t turn up.
I’m not sure if the actor enjoys doing them, but I do think that his friends mean an awful lot to him, and some of those aforementioned friends are relatively high up in the Hollywood studio system. He needs his films to make money to keep his company, Happy Madison, in business and his pals employed. I got the impression from him that he felt a responsibility to those around him.
He was my first ever interview and remember sitting outside waiting to go in absolutely terrified. When I walked in he was sitting there holding a hurley Ray Darcy (who was in before me) had given him. He was swinging it about the place as one of the cameramen pointed out what the sport was; “Like ice-hockey, kinda, but without those pads… or ice”.
Sandler seemed genuinely intrigued about the sport and the guys in the room were conversing with him like he was a real person not a delicate movie star – which is often the case. I made the mistake of expecting every other actor to be that nice.
When I sat down at first, sweating profusely, he asked “how is your life today buddy?” The second time I met him he remembered me and was beyond a pleasure. We traded stories about his time in Dublin and how much he loved the place.
‘Jack and Jill’ has not done as well at the box-office as Sandler’s previous, similar flicks. Young men are apparently not going to the cinema very much anymore and they are Sandler’s core fan base. He’s now apparently making a sequel – something he’s never done before – to one of his biggest films, last year’s ‘Grown Ups’. Which starred three of his best friends, Chris Rock, Kevin James and David Spade.
