". . . a gently silly comedy that’s actually romantic without making anyone sick in the process." Sara Brady PREMIERE MAGAZINE "But something strange happens once Drew Barrymore shows up -- the movie starts getting good. Really good." Sean Burns PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY "The movie doesn't have the complexity and depth of Groundhog Day, but as entertainment it's ingratiating and lovable." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES "The picture still charms, but it has to work overtime to do so." Matt Brunson CREATIVE LOAFING

What The Critics Say

"50 First Dates is more of a romantic comedy than an Adam Sandler comedy." James Berardinelli REELVIEWS "A sweet romantic, entertaining, unique, romantic picture. Good for a sincere first date, long term partners, or solo if you're on the outs and need a good cry." Ross Anthony HOLLYWOOD REPORT CARD "Sweet, deeply felt and funny." Chris Hewitt ST PAUL PIONEER PRESS "Sandler once again makes a movie that everyone can enjoy as long as you don’t try to think." Stefan Halley HERO REALM "There’s a nice blend of comedy and romance at work here. I walked out feeling all warm and happy inside, literally." Mike McGranaghan, AISLE SEAT

At A Glance

"50 First Dates is reasonably good fluff, balancing lovey sentiment and low-brow laughs, though it will likely evaporate from memory as quickly as Lucy forgets her meetings with Henry." Lisa Rose NEWARK STAR-LEDGER

