Anger Management
2003
Cast: Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson, Marisa Tomei, Luis Guzman, Woody Harrelson, John Turturro, Heather Graham
Genre: Buddy Comedy
Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $195 million
Plot: A timid businessman is wrongly sentenced to an anger management program, where he has his life turned upside by an ultra-aggressive instructor who hardly practices what he preaches
'Don't Get Mad - In Fact, This Is A Surprisingly Witty Buddy Comedy'
You'll either dig Adam Sandler's humour or not, and the same goes with his films: for every Punch- Drunk Love, Reign over Me and Uncut Gems in the drama stakes, there is a Eight Crazy Nights (which I heard, and based on the number of comments on Letterboxd from users, is one of his sheer worst), Little Nicky, Jack & Jill, The Ridiculous 6 and Billy Madison amongst other so-called comedy no-nos. For me, I like Adam Sandler's humour in small doses, and when he isn't relying on being angry, brash and mean all of the time. Anger Management was his follow-up to the groundbreaking indie drama, Punch-Drunk Love, which won him plaudits, - and, whilst this was a return to his usual, dumb comedian-ish self, for once and for a change, Sandler didn't mug the camera, as the Sandler formula here doesn't feel shoved down our throats, but rather restrained in places and as he allows co-lead, Jack Nicholson to share the spotlight.
Thus Lo and behold, in Anger Management, I have found an Adam Sandler comedy that I actually enjoyed. I'm not a big Adam Sandler fan, but I love watching comedy movies, and yet I can't deny he can be and is a funny person, onscreen.
Following a misunderstanding on board an airplane, where a flight attendant is injured, executive secretary, Dave is ordered to attend anger management therapy by the judge and under the supervision of Dr Buddy Lydell: the guy, who was sitting next to him on the plane. Yet Dave insists he doesn't have an anger problem. When he gets himself into trouble the second time, Dave is sentenced to 30 days of intensive anger management. He is not too keen on the idea; however, he sees it as a way to keep himself out of jail. Yet things get a little weirder, when overtime, Dave realises that the doc, of whom Dave is forced to live with 24/7, might be far more unstable than his patients.
What seems to be different about this picture is that unlike other Adam Sandler movies, it is relatively fun; not in a thought-provoking way but it remains amusing in places without being too dumbed down and resorting to childish, low-brow jokes too often.
Sandler's Dave Buznik comes across as sincere and Sandler's performance as that character was so refreshing to see; to see him play Dave as the down-to-earth, nice guy, and a mild-mannered guy who designs outfits for fat cats, as in felines (and as amusing and sweet as it sounds) and of whom has a beautiful girlfriend to share his life with. Sure, there are instances where Sandler goes loud, but he manages to show restraint and doesn't overwhelm the movie and his co-stars with his turn. Jack Nicholson was exceedingly good, it brought back memories of The Witches of Eastwick and As Good As It Gets as he dabbles in comedy, revelling and embracing himself in the silliness of it all. It might be hard to fathom picturing Nicholson playing an eccentric shrink and in a light-hearted way, yet he does so here, along with that Nicholson charisma aplenty: Rydell is a shrink all right, but one whose methods are bonkers, so much so, Nicholson and Sandler's roles/characters could've been the other way round, with Sandler as the crazy doctor and Nicholson trying to keep things sane. Nicholson is a great foil for Sandler, and though it is an unlikely pairing one doesn't expect, the way they go about their characters onscreen makes it work. If there were any downsides it is that the supporting cast including John Turturro, Woody Harrelson, as a flamboyant drag queen, and Luis Guzman in bit-part roles were underutilized and just weren't given enough to do. The Heather Graham eating chocolate cupcakes gag felt flat as well, although the fight scene with John C. Reily in the role of Dave's former childhood nemesis/buddy, was chuckle-worthy.
Anger Management is a buddy-ish comedy that succeeds in parts but also it goes down the rom-com territory during the last part of the movie involving Dave and Marisa Tomei's Linda. This was something I didn't anticipate, and when I think about it, it feels like the way they handled it made this aspect feel out of place. I mean, it's good that it gives the film something else to focus on, besides Dave and Dr Buddy Lydell, but it didn't quite click with me as it should do. The story then loses its way a little when it is discovered that Linda has been going out with Buddy. That and the ending could have been better.
