As promised, this weekend’s edition of Civilian Voices will focus on the recent release of Adam Sandler’s Little Nicky. It may seem strange to think that a $15 million opening equals failure, but with Sandler’s recent track record at the box office, $15 million is very disappointing. Wilbert explains succinctly why the film failed to find an opening-weekend audience...

"I’d like to think it’s the beginning of the end for Adam Sandler, but it isn’t. His films have never had to compete. Guys would much rather see three scantily clad babes than Sandler’s stupid son of Satan." -- Wilbert

Wilbert does not seem to be much of an Adam Sandler fan. Even less of a fan is fellow roughcut.com reader Drew. (I’m going to venture a guess the last name isn’t Barrymore.) Reader Drew doesn’t mince words in his assessment of Mr. Sandler’s brand of comedy...

"Little Nicky finished in second place under $20 million? I could not be happier! It’s about time that the movie-going public finally woke up and realized that Adam Sandler is the most overrated, overpaid, SNL yutz since... well... Chris Farley. "I tried once to sit through an Adam Sandler film years ago: Happy Gilmore. I could not take more than twenty minutes. I think it would have even offended a pea brain! I tried this after seeing him in other films where he did not have the lead role, such as Airheads, which pretty much describes the crowd that can sit and laugh at this dreck. Do I believe Sandler can be a serious actor? No. "Not even Scorsese with a bullwhip can bring any sort of substance to Sandler. Go back to the SNL crew every year for the reunion, Adam! That noise you’re hearing is the crash of your film career!" -- Drew

Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark. I really have to disagree with Drew on one point. Chris Farley = funny. I will go to my grave defending Tommy Boy as a great comedy. Ridiculously stupid, but funny. Come on, Drew. Just the "fat guy in a little coat" bit was enough for me. Moving on... Unlike the previous two readers, Paul D. enjoys the comedy of Adam Sandler. But is he a fan of the actor’s latest flick? Read on...

"I was pleased to see how poorly Little Nicky did at the box office over the weekend. Adam Sandler got exactly what he deserved. I’ll admit that I am a big fan of Sandler and his movies. I think Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore and The Waterboy are modern comedy masterpieces, and they remain funny every time I watch them. But Sandler and company went too far with Little Nicky. Why in the hell does a Sandler movie need special effects? Variety reported that the movie cost $80 million! That is insane! I mean, this is Adam Sandler we are talking about. The effects helped ruin Little Nicky, which is Sandler’s worst movie by far. Even though the insane Roger Ebert called it his best. (And he gave Red Planet three stars. Does anyone think he knows what he’s doing anymore?) Sandler’s lisp and hunchback routine got old after about 10 seconds, and his doofus charm was nowhere to be found. I hope he learns his lesson here and returns to form soon." -- Paul Doro

Also weighing in on Mr. Sandler and his movies is Civilian Voices regular Li Wright...

"I have only seen Sandler one time, in The Wedding Singer, and while he has a comic charm, I cannot see him in every single movie he releases because he acts the same. He’s not a versatile comic actor like Eddie Murphy, who can go from street tough to soft, or Steve Martin, or even Jim Carrey (although I’m getting a bit tired of him, also, and he’s probably getting tired of himself). In other words, Sandler doesn’t have stretch. Sandler is the little boy who won’t grow up, but he must. He must try to do a Bill Murray and take chances in small dramatic or comic roles. "He’s not the first or the last comic to be trapped in his persona: look at Bob Hope, The Marx Brothers, and on and on. However, they had the good sense to take their personas and shtick to television. There are endless comics who did the same-o stuff and eventually had to disappear and regroup or retool their image. "I think we’re going to see Jim Carrey very shortly take a hiatus and come back as a dramatic actor or supporting actor. How much longer can he do his physical comedy?" -- Li Wright

Amy M. thinks Adam’s future is still bright, but cautions the actor to choose better roles...