Dedicated fans of 'comedian' Adam Sandler will be wringing their hands, gnashing their teeth and wailing incessantly after seeing the latest offering "50 First Dates". It seems Sandler has finally come to the realization that he is 'not' funny when it comes to playing a comedy role and that is good news for many cinema-goers. I know I've said it before but let me say it again; Adam Sandler is not funny when he tries to play the comedy role. So while many fans of the 'old' Sandler are tearing their hair out, screaming obscenities at me and sticking pins into Voodoo Dolls which bear a striking resemblance to me let me reiterate once again what Adam Sandler is good at; it's playing the straight guy while allowing those around him to bounce the laughs off each other. After all, it worked well for him in "Mr Deeds" and, it sure as hell was good for "Punch Drunk Love"! So why not keep the gravy train rolling? Those fans who are looking through rose coloured glasses will inevitabley be disappointed if they think "50 First Dates" is another Adam Sandler comedy, for if they do, here is what they will see; the star being upstaged by a Penguin, a Walrus, Drew Barrymore, a bunch of cute Hawaiian kids, the scenery, and even though I hate to admit it, Rob Schneider. In fact, the beauty of "50 First Dates" is this, it's a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler as oppossed to a comedy romance starring comedian Adam Sandler. And, like "Punch Drunk Love", "50 First Dates" should do a lot for Sandlers career, such as keeping him on the big screen provided he can drop the old image and take on roles similar to "50 First Dates". Meaty roles that grow on you and don't distance you from the box office fans. Roles that make you want to remember Sandler for the wealth of ability he has and we keep getting glimpses of. Now someone who has grown on audiences over the years is Drew Barrymore. Drew made her debut in the film "Altered States" and then went on to star in "E.T" winning her way into our hearts. From there though it all went downhill until she managed to extricate herself from a deep dark hole. Since getting back on the straight and narrow [so to speak] she has provided audiences with some noteable performances. Well, except for two. The first was eloping with actor Tom Green and the second was marrying Tom Green. Thankfully it didn't take long for her to come to her senses. A relief to many in the industry I am sure! But Barymore is more than just a very popular actress, she is also an accomplished business woman with her own production company Flower Films. It certainly was good luck that they showed an early interest in the script. "Drew and I had stumbled upon the script several years ago," producer Nancy Juvonen recalls. "When we found out that Adam Sandler’s company, Happy Madison, was going to make it we began a campaign to become involved. We had a wonderful time working with them during The Wedding Singer, and over the years we had grown to know each other as friends, so we practically stalked them until they invited us to come and play with them." And as in The Wedding Singer Drew and Adam work well together. Drew is just perfect in the role of Lucy. "This was too good a story to not be involved in," Juvonen said "The role of Lucy calls for someone to fall in love all over again every single day, and Drew, who falls in love more passionately than anyone I know on the planet, was a perfect fit. And who better to fall in love with than Adam Sandler? He’s got such an easy charm. He’s funny, easy going and laid back. He knows how to use his wit to make you laugh and there is something charming and sexy about that." And there is a fair bit of chemistry here, isn't there? "When Drew responds to somebody, you can see it," Juvonen says. "She has passion in her eyes." So what was it that atracted Barrymore to the role? “I thought that a story about a man who has to make his girl fall in love with him every day as if each day is new, because in her world it is, was the best thing I’d ever heard of. I just love the idea of someone trying to make somebody fall in love with you every day. I think that should always be a goal. It’s a beautiful practice and a beautiful message. Sometimes Henry misses and sometimes he hits but I think a person’s determination is one of his most underrated qualities. It’s what enables Henry to grow." One of the big plus's for "50 First Dates" is that Hawaiian setting. Origionally the setting was to be Seattle. “Once Adam talked about moving the story to Hawaii, it just seemed like the very best possible place to do it for many different reasons," the films Executive Producer Michael Ewing said. He notes that when it comes to motion pictures, "You don’t see many movies shot there, so it was a great experience to film in a different locale. And it is such a spectacularly beautiful place for a romantic comedy." In fact, the shooting of "50 First Dates" was equally split between Hawaii and Los Angeles with the cast and crew spending six weeks at each location. The shoot in LA was described as being, "Like a huge circus coming into town one night and leaving at dusk the following day, the 50 First Dates production roamed Los Angeles County filming at the Cabrillo Beach Bath House, the American Cetacean Society, the Brigantine Boatworks in San Pedro, the Ocean Trails Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes and Leo Carillo State Beach in Malibu, as well as the Unocal Building in downtown Los Angeles." The Hawaiian shoot took in "more than a dozen locations on Oahu, beginning with Marlin’s house in Waikane and ending on Henry’s boat in Heeia Kea Harbor in Kaneohe. In between, the company criss-crossed the island for six weeks filming at such remote locations as the Kualoa Ranch in Kaaawa Valley, on dirt roads in Wahiawa and Waialua, the pineapple fields of the Dole Food Company, at Makapuu Lighthouse, at Sandy Beach - where only the bravest mount their boogie boards, on the Dillingham Ranch and on the beach made famous in From Here to Eternity. Other locations included Honolulu's Hawaii Film Studios and Island Seaplane Airport and, perhaps most importantly, Henry’s workplace, the Sea Life Park in Waimanalo." Finally there is one other star in "50 First Dates" all audiences will love and he just happened to be the only non Screen Actors Guildmember in the film. Who is he? Why its "Jocko", a walrus who resides at Six Flags Marine World Park in Vallejo, California." Allen Covert, who has co-starred in every Adam Sandler film except Billy Madison and who plays ‘Ten Second Tom’ in the movie explained. "In one of the drafts of the script Henry took care of a walrus, but I thought the relationship was a little too psychological. Why not just have this crazy walrus be a joke machine? Of course, we had no clue whether we could find a walrus to do this. But we talked to some people at Marine World Park in Vallejo and showed them the script. They said that with enough time, they could teach walruses to do tricks [Jocko is really one of a team of walruses used in the film]. The entire time we were filming in Hawaii, they rehearsed the walruses. And they really were hilarious." Cast and Crew Bytes "50 First Dates" was directed by Peter Segal ["Tommy Boy", "Anger Management", "My Fellow Americans" and "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps"], the producers include Jack Giarraputo ["Joe Dirt", "The Wedding Singer", "Little Nicky" and "Anger Management"] and Steve Golan ["The Game", "Nurse Betty", "Being John Malkovich" and "Sleepers"] while the cinematography is courtesy of longtime creative association with actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood, Jack Green A.S.C ["Space Cowboys", "Unforgiven", "Girl, Interrupted", ", Race for Glory" and "The Net"]. "50 First Dates" was edited by Jeff Gourson ["High Plains Drifter", "Jaws", "Somewhere in Time" and "Mr. Deeds"].
"50 First Dates" stars Adam Sandler ["The Wedding Singer", "Big Daddy", "Punch Drunk Love" and "Anger Management"], Drew Barrymore ["Altered States", "E.T", "The Wedding Singer" and "Riding In Cars With Boys"], Rob Schneider ["Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo", "The WaterBoy", "The Animal" and "Mr Deeds"], Sean Astin ["Rudy", "Bulworth", "Memphis Belle" and "Boy Meets Girl"], Dan Aykroyd ["Driving Miss Daisy", "The Blues Brothers", "Ghost Busters" and "Bright Young Things"], Lusia Strus ["Stir Of Echoes", "Danny's Wish", "Design" and "The Secret"], Blake Clark ["Fatal Instinct", "The Mask", "Corky Romano" and "Intolerable Cruelty"], Amy Hill ["Scrooged", "Rising Sun", "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "The Cat In The Hat"] and Allen Covert ["Airheads", Bulletproof", "The WaterBoy", "Never Been Kissed" and "Anger Management"] as Ten Second Tom.
The Story

