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Happy Gilmore
Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 30 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy
Written by:
Tim Herlihy
Adam Sandler
Directed by: Dennis Dugan
Release Date:
Theatrical: February 16, 1996
DVD: February 24, 1998
Running Time: 92 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for language and some comic sexuality
Starring Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Frances Bay, Carl Weathers, Allen Covert, Robert Smigel, and Bob Barker
When a would-be hockey player (Sandler) hits a golf ball 400 yards, he realizes that his true calling is in pro golf, so he trades in his skates for a 3-wood and a tee, and joins the PGA tour.
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Beverly Hills Ninja Big Daddy National Security Saving Silverman The Benchwarmers You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
USA Today Mike Clark
Slap Happy. [16 February 1996, p.D4]
Empire Darren Bignell
The real surprise is that it's a lot of fun, with Sandler becoming more personable as the film progresses, and a couple of truly side-splitting scenes.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Richard Harrington
A genial and surprisingly self-contained performance by Adam Sandler.
Read Full Review >Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
Adam Sandler is funny as the volatile hero, and the screenplay is just abrasive enough to keep the story surprising.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann
It may smell awful from a distance, especially if you have low tolerance for lowbrow humor, but up close this yarn about an unlikely golf star is fairly painless.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
The result is a movie that's hard to laugh at when its hero would surely be either in jail or perhaps even a mental institution were he to behave the way he does on screen in real life.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Tells the story of a violent sociopath. Since it's about golf, that makes it a comedy.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
Adam Sandler stars in a one-joke Caddyshack for the blitzed and jaded.
Read Full Review >Variety Brian Lowry
Added together, there are about three minutes of funny material in Happy Gilmore, and pretty much all of them are in the trailer, leaving a sometimes painfully unfunny 90 minutes with which to contend.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 30 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jesse H gave it a10:
The critics must've been on some pretty heavy shit, because this movie is fantastic. I laugh like hell every time I watch it.
Morgan F gave it a6:
Um, hello? It's Adam Sandler, people. What do you expect?
Jack P gave it a10:
A hilarious Adam Sandler comedy. It is probably the best. The main laughs come from two costars. One is Kevin Nealon as a crazy but insightive golf player. The other one is Ben Stiller as the evil worker at a retirement home that Happy's grandmother temporarily lives at. But even without them, this movie would still be hilarious, they just add a lot of extra laughs.
Brad B gave it a10:
I dunno what the critics were on, but this was an excellent movie! Seriously, the critics need to stop being such hardasses and learn to laugh.
Tony C gave it a10:
A 31? Are you serious? This is one of Adam Sandler's best movies of all-time, a heartwarming comedy about an ex-hockey player who finds his way into golf, a new love life, a mentor who is willing to help him, and goes to these golf tournaments to schmooze with snooty upper class types so he could help his grandma pay off taxes for the house. An all-around great, and hilarious movie. To critics who don't get this, I say, "So long, sucka!" KABOOM!!!
Andrew N gave it a5:
Comical but ultimately shallow and brainless entertainment. To be honest its an affront to the sport of golf. Its just like a sweet. Tasty on the outside but lacks lack substance underneath. Still this is Sandlers best movie. Not that that says much. Hardly worth watching.
Nathaniel gave it a10:
My favorite movie of all time. Critics just love to hate and do not know comedy. Period. I'd love to see one of these critics write a script that could even hold a candle to a movie like Happy Gilmore. If a crtic tried to write a comedy they'd just get washed up in their own personal griefs. Lighten up, seriously. Get back to getting off on a "riveting" film. Man, I hate critics.
