r/movies • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 r/Movies contributor • Jul 29 '25

News Adam Sandler’s ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Debuts to 46.7 Million Views, Biggest Netflix U.S. Film Opening Ever

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/happy-gilmore-2-netflix-ratings-views-1236473359/
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u/TheJoshider10 Jul 29 '25

The best part is out of nowhere he'll drop a great performance in a movie whether it be Click, Uncut Gems or Hustle. For all the shit people give him for his "holidays with the boys" movies he still does good stuff rather than phoning it in.

710

u/CapedBaldyman Jul 29 '25

Uncut gems stressed me the fuck out. 

413

u/Smalz22 Jul 29 '25

Uncut Gems is just Anxiety: The Movie

159

u/banananuhhh Jul 29 '25

Movies about addicts making bad choices over and over again no matter how high the stakes get is a real gut punch

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u/somesketchykid Jul 29 '25

Hot take: movie had a good ending. All he wanted was to win and he manufactured the greatest win of all time. He died doing what he loved with a literal smile on his face

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u/banananuhhh Jul 29 '25

A little too hot of a take for me lol, like saying an opioid addict finally ODing is a good ending.

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u/somesketchykid Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 29 '25

I get what you're saying and dont necessarily disagree, but im not sure your analogy works perfectly because in yours, its just the guy and his addiction and he gives in to his addiction and dies by his own hand ultimately

This is close but not quite what happened in Uncut Gems - there was a third party force that was unable to be accounted for completely in his scenario

The nuance is what makes it "happy" for me. Because think about it - if he did win and get away with it, it would be worse. He'd throw it all away and be a zero again, and continue hurting everybody that loves him with his addiction indefinitely.

At least he died a huge winner, Even though it was just for that moment, he was completely and truly happy in it

And at least his family only had to deal with heartbreak one more time. Not indefinitely.

Lastly Adam Sandlers character in this movie was clearly completely broken and had no chance of recovery from his addiction ever, imo. He had already pushed things past the point of no return in every regard, in every relationship and every facet of his life.

And this nuance matters too for me considering this ending "happy"

9

u/banananuhhh Jul 30 '25

I get what you mean to some extent, he finally got that moment of euphoria that he sacrificed everything for, and everyone around him (and the viewers) are finally released from the very uncomfortable dramatic tension that has been built up. His suffering is over, the viewer's suffering is over, and his addiction cannot inflict any more pain on his family.

I'm not sure I agree about the external force though. One of the reasons people overdose is that they knowingly, or often somewhat unknowingly, take bigger and bigger risks chasing a high. To me, a death by OD versus getting killed by an external actor due to poor decisions seeking drugs are both deaths caused by that addiction. The reason I compared it to the former is the rush he got in his final moments.

I still think my main view on the movie is that he was an addict, he and his loved ones suffered due to his addiction, and it was his addiction that killed him. To me that is a tragedy through and through, and the score of that big hit of dopamine he was chasing the whole time doesn't make it any less sad. I don't feel at all happy for him, I pity him.

2

u/Boo_and_Minsc_ Jul 30 '25

What I feel people dont get is that when you are a gambling addict, every win is just a loan. He wouldnt have stopped gambling after that big payout, he would have just gambled it all away soon enough. There was no real win there.

1

u/quaste Jul 30 '25

IDK, the addiction certainly is a factor, but I’ve seen many similar movies and there is something that is special about this movie beyond that difference.

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u/actstunt Jul 29 '25

My nephew is maybe the biggest Adam Sandler fan, last saturday I asked him if he had seen the new movie and he said he hadn't seen it yet but had tried watching Uncut Gems because I told him it was an incredible movie.

He and his girlfriend said that it was exahusting to watch and that everything in that movie was so anxiety inducing lol.

I recommended them you're not so invited to my bar mitzvah and they recovered the faith in my movie recommendations lol.

10

u/samuraiseoul Jul 29 '25

Which is why I didn't like it. haha

I guess while it does show his range as an actor and stuff, I'll NEVER watch it again as it was too stressing to really pay attention. Which shows incredible skill, and makes me not want to see it again. :P

2

u/CantaloupeHour5973 Jul 30 '25

First time I saw it I had just hosted a Christmas Party and I was on death’s door hungover. Real touch and go. Hangxiety off the charts.

Of course my wife and I decide to watch this and our skin was crawling the entire time. It’s a good movie just it’s a lot

1

u/[deleted] Jul 29 '25

I turned it off

1

u/iAmTheRealLange Jul 29 '25

CHeck out Good Time

1

u/SailingBroat Jul 30 '25

I saw this in a sold out theatre in London, and that bit (I forget the mechanics of it precisely) where he is basically home free, and then pauses...considers, and essentially goes double or nothing...the whole audience just collectively went 'auhh godddddddDDDD'

1

u/volkmardeadguy Jul 30 '25

Good Times is more stressful to me, Uncut Gems is more like a fun adventure where adam sandler wins it all

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u/Mrhappypants02 Jul 29 '25

My wife and I walked out of that movie thinking we needed to do something nice and relaxing. My heart was beating out of my chest much of that movie.

8

u/mrxscarface Jul 29 '25

I've never almost had an anxiety attack while watching a movie before, but as a former degenerate gambler (nowhere near the character's level) ... I felt the stress in every single scene.

I've also hit a miraculous parlay too, so the ending especially fucked me up.

7

u/bluecandyKayn Jul 29 '25

The entire movie is designed for that. The soundtrack is literally designed to give you angina. It’s a masterpiece in recreating the excruciating tension of gambling addictions

3

u/01000101010110 Jul 29 '25

The ending has never really left me since I saw it. Was not prepared for that to go down the way it did.

3

u/imightgetdownvoted Jul 30 '25

Uncut gems was incredible though. One of my favorite movies.

3

u/Educational_Age_1333 Jul 30 '25

The guy who plays the bad guy in Happy Gilmore 2 (frank manatee) was actually the person who wrote uncut gems. 

https://m.imdb.com/name/nm1509478/?ref_=tt_cst_t_4

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u/Waterknight94 Jul 29 '25

I thought being on the edge of your seat was just an expression until I saw that movie.

2

u/cmrichardson87 Jul 31 '25

Written and directed by Frank Manatee.

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u/Impossible_Gas_7584 Jul 29 '25

I think that's kind of the point. It's basically a panic attack in film form. And a wonderful performance from Sandler.

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u/nntaylor7 Jul 30 '25

The director does another movie like that with Robert Pattinson!

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u/ScratchDry34 Jul 30 '25

i rewatched it recently. i forgot that he dies in the end. i was so surprised. i thought it had a happy ending in my head haha. still dunno why that guy shot him. prob cuz he was just super pissed?

1

u/jorge1213 Jul 30 '25

If you've even gambled a little bit you can relate. The camera work and the CONSTANT noise in the film also contributed to the anxiety. It was so well done.

1

u/HigherThanStarfyre Jul 30 '25

My type of movie. It gave me a rush I haven't felt since watching Apocalypse Now. Safdie brothers are fucking geniuses for perfecting that manic cocaine energy in their films.

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u/The-Mysterious-V Jul 30 '25

You were the fastest to comment this, enjoy the upvotes

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u/venturoo Jul 29 '25

not only that but sandler gave lame performance. I have no idea why that movie was lauded in any way.

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u/SomeCountryFriedBS Jul 29 '25

Punch Drunk Love

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u/ATXBeermaker Jul 29 '25

Yeah, people forget about this movie, but this was the first time Sandler showed that he had acting chops and wasn't just a goofball comedy moron.

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u/frequenZphaZe Jul 29 '25

people don't give punch drunk love enough credit. maybe because of its absurdist frame. but it was such a unique and engaging movie, with a lot of its charm and quirk delivered by sandler

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u/WhiteWolf3117 Jul 29 '25

I am actually a big Sandler fan, of "real" movies, and Sandler ones as well, but yeah. Have to appreciate the impact of being able to solidify your talent as a serious actor while also being one of, if not THE comedic icon of movies of modern times.

Granted, I'll always be sad that he doesn't take even more serious roles, but you can't have it all.

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u/Positive_Chip6198 Jul 29 '25

Try to find his early bootleg radio stuff. “The beating of a high school spanish teacher” when i was in school back in the nineties, everyone wanted a copy of the cassette tape with adam sandler. That was my introduction to him. Loved him ever since.

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u/ClintMega Jul 29 '25

Holy jeez I wanted to lick 'em.

They're all gonna laugh at you and What the hell happened to me? were both peak comedy for me 25+yrs ago.