"What starts out looking like another crude, bullying Adam Sandler extravaganza ends up as a surprisingly graceful and impressively daring romantic comedy." A.O. Scott NEW YORK TIMES

Henry Roth is a man of many faces. The one female tourists will see is that of a charming seducer who always manages to make love to them before somehow slipping out of their lives jut as things start to get a little serious. In reality, Henry Roth is a veternarian whose best friends are a Penguin, a Walrus and a wacky Hawaiian named Ula. But finally, Henry Roth, veterinarian and happily uncommitted man, is about to meet his match. Not with a beautiful tourist but with a vibrant local lass named Lucy Whitmore. Planning to travel to the artic circle, Henry is trialing his schooner, the "Sea Serpent", off the Hawaiian coast when an unplanned equipment failure sees him stranded until the coast guard can tow him to his mooring. With time on his hands Henry Henry goes ashore. Here, while having a coffee break at the Hukilau Café, Henry meets Lucy. For once in his life, Henry wants more. He wants to see Lucy again. What he doesn't know is that Lucy has no short term memory. When she wakes up in the morning it's the same day all over again: the day of her tragic accident. Henry is about to find out the awful truth. Warned off by Lucy's father and brother, Henry stages a series of elaborate situations in an attempt to win Lucy and her memory over. It's going to be tough, but Henry Roth doesn't mind. You see, he's finally found true love. The Verdict "This film works best when you treat it as a romantic tale with a bit of comedy thrown in. Sandler and Barrymore work well together, producing the right chemistry and actually end up making a good onscreen couple. Go for the romance and you'll have a lot of fun with this very cute film." The Cast

Adam Sandler Drew Barrymore Rob Schneider Sean Astin Lusia Strus Dan Aykroyd Amy Hill Allen Covert Blake Clark Maya Rudolph Nephi Pomaikai Brown Joe Nakashima Peter Dante Dom Magwili Jonathan Loughran J.D. Donaruma Wayne Federman Kent Avenido Sharon Omi

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Henry Roth Lucy Whitmore Ula Doug Whitmore Alexa Dr Keats Sue Ten Second Tom Marlin Whitmore Stacy Nick Old Hawaiian Man Security Guard Security Guard Jennifer Young Man Patient Cook's Helper Cafe Regular

The Crew Directed by Peter Segal Produced by Jack Giarraputo/Steve Golin/Nancy Juvonen/Larry Kennar & Adam Sandler Original Music by Teddy Castellucci Cinematography by Jack N Green Film Editing by Jeff Gourson Casting by Elizabeth Boykewich & Roger Mussenden Production Design by Alan Au Art Direction by John Hockridge & Domenic Silvestri Set Decoration by Robert Greenfield Costume Design by Ellen Lutter Run Time 99 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - Columbia TriStar Industries - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2004 - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved