Wednesday, 25 October 2000

I was depressed on Sunday...

You see, tough as I am as a critic/analyst/provocateur, I don't like to see bad things happen to good people. And little did Mike DeLuca know when New Line put together The Wedding Singer that both of its stars were about to become major, major players in the industry. What was apparent -- and still is -- is that both Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore are kind of freaks.

Sandler and his humor are so internalized that watching his movies is like sitting in your living room with friends laughing over how much Joe's farts stink. And, as a result, people who don't want to admit or have forgotten that they ever sat in a room with friends, laughing over bodily functions, not only don't like Sandler's movies, they Hate them. Ironically, the same thing that drives Sandler's film is what drove the Rat Pack, except that the Rat Pack never farted, always got the best looking women and drank without ever throwing up. The Rat Pack, in the great tradition of Hollywood, was about who we wanted to be. Sandler and his crew give us comedy based on who we are...or at least, who we have been.

Drew Barrymore has been a relatively quiet phenom. It's always amazing to me how many people have written her off. She's a flower child, yes. She's not Hollywood thin, yes. She was in Home Fries, yes. But she's built more than a slight career for herself and for people around her. Do you really think The Wedding Singer would have opened to $18.8 million based on Sandler alone? Do you think that Ever After would have gone on to gross eight times its domestic opening weekend of $8.5 million with someone else in the role? Could many other actresses have opened Never Been Kissed to $11.8 million and taken it to five times that? No. The answer is no. If you want to send a list, do the research and find someone of this era other than Julia Roberts or Jodie Foster who can match it and I'll print it. And then send a couple of notes to Andy Tennant and Raja Gosnell and explain to them that they would have had the opportunities they have had without her. (Gosnell also has Martin Lawrence to thank.) She's too hippy-dippy for you? The girl came from a really screwed up home and has chosen to embrace the positive view of life...how can you hate her for that? She's got a butt and a bust? Hallelujah! And no one was going to open Home Fries...sorry. The only reason it appeared at all on screens was because she was there...it was on its way to video when she got hot. And again, that film got Dean Parisot another movie, Galaxy Quest, which was actually pretty good...he even improved as a director. My point is, the audience loves Drew. She is vulnerable to criticism for all kinds of reasons, but she rises above and continues to make surprisingly good money, even though she has not chosen to work with top-notch, experienced directors. (For me, that is the biggest flaw as a producer and as a movie star.)

So, I sucked myself into going to the junkets for the new movies from both Adam and Drew this last weekend. And by Sunday afternoon, despite the Yankees' amazing 12 inning win, I was blue. Because I had seen and discussed two movies from two people who I like and whose intentions were good -- and whose dreams were great -- in both cases. And both people had failed to make these dreams come true.

Now don't get me wrong. Little Nicky and Charlie's Angels will each gross, in my estimation, between $70 million and $120 million. Unlike the Wall Street Journal, I can't predict final numbers ahead of time. But both of these films will open and both will effectively service a narrow margin of moviegoers well enough to be seen as successful among fans. $70 million will be seen as a disappointment for either. But in both cases, $100 million should bring the films to breakeven when foreign and video and cable are added. $120 million means that they might actually make a little money. (Charlie's Angeles is, in my opinion, likely to play better overseas than Little Nicky, based on the chick appeal.)

But while Sandler's crew hung around, farting and dreaming up their first effects-heavy movie, they forgot one thing: that Adam Sandler playing the straight man was a really bad idea. And that's what Little Nicky has him doing. He is, for most of the movie, the butt of the jokes of funny people around him. Sandler became a hit by being the guy who played himself off as a jerk, but who really had a heart of gold. In this film, he just has the heart of gold. I could get into issues about how funny or not funny some of the other stuff is, but I'm holding my review until release.

PAGE TWO: More Charlie Love