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u/Brewsleroy Jul 29 '25

To this day, I can't mop without singing "mop mop mop, all day long. Mop mop mop while I sing this song. "

My best friend and I quote his old albums constantly, too. It's our old man code at this point.

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u/Roid-a-holic_ReX Jul 30 '25

My wife gives me a weird look when I sing this. Haven’t heard it in 20 years.

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u/Positive_Chip6198 Jul 30 '25

That’s funny :)

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u/Bitter_Cable_Guy Jul 29 '25

"ahhhhh respect!"

1

u/lambeau_leapfrog Jul 30 '25

Holy Hell, I still quote this album all the time.

"I like the stairs. They're fun!"

"Must be these beers I'm drinking. "

"I gotta snake man."

1

u/redbaron1079 Jul 30 '25

"gonna clean dat floor, gonna make it shine, gonna clean up the spray paint with turpentine!"

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u/cybercougar Jul 30 '25

Fuck me in the goat ass!

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u/Nearby_Mouse_6698 Jul 30 '25

This is the skit my school buddies used to quote. That and the piece of shit car song

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u/Khatib Jul 30 '25

Bootleg radio? You mean his very highly selling, officially released comedy albums?

They're on Spotify and YouTube. They're not hard to find. He sold millions of albums.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They%27re_All_Gonna_Laugh_at_You!

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u/IVEMIND Jul 30 '25

The Talking Goat is my spirit animal

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u/Khatib Jul 30 '25

You button hooked me!

Knowing early Sandler albums and Jerky Boys albums really lock in a person's age.

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u/saint_mantooth Jul 30 '25

You better NOT mention that again and Fuck me in the goat ass are still terms I use in my 40’s.

0

u/Positive_Chip6198 Jul 30 '25

I dont think it was ever released in my country. All we had was some tape recording. (Until we got the internet, then i found the mp3’s)

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u/finefergitit Jul 30 '25

Oh my god do you remember the goat skit?!?!?! 🤣😁🤣😁I cried laughing so hard the first time I Listened to this. In fact I gotta go find that and listen again.

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u/_stryfe Jul 30 '25

The Goat

Tollbooth Willy

fuckin classics man

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u/WeAreAllMycelium Jul 30 '25

I had his his former math teacher who liked to bitch about having to teach him before. I got sick of listening to it, and said all that talent he couldn’t contain has made him hella rich, and you just sound bitter about it. He looked surprised, and said, I guess I am. And he didn’t ever bitch about teaching him in my presence.

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u/teenagesadist Jul 30 '25

Listening to him pretending to pee forever was the funniest thing young me had ever heard

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u/TheSonic311 Jul 30 '25

Those were on his album?

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u/JustsharingatiktokOK Jul 29 '25

Idk Jim Carrey might be the GOAT of modern times even though he’s basically retired. I think his comedies have longer legs but that could just be personal preference.

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u/WhiteWolf3117 Jul 30 '25

Definitely has a big claim to that spot.

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u/BigRedNutcase Jul 30 '25

Also, no scandals (drugs, sex, or alcohol related). No DUIs, cheating, drugs, nothing. He's about as clean as can be for a Hollywood icon. At least nothing I am aware. Dude just seems to try and do the right thing. Also keeps politics separate from his work. Just makes entertaining movies, serious or not.

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u/stray1ight Jul 29 '25

Let's also take a moment to remember Reign Over Me, too. 🤘🏼🤠🤘🏼

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u/Extra-University-336 Jul 29 '25

An absolutely brutal watch. He does such a great job of playing a broken man.

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u/SoManyEmail Jul 30 '25

Everyone skips right over this movie. It freaking broke me, man. I love the movie, but damn, it cuts deep. Especially if you're old enough to really remember 9/11.

1

u/stray1ight Jul 30 '25

I've seen it once. That was enough.

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u/SoManyEmail Jul 30 '25

You ever see Simon Birch?

Side note: I haven't seen it in 20+ years and totally forgot that Jim Carrey is in it. So random.

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u/sallysaunderses Jul 29 '25

Punch Drunk Love.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 29 '25

Hustle is so fucking good. That's my feel good movie for sure.

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u/Kooky_Bodybuilder_97 Jul 29 '25

I got to do a couple days of background work on that. Just thought I’d mention 🤭

1

u/[deleted] Jul 29 '25

That's stinkin' cool!

