2K Replay: 50 FIRST DATES

 by Adam Riske

Nominated for “Best Movie” at the MTV Movie Awards. It lost to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

• Best Scene/Moment: All the scenes at the diner where Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore meet. They’re cute together and the supporting characters are funny. Plus, I’m hungry right now.

• Best Song (tie): “Could You Be Loved” and “Is This Love” by Bob Marley & The Wailers.

• Best Merch: A “50 First Dates Lot x 20 35mm Transparency Slides…” for $99.99. Why watch the movie when you can relive it through photographer transparency slides? I wonder if this would work on my Viewmaster. This is like collecting movie trading cards but way nerdier.

• Director Grade: 50 First Dates was directed by Peter Segal. Segal has been an in-demand director of star-driven comedies since the mid-'90s. He always struck me as a professional, steady hand type of filmmaker since his comedy movies usually get laughs without entirely jettisoning their story. Tommy Boy is my favorite Segal movie, with 50 First Dates being second. I remember a few other of his films being enjoyable as well including Naked Gun 33 + ⅓ The Final Result, My Fellow Americans, Get Smart, and Grudge Match. The only two of his I’ve seen that I outright dislike are Anger Management and The Longest Yard (2005). All things considered, not too bad. Overall Grade: B

• Double It with This 2004 Movie: Along Came Polly

• Year 2004 Movies to Trailer Before Them: 13 Going on 30, Jersey Girl, Little Black Book

• Color of Night or 50 First Dates? Tie.

• Mall Movie? It’s borderline but no. Adam Sandler romantic comedies were respectable enough to play at the nice theater in town and not the mall.

• Only in 2004: Jokes about the Boston Red Sox having never won the World Series. They did later in 2004 but not at the time of 50 First Dates release.

• Scene Stealer (tie): Sean Astin and Pomaika’i Brown.

• I Miss: Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore romantic comedies. I like the sincerity she draws out of him.

• I Don’t Miss: Rob Schneider.

• 2004 Crush: Drew Barrymore.

• 2024 Crush (tie): Drew Barrymore and Katheryn Winnick.

• What I Thought in 2004: I loved 50 First Dates when I saw it in theaters. I thought it was sweet and funny, plus I loved the Hawaiian locale.

• What I Think in 2024: I still enjoy 50 First Dates although not as much as I did in 2004. It rides on the goodwill I have for Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore from their previous collaboration in The Wedding Singer. This is upper-tier Happy Madison that’s still consistently charming, funny, and wonderful to look at.