50 First Dates

This is quite simply a very enjoyable film. It's not, perhaps, a great film, but it is fun and it left me feeling pleasantly content. Basically this is a romantic comedy about a man (Henry) and a woman (Lucy) who meet and fall in love, there is just one problem: Lucy won't remember, tomorrow.

It is easy to pick holes in films and yes there are things wrong with this film:-

• The first 5 to 10 minutes do seem a little out of place: I understand the need to set the scene, but couldn't help feeling that the pace and characterisations didn't quite fit with what was to come.

• Some of the characters take away from the story: Doug (Sean Astin) is a little over done and comes across as more damaged than his sister. Perhaps the worst, though, is Henry's female (?) assistant: this character was a mistake and did not belong in the film.

In the end, these flaws don't matter: the film is enjoyable and that is what counts.

The plot, even if somewhat contrived, is clever and in the context of the film believable: there is a good beginning, middle and surprisingly satisfying end. Some of the difficult aspects of the film are not ignored but properly dealt with. Clearly it is easy to read a sordid side into the idea of a man meeting a beautiful woman each day in the knowledge that she will forget everything and they can start again tomorrow. This is covered and Henry is asked some pointed questions; without giving anything away, his answers worked and leave us, the audience, able to enjoy the film, without any unpleasant nagging doubts or feelings of guilt.

Don't analyse or pick holes; just watch this film. Chances are very good that you will enjoy it. It is a fantasy a bit of escapism: a first rate piece of entertainment and hopefully it will leave you, as it did me, feeling pleasantly content.

Okay, so "50 First Dates" is mostly silly, but they do a good job with it. Honolulu veterinarian Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) falls for Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), only to find out that, due to an accident, her memory only lasts one day, so she won't remember him the next day! How will Henry cope with this? The movie gravitates between goofy and sensitive, but never gets mind-numbing; Adam Sandler always has something up his sleeve, and he and Barrymore have a great time with the material. As is often the case in Adam Sandler's movies, one of the characters is an embarrassment to everyone else (in this case, it's Rob Schneider as Henry's whacked-out friend Ula). Great fun.

Oh, and one more thing: don't watch "50 First Dates" if you haven't seen "The Sixth Sense" first.

When "50 First Dates) came to theaters, I really wasn't interested enough to go see it. When it came out on video, I waited about 2 months to see it until it came down to the $1.99 rental price.

Was I surprised! This movie was so entertaining to me, that I wound up buying it. I only buy about 5 or 6 videos a year, so you can see that I really must have enjoyed it. It won't win any Oscars, but it will make you feel good when you watch it.

I am familiar with the condition that Lucy has here having a cousin who has a similar problem and has had it for several years. I was really concerned with how a production company can play a condition like that for laughs, but, somehow, they pulled it off. They treated the subject matter with dignity showing that the people who have this terrible condition can (and do) have somewhat normal lives. My cousin does it the diary way. She doesn't lose her memory everyday, but at different times. She has gone as long as 3 months in retaining her memory and has lost it on other occasions after 4 hours.

I am not a big Adam Sandler fan, having always thought he was a bit "over the top" in his other films. I thought he was going to do this in this film as well after the first few minutes of the movie. However, when he is shown in the diner with Lucy, he shows that he is really a nice guy who, deep down, wants to find a relationship that is fulfilling with a pretty girl.

Drew Berrymore is another actress that I don't particularly care for most of the time, but she is really a sweetheart playing Lucy. She is just so lovable in this role, it's hard to believe that she has the Demons in her past.

Rob Schneider is very good in his supporting role as is Sean Astin as Doug, the 'roid raging brother of Lucy.

Again, not an Oscar winner, but well worth the $15 or so to purchase it at WalMart.

Marty

The basic storyline of 50 First Dates: Henry Roth lives in Hawaii and spend his time wooing women who are visiting the island, simply because there is little chance of commitment. Then he meets Lucy Whitmore. One day they hit it off, and the next she doesn't even recognise him. It turns out that she suffers from short-term memory loss, and every day he tries to win her over once more. Firstly, I have to say that 50 First Dates is a really funny film. It isn't overly stupid, but it's not subtle either. But underneath the humour is where I believe this film's true beauty lies. It shows love in a way that I have never seen in another film before. From the way that her family sacrifices everything to keep her happy, and blissfully unaware of her condition, to Henry who, despite the fact that he could have just about any woman that he wanted, decides that he wants to be with Lucy, regardless of the fact that he has to meet her for the first time every day. Henry's character undergoes somewhat of a transformation in front of our eyes. The film starts off with him coming across as somewhat of a pig (well, to us women anyway :)), and by the end of the film, we truly admire him. He even sacrifices his dream so that he can be with Lucy, and help her to move on with her life. The film isn't really predictable, either. For example, I spent the entire films assuming that the ending would be somewhat different. Although romcoms almost always have happy endings, this one damn near had me in tears. And it wasn't even sad. I never knew what a feel-good film was until I saw this...highly recommended.

6 July 2004. After a rather lame beginning that reflects the old Adam Sandler's more obnoxious character that he was well noted for, the movie eventually settles down to a rather innovative, creative, entertaining movie that captures the lovely and seasoned acting of Drew Barrymore and a maturing comedian Adam Sandler. While not much in the way of character depth nor real substance, this lightweight but clever movie plays on Groundhog Day and other Momento devices that contribute to a rather fun and enjoyable movie.

Hopefully Drew will begin to expand on her future roles and Adam will begin to enter into a Tom Hanks, Robin Williams maturity phase that will really demonstrate what Adam is made of.