Final Verdict:
A comedy that shows off more of the gentler side of Adam Sandler that we need more of, even if he tones down his antics just a little, it doesn't make Anger Management less entertaining and amusing as it is. That, and, with the side helping of Jack Nicholson as one-half of the buddy comedy duo, you have yourself a comedy that, surprisingly, smacks of occasional wit.
Frankly, this is the movie that Analyze This or the follow-up in Analyze That should have been.
Overall:
2003
Cast: Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson, Marisa Tomei, Luis Guzman, Woody Harrelson, John Turturro, Heather Graham
Genre: Buddy Comedy
Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $195 million
Plot: A timid businessman is wrongly sentenced to an anger management program, where he has his life turned upside by an ultra-aggressive instructor who hardly practices what he preaches
'Don't Get Mad - In Fact, This Is A Surprisingly Witty Buddy Comedy'
You'll either dig Adam Sandler's humour or not, and the same goes with his films: for every Punch- Drunk Love, Reign over Me and Uncut Gems in the drama stakes, there is a Eight Crazy Nights (which I heard, and based on the number of comments on Letterboxd from users, is one of his sheer worst), Little Nicky, Jack & Jill, The Ridiculous 6 and Billy Madison amongst other so-called comedy no-nos. For me, I like Adam Sandler's humour in small doses, and when he isn't relying on being angry, brash and mean all of the time. Anger Management was his follow-up to the groundbreaking indie drama, Punch-Drunk Love, which won him plaudits, - and, whilst this was a return to his usual, dumb comedian-ish self, for once and for a change, Sandler didn't mug the camera, as the Sandler formula here doesn't feel shoved down our throats, but rather restrained in places and as he allows co-lead, Jack Nicholson to share the spotlight.
Thus Lo and behold, in Anger Management, I have found an Adam Sandler comedy that I actually enjoyed. I'm not a big Adam Sandler fan, but I love watching comedy movies, and yet I can't deny he can be and is a funny person, onscreen.
What seems to be different about this picture is that unlike other Adam Sandler movies, it is relatively fun; not in a thought-provoking way but it remains amusing in places without being too dumbed down and resorting to childish, low-brow jokes too often.
Sandler's Dave Buznik comes across as sincere and Sandler's performance as that character was so refreshing to see; to see him play Dave as the down-to-earth, nice guy, and a mild-mannered guy who designs outfits for fat cats, as in felines (and as amusing and sweet as it sounds) and of whom has a beautiful girlfriend to share his life with. Sure, there are instances where Sandler goes loud, but he manages to show restraint and doesn't overwhelm the movie and his co-stars with his turn. Jack Nicholson was exceedingly good, it brought back memories of The Witches of Eastwick and As Good As It Gets as he dabbles in comedy, revelling and embracing himself in the silliness of it all. It might be hard to fathom picturing Nicholson playing an eccentric shrink and in a light-hearted way, yet he does so here, along with that Nicholson charisma aplenty: Rydell is a shrink all right, but one whose methods are bonkers, so much so, Nicholson and Sandler's roles/characters could've been the other way round, with Sandler as the crazy doctor and Nicholson trying to keep things sane. Nicholson is a great foil for Sandler, and though it is an unlikely pairing one doesn't expect, the way they go about their characters onscreen makes it work. If there were any downsides it is that the supporting cast including John Turturro, Woody Harrelson, as a flamboyant drag queen, and Luis Guzman in bit-part roles were underutilized and just weren't given enough to do. The Heather Graham eating chocolate cupcakes gag felt flat as well, although the fight scene with John C. Reily in the role of Dave's former childhood nemesis/buddy, was chuckle-worthy.
Anger Management is a buddy-ish comedy that succeeds in parts but also it goes down the rom-com territory during the last part of the movie involving Dave and Marisa Tomei's Linda. This was something I didn't anticipate, and when I think about it, it feels like the way they handled it made this aspect feel out of place. I mean, it's good that it gives the film something else to focus on, besides Dave and Dr Buddy Lydell, but it didn't quite click with me as it should do. The story then loses its way a little when it is discovered that Linda has been going out with Buddy. That and the ending could have been better.
Final Verdict:
A comedy that shows off more of the gentler side of Adam Sandler that we need more of, even if he tones down his antics just a little, it doesn't make Anger Management less entertaining and amusing as it is. That, and, with the side helping of Jack Nicholson as one-half of the buddy comedy duo, you have yourself a comedy that, surprisingly, smacks of occasional wit.
Frankly, this is the movie that Analyze This or the follow-up in Analyze That should have been.
Overall:
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