User Reviews

*****No spoilers yet, safe to read until warning below.*****

I hate the makers of this movie, and I will never forgive them. EVER. "50 first dates" as a movie per se was not too bad of a Hollywood romantic drama, sprinkled with a few comedy snippets. As such, I would have rated it 7.5 out of 10; it has plenty of entertainment value, and an adequate amount of originality to its storyline.

The big problem for me came approximately 31 minutes into the movie. Let me say this before I begin with the spoiler: if you have not seen the movie "The sixth sense", directed by M. Night Shyamalan, starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, heed my warning: DO NOT WATCH "50 FIRST DATES" BEFORE YOU WATCH "THE SIXTH SENSE". Why? I'll explain immediately below.

*****Begin spoiler for "50 first dates"*****

31 minutes into this movie, it shows how Lucy (Drew Barrymore) relives her last day before the accident in every detail, while her brother and father set up and clean up after the activities of that day, over and over. One of the activities is to watch a videotape of "The sixth sense". It is a time honored tradition for movie studios to include footage of earlier productions, especially if we are talking about movies that have become classics. In this sense, there is nothing wrong with "50 first dates" showing a few scenes from the opening scenes of "The sixth sense". In fact, showing how Lucy becomes frightened watching TV, while her relatives react in a sad deja-vu manner, is an effective way of depicting how the repetition of this day's activities is taking a toll on them (the relatives).

What follows next however, is totally disgusting, unconscionable and uncalled for: upon finishing their videotape, Lucy blurts out the surprise ending of "The sixth sense", with no warning and no useful effect on the plot of "50 first dates". This is called spoiling another film in the worst possible manner!!! I cannot express in words my disgust at this blatant act of chauvinism, as if the script were saying "You should have seen that movie by now; if not, you're screwed".

I am of the opinion that "The sixth sense" was a far superior movie than "50 first dates". (The number of awards nominated for and won by the former supports my opinion.) I point out as matter of fact that neither film has ANYTHING to do with each other. The question that begs to be answered is then, what business did the writers of "50 first dates" have in revealing the ending of "The sixth sense"? WHAT THE F*** WERE THEY THINKING?!?!

*****Begin spoiler for "The sixth sense"***** It turns out that I bought "The sixth sense" two-DVD set in a nice collector's edition box. As I watched it, I noticed too readily how the character played by Bruce Willis, a child psychologist, never spoke or confronted any person other than the boy played by H. J. Osment. He was never shown to be hired by the boy's mother. He never exchanged a word with his estranged wife. His actions were never shown to have an interactive effect with any other character of the movie. All these subtle details were carefully and meticulously filmed by director Shyamalan, but were intended to be reflected upon only after the viewer reached the final twist of this beautiful movie. For me, it was an agonizing torture to savor the tastelessness of each such detail, knowing all too well the ending that resonated in my head.

So, who in the cast and crew of "50 first dates" is responsible for this atrocity? Drew Barrymore, for speaking the unspeakable? Director Peter Segal, for forcing the words into Ms. Barrymore's mouth? Writer George Wing, for the incontinence and flatulence of his pen? Ms. Nancy Karlin, script supervisor, for neglecting to wipe the droppings of the writer? Whoever was responsible for this atrocity, he or she earned my scorn for eternity.

Let me start this review by admitting that Adam Sandler is at the bottom of my 'funny people'-list. The guy just doesn't do anything for me. I don't think he's funny at all. I think Drew Barrymore is absolutely hilarious though and she carries every single movie she makes.

The first ten minutes of the movie are awful. Every cliché in the books passes us and Adam Sandler is simply horrible. After the first ten minutes something changes though. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe I learned to appreciate the humor or maybe the movie got funnier, I don't know, but...what a great movie it is.

I won't bore you with the story of the movie, but this is it in a nutshell: Henry (Adam Sandler) meets Lucy (Drew Barrymore) in a diner and the two really connect. The next day she doesn't remember him though and Henry finds out that due to a car accident, Lucy suffers from short memory loss. Meaning that everyday she wakes up under the impression that it's still the day of the car accident. She does the same thing every day, over and over again, not remembering what she did the day before. Henry believes Lucy is worth fighting for and every single day he manages to make Lucy fall in love with him. He hopes one day she will wake up and remember him. This of course never happens. He stays true to her though and the two get married and have a daughter.

What surprised me about the movie is that it's definitely not just a comedy. Sure, it's funny at points and even hilarious sometimes (Like ten-second Tom for example), but...it's just very romantic. There's just something deep behind the whole idea of 'falling in love with someone over and over again'. This movie deals with that in the literal sense and there's just something beautiful about that.

Conclusion: Drew Barrymore shines as always in this movie that goes a little deeper than your average romantic comedy. And Adam Sandler? He's not all that bad.

I give this movie 8/10 stars. I loved it.

