My Movie Review on 50 First Dates
Aloha, my friends.
This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, for the 7th installment of my "February Festivity", I'm gonna give you guys my take of "50 First Dates".
Here's the rundown of it:
Henry Roth is a womanizing veterinarian that works at the Sea Life Park in Oahu, Hawaii. His close friends are Ula, a drug-addicted father of five children; Alexa, a woman who's gender is ironically uncertain to most others; Willy, Henry's pet African penguin; and Jocko, a walrus who lives at the Sea Life Park.
While he's having lunch in a cafe, though, Henry meets a beautiful girl named Lucy Whitmore and can't help but feel smitten for her. So smitten, that's he's absolutely certain she's the girl for him. However, he later learns that Lucy has a type of amnesia called Goldfield's Syndrome, which she began suffering after being subject to a car accident a year ago. The biggest issue is that she can't gain any new memories beyond her Dad's birthday, which causes her to do the same thing over and over again.
Determined to not be forgotten, Henry decides to do all he can to win Lucy's heart and become a part of her life.
Not gonna lie, this movie was another film that I've been wanting to review since the beginning of my days as a media analyzer. Before I made this review, I unexpectedly caught glimpses of the film here and there, mainly bits and pieces of it. Despite not being able to see the whole film, I was interested in getting more acquainted with it. My Mom actually even told me that the film would be something I'd enjoy based on the times she saw it herself.
Coming from a person who finally saw the whole movie recently, I really must say that "50 First Dates"...is an absolutely delightful treat!
I mean, yes, I didn't think the movie was perfect. My only problems with it were that there were cuss words and sexual innuendos that didn't exactly sit well with me, and the character of Alexa was kinda creepy in many parts.
Other than that, I enjoyed this movie every step of the way.
For instance, the acting, casting, characters, and character development were outstanding!
Adan Sandler definitely gave one of his best performances, I'll tell you guys that. He not only had just about all of the funniest moments throughout the film, but he portrayed the character of Henry with a sense of warmth and love. All with a relaxed composure that helped his performance feel natural. Drew Barrymore likewise terrific in the role of Lucy, because she not only portrayed her character with personality and emotion, but with a sense of authenticity for the character's struggles with Goldfield's Syndrome. To top it all off, both Henry and Lucy had phenomenal developments throughout the movie.
The supporting cast members and characters were fun to watch too.
Rob Schneider was honestly at one of his scene-stealing best in his portrayal of Ula, and aside from being a little creepy in some parts, the character himself was a total showstopper no matter what. Blake Clark was likewise awesome in the role of Lucy's father, Marlin, and so was Sean Astin in the role of Lucy's brother, Doug. And, Dan Aykroyd's presence as Dr. Joseph Keats was a treat that was undeniably fun. The characters of Marlin, Doug, and Joseph were all pretty pleasant to hang with.
The direction by Peter Segal, and the story by George Wing, were likewise very stellar.
When it came to making the movie a comedy, Segal pretty much hit all the right notes. There was a tremendous innocence to the humor that made it appealing no matter what, and the execution of it all made me unable to resist laughing because of how innocent the jokes were. The movie also contained an emotion and heart that was deeply soul-tugging, which particularly originated from the developing romance between Henry and Lucy. Plus, everything about the story was original to a tee, such as the decision to have the film be set in Hawaii.
On the subject of Lucy's struggles with Goldfield's Syndrome...when I saw the whole movie this time, I couldn't help but not only feel for her but relate to what she was going through. In a way, I saw quite a lot of myself in Lucy. As a person who struggles with autism, ADHD, and obsessive-compulsion disorder, I know what it's like to have mental problems that are either beyond control or hard to break out of. I have problems keeping myself focused on things sometimes, trouble with thinking, remembering, or making my own decisions every now and then, trouble breaking out of certain habits, and so much more. Seeing how much Lucy's family and friends, as well as Henry, cared for Lucy and how supportive they were of her also reminded me of my own family and friends. In person, to be precise. No matter what, they've always supported, loved, and cared for me even as I struggle with my mental disabilities, and I'm proud to have them in my life because of that.
In conclusion, "50 First Dates" does admittedly have its slight nitpicks. But, it's nevertheless one of the funniest and most good-natured romantic-comedies around, as well as one of Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore's best movies. I'm so proud to have become more acquainted with this movie, that's for sure.
So, I rate "50 First Dates" 4½ out of 5 stars.
