‘Happy’ Hits Some Great Laughs

Wed., Feb. 28, 1996

Jeff Sackmann Mead

A movie about golf? That, in itself, is a funny concept. Would such a concept make a decent movie? Most certainly not. Would it make an Adam Sandler movie? Of course.

In “Happy Gilmore,” Sandler plays a typical spoof role - an idiot who turns out to have a heart of gold. In this case, Gilmore’s heart of gold is devoted to his grandmother, who, by not paying 10 years worth of taxes, has gotten her house repossessed.

How will he come up with the necessary $270,000 to buy back her house? Happy doesn’t have a clue - he is merely a dead-end hockey player without a job. But a miracle happens. He discovers he can hit a golf ball farther than anyone else.

With his new-found skill and the possibility of big bucks lurking, Happy is convinced to play in the Waterbury Open, an amateur golf tournament. The winner gets to continue on to the PGA tour. To the amazement of everyone, Happy somehow manages to hit some really long drives and win the open.

The comedy really starts when Gilmore hits the pros, though. A hot-tempered hockey player on the slow, laid-back PGA tour? The results are mind-boggling. Besides seven-putting his way to a 15th-place finish, he gets into fistfights with other golfers and attracts punk-rockers to the 18th hole at the Dallas Open.

But then, of course, the movie needs a plot. The No. 1 player on the tour, Shooter McGavin, decides to sabotage Gilmore’s playing and becomes more evil than Satan himself.

And, of course, there must be a love interest.

“Happy Gilmore” is destined for a future like that of “Animal House” and “Airplane.” While it certainly won’t get any Oscars, it will be a party favorite for years, and people will quote parts of it like the Bible.

Like any other movie with a name like “Happy Gilmore” or a lead actor like Adam Sandler, it must be approached correctly. Saying that this film is dumb isn’t a criticism. Saying that “Happy Gilmore” isn’t fun to watch is a lie.

Grade: B+

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