"I’ll take, ‘Tell me if you think the lackluster box office of Little Nicky is the beginning of the end for Adam Sandler’ for 100, please, Meghan.’ To get right to the question: no, I don’t think it has to be the beginning of the end for Mr. Sandler. However, it is an indication that, if his goal is to be a continuing box-office success (and not merely to test the limits of his silliness quotient while employing as many of his friends as possible), he is going to have to be a little bit more choosy in the project-picking department. "Yes, I do think audiences will be a little more cautious before they run out and see a movie just because Adam Sandler’s name is attached to it. But I also think that, if his next film is a good one, people will flock to it in droves, because he does have what the French would call a certain ‘I don’t know what.’ "That said, I think it would behoove young Adam to put some effort into defining his ‘Je ne sais quoi.’ I believe the key to his appeal (and this is true of many actors/onscreen personalities) lies in his vulnerability. The character has got to possess some degree of social consciousness -- that ‘I really want this girl to like me’ thing. There’s going up to the line, and then there’s going over it. When Adam Sandler goes over the line and really becomes a nerd -- and nerds want to hang out with pretty girls, but it really doesn’t enter their minds that they might want to change their behavior to make themselves more appealing -- that is where the trouble starts. This Nicky movie just looks nasty...the hapless-nice-guy shtick that Sandler had going in The Wedding Singer and Big Daddy is gone. He is simply too weird. I, for one, refuse to see this movie and indulge that grotesque sort of weirdness. Give me something that goes up to the edge -- even if it’s a distant edge, and stays there -- and my butt will be firmly planted in a cinematic seat enjoying the ride." -- Amy Miller of the South Carolina Millers

Next up is Isaac B., who hasn’t lost faith in the power of the lowest common denominator...

"So Sandler came out with another movie. I’d love to tell you what I thought about it, but after I saw The Waterboy in theaters, I made a personal vow never to pay to see one of his films again, a promise that’s been incredibly easy to keep. Besides, if you’ve seen one Sandler flick, you’ve seen them all. Here, I’ll prove it: in which movie does Adam play an annoying man-child prone to violent screaming fits whose life is going nowhere, when suddenly something so preposterous occurs that it forces him to grow up and defeat a bad guy more two-dimensional than a Batman villain? Oh yeah, and he gets the girl, too. "Whatever your answer, you win. "This weekend, Little Nicky came in second at the box office. Do I think this is the end of Adam Sandler? Absolutely not. Nothing succeeds in film like the lowest common denominator and, next to a Bruckheimer production, you truly can’t get any lower than his scripts. (Does he even write second drafts? Seriously, I’d love to know.) "Of course, all this could change. Supposedly, both Quentin Tarantino and P. T. Anderson are interested in using him in their upcoming movies. It sounded strange at first, but then I sort of understand the appeal. As bad as his movies are, Sandler himself has always appeared to be a very likable, down-to-earth guy (another reason he’s so popular), and for that reason, I could see both directors wanting to work with him. Some might argue that all they’re really interested in is getting to his fan base and the money that comes with it, but both already have a loyal following. Even if Magnolia wasn’t a box-office success, it certainly hasn’t killed Anderson’s career. (I saw it in theaters and really liked it.) "As for the film that beat Little Nicky, I’m waiting for video to see Charlie’s Angels. I like Diaz, but I can’t imagine there’s anything in the film that demands full-price admission, and besides, what better way to watch an updated jiggle-fest than with a freeze frame and slo-mo button?" -- Isaac B

And finally, here is Ian with his take on the weak opening box office of Little Nicky. Plus his picks for film of the year...

"To say that Little Nicky could herald the end of Adam Sandler’s career is ridiculous. After all, it ‘only’ opened with $15 million in a competitive box-office environment. The luster may have gone from Sandler, but if Nicky goes on to gross about $70 million, then it will not be a massive loss. What should worry Sandler is the slightly iffy performance of a film that should have been a slam dunk. After all, Jim Carrey’s first disappointment, The Cable Guy, came form trying something new and different with his persona. Maybe Sandler will use his undeniable ability to tap into the 12- to 22-year-old male demographic to craft something a little bit smarter next time. "As for the top films of the year, I am still leaning toward Erin Brockovich. The problem with living in Ireland is that we will not get Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Almost Famous, You Can Count on Me, and most other critically lauded films until January or February. The most outrageously enjoyable film of the year for me was What Lies Beneath, but Brockovich affected me, and both Roberts and Finney were sublime." -- Ian

Is there anyone out there who would like to defend Little Nicky and/or Adam Sandler? I feel a little guilty that today’s column contained so much Adam-bashing -- he seems like a really nice guy -- but those were the e-mails I received on the subject. If you’re an Adam fan who would like to respond to the above comments, be sure to send me an e-mail. One of my goals is to keep things balanced and fair around here.

This weekend should be pretty interesting. You’ve got a couple of big stars hoping to dethrone those Angels. Adam couldn’t do it, but what about Jim or Arnold? Anyone out there have plans to see The 6th Day or The Grinch? If you do, be sure to send me your review for Tuesday’s edition. Let others know if these films are worthwhile.

Thanks again for all the e-mails. Keep ’em coming, won’t ya?

 

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