By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Adam Sandler is a comedy veteran, but some of his more recent efforts feel more than a little undercooked. For example, Hubie Halloween should be considered a war crime from which all who have seen it may never recover. Fortunately, that same streamer now has Sandler’s most underrated comedy, and those looking for a good laugh should check out 50 First Dates on Netflix.
50 First Dates On Netflix
50 First Dates has a premise that’s pretty wacky, even by the standards of Netflix comedies. This is the tale of a marine veterinarian who falls in love with a teacher, but there’s a catch: she has a special form of amnesia in which she keeps reliving the same day over and over again. That means that her suitor will have to woo her again and again because to her, each one of their daily get-togethers is the couple’s very first date.
Fortunately, 50 First Dates has the kind of killer cast that feels like several Netflix comedies all rolled into one. The main characters are played by Drew Barrymore (best known outside of this film for Charlie’s Angels and Never Been Kissed) and Adam Sandler (arguably best known for The Waterboy and The Wedding Singer (itself a previous collaboration with Barrymore). Outside of the leads, supporting actors include Rob Schneider (best known for Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo), Sean Astin (best known for the Lord of the Rings trilogy), and Dan Akyroyd (best known for Ghostbusters and Blues Brothers).
Streaming audiences are discovering 50 First Dates for the first time now that it’s on Netflix, but this film was a decent box office hit success when it first hit theaters. Against a budget of $75 million, the film earned $198.5 million. It never received a proper sequel, though fans of Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore can watch them team up onscreen again in the little-seen 2014 film Blended.
Unfortunately, critics were far less charmed by this romantic comedy than general audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a critical score of 45 percent, meaning it falls fairly short of the “fresh” status used as a marker of good movies. In general, critics complained that the film’s gross-out humor threatens to undo the natural chemistry of the two lead actors.
Sure, 50 First Dates did well at the box office, but you’d be forgiven for asking why I think you should stream a film critics hated on Netflix. For one thing, it’s worth emphasizing that most who saw this quirky comedy liked it far better than the average critic. On Rotten Tomatoes, for example, the movie has an audience score of 65 percent, indicating that general moviegoers view this film as “fresh” even if critics do not.
Additionally, 50 First Dates is a great vibes movie…the kind of thing you can put on Netflix when you just want to plop down on the couch and chillax. The film was mostly shot on location in Hawaii, meaning that even when a joke doesn’t land, you can simply appreciate the breathtaking views onscreen. The good news is that most of the jokes do land thanks to the wonderfully magnetic chemistry between Sandler and Barrymore.
If you’re still not convinced to check out 50 First Dates on Netflix, consider that this film’s bonkers plot actually led to a surprisingly effective medical treatment. Specifically, it inspired a real-life medical treatment at the Hebrew Home in the Bronx, where those with early dementia were shown video messages of support from friends and family each morning like Barrymore is shown in the film. It’s an unconventional treatment inspired by an unconventional film, and it serves as proof that this film has more (honestly, much more)going for it than the occasional laugh.
Will you vibe with 50 First Dates as much as I did when you check it out on Netflix, or is this one romantic comedy you’ll hope to have forgotten in the morning? The only way to find out is to watch it yourself. If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, though, beware: you may never be able to think of Sam Gamgee’s nipples the same way ever again.
