50 First Dates

"I barely know you."

"Sweetie, you're sorta dating him."

"Sorry I'm not better looking."

Henry Roth (Sandler) is a veterinarian at an aquarium in Hawaii.  He is a commitment-phobe and has short flings with women from the mainland.  His best friend is a weed-enthusiast surfer Ula (Schneider).  One day when he is sailing around the island, his boat breaks down.  He ends up at the Hukilau Cafe to wait for the Coast Guard and notices Lucy Whitmore (Barrymore).  He returns the next day and has breakfast with her.  They plan to meet for breakfast again the next day, but the next morning she doesn't know who he is.

Henry learns that Lucy was in a car accident a year ago that destroyed her short term memory.  Every morning she wakes up believing it is the day of the accident.  Her father Marlin (Clark) and brother Doug (Astin) go to great pains to recreate the day for her.  The news does not deter Henry, who decides to win over Lucy each day.  Can they ever have a real relationship when Lucy doesn't remember him?


This is the second film collaboration of Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.  In 1998 they starred in The Wedding Singer, directed by Frank Coraci.  They enjoyed working together enough to star in this film and Blended in 2014 (also directed by Coraci).  This is my favorite of their three collaborations, and the only one that I own).

Like most Sandler films, the cast is filled with quirky characters.  Sandler's Henry and Barrymore's Lucy each have their own quirks that add to their charm (Lucy defending Henry has me rolling with laughter every time).  The rest of cast is populated with Sandler's usual co-stars and some feisty animals.  The animals (a couple walruses, some dolphins, and a penguin) were from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (formerly known as Marine World) in Vallejo, CA, which is where their scenes were filmed.  Rob Schneider is funny as Ula, and less obnoxious than usual.  Sean Astin is ridiculous, but funny, as Doug.  Sandler's friends and regular collaborators Allen Covert, Peter Dante, and Jonathan Loughran all have small roles at the hospital, but each gets a good laugh.

A funny, off-beat romantic comedy that is worth checking out.

50 First Dates (2004) 99 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for for crude sexual humor and drug references
Director: Peter Segal
Starring: Adam Sandler as Henry Roth
Drew Barrymore as Lucy Whitmore
Rob Schneider as Ula
Sean Astin as Doug Whitmore
Blake Clark as Marlin Whitmore
Lusia Strus as Alexa
Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Joseph Keats
Amy Hill as Sue
Pomaika'i Brown as Nick