Why Uncut Gems is Adam Sandler’s Oscar movie — no joke

Adam Sandler has received more critical acclaim for his role in this new film than for just about any other movie in his career.

You like Billy Madison! You really like Billy Madison!

Adam Sandler has received more critical acclaim for his role in the new film Uncut Gems than for just about any other movie in his career, according to RottenTomatoes. Could that uncommon goodwill carry him all the way to the 2020 Oscars stage?

The trailer for the movie, which holds a 94 per cent on the review aggregator, dropped this morning.

Adam Sandler’s performance is Uncut Gems has been hailed as his best work yet.

In the drama, the 53-year-old actor plays a jeweller in New York’s Diamond District who’s on the hunt for the deal of a lifetime. His performance was lauded by critics who saw it at film festivals in Telluride, Colorado, and Toronto, huge indicators of award-season success.

Although it may be hard to imagine the star of The Waterboy accepting a trophy of any kind, let alone THE trophy, Sandler can actually turn in a solid dramatic performance when he wants.

For 2002’s Punch-Drunk Love, Sandler received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. And that terrific, dark film also was selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival alongside The Pianist and Bowling for Columbine. Not too shabby.

Adam Sandler in Punch-Drunk Love.

The 2020 Best Actor Oscar category is also shaping up somewhat awkwardly, with more questions than answers so far.

Will voters remember or even care about Taron Egerton as Elton John in the underperforming Rocketman in a few months? Will The Irishman (Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci) be any good? Does the academy want to nominate Joaquin Phoenix for The Joker despite Heath Ledger’s interpretation of the Batman baddie in 2008’s The Dark Knight that was not only monumental but posthumously awarded?

The only safe bets are Leonardo DiCaprio for Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood (Brad Pitt is likely to be campaigned for in the Best Supporting Actor category) and Adam Driver for Marriage Story.

Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.

All of these major uncertainties leave room for a strong performance from a big, beloved star with a prime release date of December 13 (in the US) to sneak onto the list.

Who knows? Next February, Sandler could very well be one very Happy Gilmore.

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission