Adam Sandler is one of Hollywood’s most successful comic actors with box office movies and accolades. The actor has been nominated 120 times, spread across different awards, and has won 46 of those nominations. Yet, as successful as his career has been as an actor and singer-songwriter, Adam Sandler is yet to win at the Academy Awards and Grammy Awards.
It’s no news the Academy often snubs the actor, but what’s most interesting is that Adam Sandler has never even been nominated for an Oscar. However, he’s received three nominations from music’s most prominent Grammy Awards.
If we only judge actors by the number of nominations and awards received, we’ll miss out on some of their best performances. While his last two movies, Hubie Halloween (2020) and Hustle (2022), have been box-office successes, Sandler has an impressive movie collection.
As we gradually come closer to the end of 2022, here are some of Adam Sandler’s movies to watch (or rewatch) for a quick laugh.
Billy Madison (1995)
Agreed, 1995 is a long 27 years ago, but what better way to start Adam Sandler movies than beginning with one of his best and most popular movies? The actor played the character of Billy Madison.
In Billy Madison, Billy is a 27-year-old, spoiled and childish heir to a Fortune 500 company, Madison Hotels. As his father looks to retire, he’s hopeful he can pass his hotel chain business to his son, Billy. After successfully ruining one of his father’s parties with business associates, Billy’s father chooses to pass on the company to Eric Gordon, vice president.
Billy must prove to his father that he’s mature and capable of running the company. To this end, Billy gets enrolled back into high school to complete all 12 grades.
50 First Dates (2004)
50 First Dates was a commercial success, grossing $198.5 million on a $75 million budget. Although a romantic comedy, it helped give awareness to anterograde amnesia, a short-term memory loss. The story centers around Henry and Lucy trying to stay in love against all odds.
Lucy’s accident makes her continuously have no recollection of the previous day’s event. Henry finds inventive ways to make Lucy remember him. Against all odds, Henry chooses to spend his life with Lucy, continuously reminding her of who he is to her.
Adam Sandler plays Henry, alongside Drew Barrymore, who plays Lucy.
The Longest Yard (2005)
The Longest Yard does not get the accolades it truly deserves. It’s a movie packed with stars but still has a quality screenplay and story. Grossing $191.5 million on a $90 million budget is an impressive return to this sports comedy film.
Adam Sandler plays the movie’s main protagonist Paul Crewe. First, Crewe gets 5- years of detention for shaving points in one of his NFL games. Then, disgraced and mostly at home, he embarks on a joyride that ends with a police chase.
He’s transferred to a Texan prison, where the prison warden instructs him to assemble a football team composed of inmates to play against a team of guards. Crewe has to find willing inmates and ways to get them to work together to win.
The movie starred Chris Rock, James Cromwell, Nelly, William Fichtner, Burt Reynolds, Terry Crews, and Bill Goldberg.
Grown Ups (2010)
Although having an impressive run at the Box Office, movie critics took the movie to the gutters. Many saw it as a gathering of Adam Sandler friends on vacation with a camera rolling. But, for what’s worth, the movie delivers comedic relief as agreed by audience reception.
Not one to care about reviews, Adam Sandler wrote, produced, and played one of the lead roles while smiling to the bank. $271.4 million on an $80 million budget is enough to smile about and not be weighed down by critics.
The movie starred Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph.
Uncut Gems (2019)
If ever there was doubt that Adam Sandler was being snubbed by the Academy, not having any nomination for his character in Uncut Gems cleared it. Adam Sandler showed he had what it takes to get out of the comedic stereotypic box he was being placed in.
The movie is a crime thriller having Sandler’s character as the main protagonist, Howard Ratner. The movie’s storyline follows a Jewish-American jeweler who’s also a gambling addict. The movie was critically acclaimed, with Sandler’s critics putting his performance as the best in his career.
Follow Us