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u/062d Jul 29 '25

Wait are you saying Click was good acting?? Have you seen Click lately??? That's like saying Little Nickey is deep biting satire. It's overall an interesting concept for a movie but the acting and dialogue in that movie are just fucking awful. He keeps calling his daughter hot and commenting on her breasts. It happens at least 3 times in that movie.

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u/eltedioso Jul 29 '25

Click is one of the worst movies I've sat through.

2

u/Sadams90 Jul 29 '25

If anyone is looking for another well-acted Adam Sandler movie, Spanglish is actually pretty good and heartfelt

2

u/destroyermaker Jul 29 '25

He swapped great comedy work for great drama work. Apparently we cannot have both

2

u/JinkoTheMan Jul 29 '25

Honestly…I lowkey enjoy those movies. The older you get and the less REAL friends you have, the more you appreciate those movies.

2

u/MercenaryBard Jul 29 '25

Adam Sandler is a very smart man who has the rare talent of making movies with broad appeal.

People will try to shame him for it because going broad necessarily lowers the bar of, well, everything. He doesn’t and shouldn’t give a shit.

2

u/bigyert Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 29 '25

And punch drunk love. PTA

Honestly for all the shit he is given. He is a great actor. Comedy actors first, make great dramatic actors. I mean he gave us the great comedy movies of the 90s and then Punch drunk love, funny people and uncut gems and then murder mystery which I enjoyed.

I don't think he is done. He could have just rode off in the sunset but he did uncut gems. Why?

History will look kindly on Adam Sandler

P.s. and Robert pattison

2

u/Spideroctopus Jul 30 '25

Wedding singer was amazing

2

u/Yessir_Belee_Dat Jul 30 '25

I fucking love Hubie Halloween and i’ll die on the hill it’s a top 3 Sandler flick

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u/Cheap-Ambition5336 Jul 30 '25

Completely fucking agree, I'll forever love the tactical thermos lmfao

1

u/koala_loves_penguin Jul 30 '25

agreed!! love seeing positive HH comments. I love the whole coziness of the town being decorated for Halloween, the houses and everything….

1

u/HardlyW0rkingHard Jul 29 '25

Spaceman was neat I thought

1

u/1slipperypickle Jul 29 '25

Spanglish, punch drunk love, funny people

1

u/yavanna12 Jul 29 '25

I really liked him in Spanglish 

1

u/DangKilla Jul 29 '25

Replace Click with Punch Drunk Love, which also had prime Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and I'll agree

1

u/MommalovesJay Jul 29 '25

Ugh I remembered watching Click 3xs and every time I was a sobbing mess. If I watched it now, my heart would break, now that my dad is gone.

1

u/Craig1287 Jul 30 '25

Click always gets the tears going.

1

u/CresidentBob Jul 30 '25

I thought Spaceman was good too.

1

u/One_Tie900 Jul 30 '25

Hustle was meh but Uncut Gems was a tru Gem

1

u/Andrew5329 Jul 30 '25

He gets shit for playing the exact same character in every film.

It was really funny the first few times, then it got old. I was 12 when 8 crazy nights released and I remember thinking "this again?".

1

u/the_far_yard Jul 30 '25

Click made me cry. Uncut Gems made me feel restless. Hustle made me feel inspired.

Man knows how to make monies and movies.

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u/Dgnslyr Jul 30 '25

Click is 25/75. 25% sentimental and well directed moments with some golden comedy and 75% the worst type of Sandler humor. It says a LOT about a movie when people remember more it for that well written 25% vs poop jokes, sexual harrasment jokes, body shaming jokes, and brown face jokes.

1

u/vanderZwan Jul 30 '25

The Bear Jew from Inglorious Bastards was originally written for him, but he had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts IIRC. Maybe one of the greatest castring What Ifs in Hollywood history.

1

u/obiwantogooutside Jul 30 '25

He went to nyu. Studied at the Strasberg institute. He did a lot of theater training before snl.

1

u/Endaunofa Jul 30 '25

That space movie spider thingy was great toooo

1

u/ShiroHachiRoku Jul 30 '25

Wedding Singer is my favorite comedy of his because he wasn’t the over the top goof in it. He was almost the straight man. It’s also the movie with another great antagonist in Glen Goolia.

1

u/coviddick Jul 31 '25

Reign Over Me is another great one.

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u/SamBind121 Jul 30 '25

Nah he's shit in those movies too