Friday, February 13, 1998
Wedding singer croons about awkward ’80s
FILM: Star Adam Sandler draws on memories of adolescence for
comedy
By Lonnie Harris
Daily Bruin Contributor
Despite all of his current successes, Adam Sandler may have been
happiest in high school. Oh sure, now he’s got a series of hit
films, three hugely successful CDs and legions of adoring fans.
But, to watch him talk in a cramped suite at the Four Seasons, it
would be very easy to imagine this surprisingly shy, soft-spoken
young man enjoying the minor trappings of public education more
than the activities of a major Hollywood personality.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in Sandler’s new film, "The
Wedding Singer," which opens today. The film takes place in the
mid-1980s and tells the story of Robbie Hart (Sandler), an
entertainer who dreams of being a musician.
But Hart mainly makes money on the side by singing at weddings
and bar mitzvahs. After he is left at the altar, he falls for
fellow wedding employee Julia (Drew Barrymore), who unfortunately
is engaged to an adulterous lout (Matthew Glave).
Not only is the ’80s setting a particularly embarrassing time
for the nation’s youth, what with its ridiculous hairstyles and
fashions, but it was also the time when Sandler was no more than a
high school student, ditching classes, playing with a Rubik’s Cube
and maybe listening to the new Van Halen album.
"That was the time when I became a man," Sandler says. "It was
fun to talk about stuff like Van Halen, because it was really big
in New Hampshire when I was growing up. I was really into bands
like Van Halen and J. Giels."
The film is filled with references like this, as Sandler and his
writer/associate/close friend Tim Herlihy hold their adolescence up
to not only scrutiny but fascination. For some reason, the subject
of childhood continues to fascinate the comedian; he probes deeper
and deeper into the psyche of a teenager, continually finding
nuggets of comic gold.
The country first took notice of him in "Saturday Night Live," a
breeding ground for new comedians which has spawned the careers of
other popular celebrities like Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Eddie
Murphy, Chevy Chase and more recently, Mike Myers.
"I think the original cast set that up," Sandler says. "They set
us all up. They were the ones that allowed us all the chance for
success. The whole cast I was with is best friends. We all grew up
together, right out of college."
It was on "Saturday Night Live" that Sandler first tapped into
his youth as a source for his comedy, creating many characters that
were just discovering pieces of their adulthood. For example, a
recurring skit called "The Denise Show" featured Sandler as a
recently dumped boyfriend putting on a public access show to win
his true love back. This and other sketches offered him the
opportunity to relate to a young audience, which continues to
support his films and comedy albums.
It was also on "Saturday Night Live" that Sandler first was
presented with the opportunity to sing. Though he never quite
realized his dreams of becoming a rock star, he has managed to gain
some popularity for singing humorous songs, including the modern
holiday classic, "The Hanukkah Song."
"Tim Herlihy and I would write these parodies, and that kind of
started that off," Sandler says. "On ‘Saturday Night Live’ I wrote
funny songs because it was a comedy show and it was fun to sing
about some holidays."
Sandler and Herlihy, who have worked together steadily since
their days at NYU, were joined on "The Wedding Singer," as well as
Sandler’s previous films "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore," by
director Frank Coraci and producer Jack Giarraputo. These four form
a creative team that is fairly indispensible to Sandler, who has a
real problem with working and living alone.
"I had to work on being OK with being alone," Sandler says.
"These guys that worked on the movie are all my NYU pals. All four
of us were roommates at NYU. Even the editor was in my dorm. And
Allan Covert, who plays my best friend, he was in one of my
classes. Me and my buddies are all on the same page. They all
understand what I want to do."
Not only does this working relationship allow Sandler the
opportunity to be creative, but it keeps him in touch with the
source for much of his comedy — his often naive and child-like
outlook on life. This helps not only to make his films appeal to
teenage audiences, but also to make his films fun for the cast and
crew.
After talking to the cast of "The Wedding Singer," one gets the
impression that the movie set was more a party atmosphere than a
working one. Christine Taylor, best known for her portrayal of
Marcia Brady in "The Brady Bunch Movie" and "A Very Brady Sequel"
is especially appreciative.
"It was great fun for me to get away from the whole Marcia Brady
thing, and move up a decade," Taylor says. "The script was so much
fun to begin with, that we could play around with it and
collaborate across the board. We had a really terrific time."
Drew Barrymore notes how Sandler and his coworkers share a
relaxed and non-stressful method of filmmaking.
"Every day was a pleasure," Barrymore says. "All day people were
laughing and having a good time. You saw people pulling into the
parking lot in the morning with smiles on their faces. Some jobs
are better than others, and this was amazing."
No matter how much fun it was to make "The Wedding Singer,"
perhaps the most telling film of Sandler’s career was "Billy
Madison," in which he was an adult forced to repeat kindergarten
through 12th grade in order to gain his inheritance. In many ways,
this parallels Sandler’s own rise to stardom. He’s had to return to
his childhood and dig up his experiences in order to please his
ever-growing audience.
No end is in sight to this trend in Sandler’s career. He will
continue exploring the trials and tribulations of adolescents in
his next film, "The Waterboy," due out this Christmas.
"He’s a waterboy on a college football team, and his mom is the
only person who really likes him and supports him until eventually
he becomes a linebacker for the team," Sandler says. "It’s a nice
movie. We start shooting soon, and I think it’s gonna be fun. I
just like making movies and working with good people."
FILM: "The Wedding Singer" opens today.
New Line Cinema
Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler star in "The Wedding
Singer."