The Wedding Singer Review

by George Wilcox (tiogeo AT ix DOT netcom DOT com)
February 13th, 1998
CLICK ON CAROLINE.
Dear Caroline Film Reviews
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/7066

THE WEDDING SINGER

Dear Caroline --

I cringed when I first saw the trailer for "The Wedding Singer." Uh-oh. Another Adam Sandler movie, I thought. I didn't remember the statue of limitations running out after "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore."

Enter Drew Barrymore and imagine my shock when Sandler capably handles his first-time role as a romantic lead, Robbie, the ex-rocker turned jilted guy in the title role. It took a while, but Sandler and writer Tim Herlihy have discovered that Sandler doesn't have to scream and be obnoxious all the time to elicit a few laughs.

Barrymore saves the day proving she can play cheerleader cute instead of bad girl hussy. Barrymore is just what Sandler's previous films needed. An engaging co-star to keep us distracted from Sandler's periodic, uncomfortable-to-watch rants.

Set in 1985, "The Wedding Singer" is Sandler's best
film. That's not saying much, I know, but finally we have a period comedy for Gen X even my Phillip Michael Thomas-loving friends can enjoy. The film overdoes the 80s comedy a bit with jokes about "Dynasty" and Rubik's Cube, but you've got to admire any movie that includes scenes with such classics as Nina's "99 Luftballoons" and Kajagoogoo's "Too Shy."

Was I really listening to Frankie Goes to Hollywood my freshman year in college? I must be dreaming.

The constant retro 80s tunes is supposed to sell soundtracks, but director Frank Coraci manages to keep his main aim in mind -- the chemistry between Sandler and Barrymore. They are refreshing.
Sandler's Robbie is a smooth-talking, hopeless romantic looking forward to his wedding with punker Linda (Angela Featherstone), his long-time girlfriend. He meets Julia (Barrymore) a new waitress at the banquet hall, who is also engaged and looking forward to her wedding to long-time boyfriend Glenn (Matthew Glave).
Robbie's life turns to shambles when Linda is a no-show at their wedding. Julia helps pick up the pieces.

The film is sprinkled with cameos from Sandler's former "Saturday Night Live" cohorts such as Jon Lovitz and Kevin Nealon. Billy Idol steals one scene playing himself.

"The Wedding Singer" is a wonderful reversal of fortune for Barrymore, who has appeared in a string of bad movies as the dangerous femme fatale, such as "Poison Ivy," "Guncrazy," "Bad Girls" and "Mad Love." Barrymore's Julia is perky, smart and level-headed. For a change, Barrymore plays the kind of girl you'd want to bring home to mom as long as Barrymore manages to hide her six tattoos, none of which are revealed in the film.

    Julia is the loveable babysitter type Barrymore would have played in "Scream," had she lived longer than the film's first 10 minutes.

Here's to more of Barrymore in the future, and I'm not talking about flashing herself to David Letterman.

Rating: Three stars.

Thinking of you,
Geo. M. Wilcox

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