Adam Sandler's movies is mixed bag for me. Some of his works, are really horrible, however, this movie isn't one of those. This movie is one of my favorites from him. I have always been a huge fan of his romantic comedy with Drew Barrymore. Starting it with 1998's 'The Wedding Singer', and follow up with this movie. This movie directed by Peter Segal, has Adam Sandler as Henry Roth, a local veterinarian falling in love with Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore) an amnesiac student in Hawaii. Since she has short-term memory loss cause by a car accident, Henry must learn how to recognize the difficulty of building a relationship with someone who will never remember you; and how to overcome that, for the reasons for love. Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, while, this movie concept seem depressing, I think screenwriter, George Wing and Adam Sandler put enough charming comedy in the film, so you don't have to think, how stressful, it must be, for Lucy to wake up to find out, her entire life has change. While, the memory impairment suffered by Barrymore's character is fictitious, I think the movie gave enough respect to her ailment, that it doesn't seem, just like a running joke. Drew Barrymore plays her illness, very well. The movie really does explore, what struggles, she has to tend with, and if Henry Roth should even continue to love her. Because of that, this movie is a lot more mature and emotional driven than Sandler's earlier works. It's both heart-warming and very heart-breaking at the same time. Both Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore work well with the story. I'm glad, that Sandler's role in this, wasn't of a man-child, with anger issues, and an annoying lisp. He was somewhat charismatic. I can see a woman like Drew Barrymore falling in love with him. Even the supporting characters were strong, they share some good emotional scenes and some really fun laughs. I like Sue (Amy Hill) the Hukilau café manager and friend of Lucy and her late mother. She was so motherly. Pomaika'i Brown as Nick, the Hukilau café chef was a guy, I would love to hang out with. Even Lucy's father, Marlin (Blake Clark) & steroid-dependent brother, Doug (Sean Astin) was watchable. I think the only jokes that didn't go well is with the supporting characters of Ula (Rob Schneider), the native-Hawaiian friend & Alexa (Lusia Strus), Henry's ambiguously gendered assistant. I found the gay jokes to Alexa to be a bit mean-spirited; while Ula felt a bit offensive, with the over-the-top Hawaiian Yellow face racism stereotypes. While, some of the jokes, are offensive, gross, and not call for. Most of them, really works with the script. Very few jokes, fall flat. Even the pop culture shout outs inside jokes like the brain institute is funded by auto parts manufacturer T.B. Callahan of Sandusky, Ohio from 1995's film, 'Tommy Boy" fame & how the characters go to a golf course like 1996's Happy Gilmore' were clever enough that it was fun to see, even if most audience didn't get it. It's even funny, when the movie makes mistakes, like saying the Boston Red Sox didn't win the World Series, when they did that year. Not only was the movie, very funny, but the movie was very beautifully shot. I love the fact that they shot in real Hawaii Island locations. The rural shots really makes this film, seem very unique, compared to the other Adam Sandler's films that mostly take place in an urban New York City like settling with way too much product placement being shown. It's a blessing in disguise. One of the big things about this movie has to be the music. I love the tunes of the Beach Boys, playing in the background. 'Wouldn't it be nice" to have music like this, again. The other song, worth noticing, from the film is the covers song from Hawaiian native artist, Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole. I love his covers for 'Somewhere over the Rainbow" and 'What a Wonderful World'. His tropical reggae version of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow', is my favorite version of the song from the 1939's 'Wizard of Oz'. It's beats singer, Judy Garland's version, 50 times over. It's so good, I kinda wish, it was the state anthem for Hawaii. That's how much, I like that version. I also love the fact that this movie, help inspire 'real world application treatment for people with early dementia. It's nice for them, to watch a video every morning in which they see comforting messages and reminders from family members that they may still know. If that's not a good reason to love this movie, than I don't know, what is! The movie is also so good, that in 2014, a Malayalam film titled 'Ormayundo Ee Mukham' was created, to capitalize on the premise. Overall: While, '50 First Dates' doesn't have the complexity and depth of something like 1993's 'Groundhog Day', with a similar theme. It was entertaining enough to be stand out. In the end; check it out. You will find yourself, loving this movie as well.

I can't think of any romantic comedy team of the past 20 years (other than Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan) who perfectly fit each other like Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. They totally charmed me in "The Wedding Singer", so to see them together again in this totally sweet comedy was a treat. This is a film that other than a few sad sequences had me smiling the entire time in addition to laughing. Other than the opening (which seemed out of place, having a dozen or so women talking about their first and last date with Sandler) and a few gag sequences straight out of early Sandler films, this is a complete charmer, filled with romance and humanity, and perhaps, Sandler's most lovable character. As much as I like his early work ("Billy Madison", "Happy Gilmore", and reluctantly "Little Nicky"), those films were filled with an anger missing from this and "The Wedding Singer". Together, Sandler and Barrymore are a perfect match, and I hope they do more films together.

The basic storyline has Sandler meeting Barrymore in a Hawaiian restaurant, and not realizing she is brain damaged following a car accident, pursues her romantically. He has no idea that her short-term memory only lasts one day, and like an etch-a-sketch, erases once she goes to sleep. Rather than desert her, however, Sandler decides that he loves her enough to give up his own dreams just to be with her. He wins the trust of her eccentric father and her lisping, steroid taking brother, who once they realize he is sincere, allow him to court her anew on a daily basis. This leads to a situation that creates many entertaining moments and leads to a potential of sadness that it takes a magnificent writer to end in a satisfying conclusion.

As usual, there are the typically eccentric supporting characters, familiar to those who know Sandler's work. From the funny (if a bit creepy looking) Hawaiian pothead (and his group of likable kids) to Sandler's androgynous Russian co-worker, as well as the staff of the Hawaiian restaurant, there's a lot of amusing bits with these delightful wackos. Even an amusing gross-out bit with a very funny walrus at the beginning doesn't come off as disgusting since its done so sweetly. If more recent Hollywood comedies could be like this, all would be right in the world of cinema. I can't think of another recent romantic comedy that is written with such love. This is what Hollywood magic is all about.

This movie goes beyond any other expectation of love.

I never would have imagined a story so well portrayed.

It's funny and shows how love takes us to greater strengths to show those we love most.

Definitely recommend this movie.

It has it's off moments that makes me say "what in the world were they thinking?", but overall I give it a 10. Made me cry like a baby in the end no matter the times I've seen it.

If we all went the extra mile for a love one as in here, more marriages would last.