Adam Sandler’s classic golf comedy Happy Gilmore turns 20, but what other movies celebrate the double decade in 2016?
HAPPY Gilmore turns 20 today. The classic Adam Sandler comedy has become part of golf’s vernacular. But what other movies celebrate the double decade this year?
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FROM Chubbs Peterson to Shooter McGavin, Happy Gilmore was a glorious introduction to the wonderful world of Adam Sandler.
Sure, there was the hilarious back to school comedy Billy Madison the year before, but Sandler’s play as an angry hockey player turned pro-golfer is a stroke of genius.
The movie about Happy’s quest to save his beloved grandma’s home turns 20 today, his effort taking him to the pro golf tour, where he uses his ridiculous run-up golf swing to whack 400 yard drives.
Long story short, he runs into a bunch of colourful characters (Bob Barker being perhaps the funniest) and eventually saves the day - and gets the girl, Virginia Venit.
He’s endearing and hilarious as he screams at balls “are you too good for your home?” and deals with villain Shooter McGavin (“pow, Shooter”).
And who could forget Mr Larson, the hulking old boss who Happy shot with a nail gun.
“I will get you, Shooter!”
And Ben Stiller’s nasty turn as an uncredited nursing home orderly is the stuff of legend.
“You could trouble me for a warm glass of shut the hell up.”
“Now your back’s gonna hurt, ’cause you just pulled landscaping duty.”
“You’re in my world now, grandma.”
“You will go to sleep or I will put you to sleep.”
We can almost guarantee you’ve seen a golfer wearing a leery John Daly-esque get-up and thought to yourself and thought to yourself “if I saw myself in clothes like those, I’d have to kick my own ass”.
And what about when you and your mate are tied going into the last. Haven’t you screamed “JACKASS” at the top of your lungs, just as he tees off?
Other classic lines:
“You’re gonna die clown”
“It’s all in the hips.”
“Don’t you ever touch my puck.”
“Is that goal regulation size or what?”
“Why don’t I go eat some hay? I can make things out of clay, or lay by the bay. I just may. Whaddya say?”
“Hey Gilmore, you suck!”
“Just tap it in.”
“Talk about a hole in one.”
“Mister, Mister, get me outta here.”
“Harness, good, block, bad.”
“Damned alligator bit my hand off.”
“Grizzly Adams did have a beard.”
Pro golfer Lexi Thompson certainly remembers it well, Tweeting a hilarious homage to the classic movie.
The movie has aged remarkably well, but there are a few others that turn 20 this year and are still absolute classics.
*Have we missed any on our list? Scroll down to tell us in the comment box below and vote in our poll for your favourite
Independence Day
Released on July 2, 1996 - the same day the film is set - Independence Day went on to become the second highest grossing film of the time, raking in over $800 million world wide. Americans went gaga for the big action, threat to their sovereignty sci-fi classic that is memorable for its destruction of the White House at the hands of a gargantuan alien space craft. It’s the movie that took the Fresh Prince from a Bad Boy to one of the biggest actors on the planet. And we’re finally getting a sequel
The Cable Guy
Who knew Jim Carrey had a dark side. We knew him as the hilarious moron Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber and the pet detective out of the Ace Ventura movies, but his psychotic loner in The Cable Guy was something out of left field. The lisping nutter permeates Matthew Broderick’s ‘Thhhtephen’th’ life with dark consequences. Ben Stiller actually directed it and now star Judd Apatow was the producer as a relative unknown.
From Dusk til Dawn
If you saw what was coming in From Dusk til Dawn, you’re better than us. It goes from a tense liquor store hold up to bordering on the ridiculous as crims Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney find themselves holed up in a bar that turns out to be infested with vampires. Gave life to the partnership between Tarantino and director Robert Rodriguez.
Jerry Maguire
“Show me the money”. That line alone is iconic. But this comedy drama about a washed up sports player agent who leaves his job and throws all his eggs in one Cuba Gooding Junior basket just has sweet turns at every juncture. Renee Zelwegger had a small cult following from her roll as Gina in Empire Records, but Dorothy Boyd paved the way for Bridget Jones. If you don’t think “You complete me” or “You had me at hello” every time you hear Bruce Springsteen’s Secret Garden, then you need a little more romance in your life.
Mission: Impossible
Still the best Mission:Impossible, Tom Cruise introduced us to Ethan Hunt, but Jon Voight nearly steals the show. Just who is ratting on who is never quite clear until Hunt unravels the truth and enjoys some awesome how-did-that-happen action scenes along the way. A winner for the break in at Langley alone, as you sit on the edge of your seat hoping Hunt - or his sweat - doesn’t touch the ground and set off the alarms.
The People vs. Larry Flynt
The degenerate pornographer who stood up for America’s right to free speech. Larry Flynt’s train wreck life translated well to the big screen, if not for any thing but the wonderful talents of Woody Harrelson. He has a superb partner in crime in Courtney Love, in a life-imitating art role. This biopic is gripping from start to finish.
The Rock
“Welcome to the Rock”. The most memorable line, delivered in Sean Connery’s unmistakeable drawl. It was a little hard to believe the former James Bond star could actually handle the rigours of breaking into Alcatraz and fighting against a bunch of freedom fighting crazies - given that he looks about 800 in the movie - but hey, this is Hollywood. Michael Bay went from Bad Boys to The Rock and showed us a glimpse of what was to come from him - lots of things blowing up. Connery and Nicolas Cage make this thing work.
Romeo + Juliet
Every 1990s teen’s favourite movie, heart throb Leo and the stunning Claire Danes put on a spectacular show in Baz Luhrmann’s reimagining of the classic tale of forbidden love. Modernised for the 1990s, the Capulets and the Montagues became rival gangs, pitting the star crossed lovers on opposite sides. The soundtrack is a banger too.
Scream
Most 1990s kids had a Scream mask after this so-bad-it’s-good teen slasher flick hit the cinemas. It was basically the anatomy of a slasher flick, picked apart for all to see, by the master, Wes Craven. And it featured some of the hottest young actors in Sarah Michelle-Gellar, Neve Campbell and Skeet Ulrich, meaning the teen squad was all over it. Funny and still scary at the same time.
Trainspotting
“Choose life” was Ewan McGregor’s coming out party. Who would have thought the pasty skinny kid who played a junkie just trying to get by with his mates in Scotland would end up playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars franchise. This movie of mateship and life’s struggles at the bottom of the socio-economic scale is both moving and jarring. If nothing else, it gave us Underworld’s Born Slippy.
Twister
Welcome to the world of CGI. Cuttin edge at the time, this story about storm chasers was made almost real by the dawn of new special effects. The movie hasn’t dated all that well, with so many advancements, but it was a pioneer weather movie that raked in the big bucks. If you want your big money effects movie to succeed, it needs a decent storyline.
Space Jam
Don’t worry, the Michael Jordan vs. Looney Tunes basketball epic Space Jam will get its own story on December 12, when it turns 20.
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