Adam Sandler Essay, Research Paper

It seems you either love him or hate him – but there’s no avoiding him. Adam Sandler has risen to the top, and he has his loyal fans to thank for it. While most actors fight their way to the top while relying mainly on hype, for Sandler this was actually against him. No one thought he would succeed, but the fans made it happen, carrying him to the top of the box office.

Sandler grew up in Brooklyn, New York and was born on September 9th, 1966. While this probably doesn’t come as a surprise, Adam was the class clown throughout high school. What was surprising is that Adam never realized how useful his sense of humor would be. He got his start in stand-up comedy one night when he got and started performing at a Boston bar he frequently went to.

Although Sandler is often dismissed as Immature, he has a University education with a degree in Fine Arts from New York University. He relied on the money that he earned in stand-up and from a recurring role on the hit Cosby Show as Theo Huxtable’s dim-witted buddy. He spent some time doing stand-up in L.A., where former Saturday Night Live star Dennis Miller caught his act. Miller spoke to producer Lorne Michaels about him, and Adam Sandler was soon working for SNL.

At first, he was mainly a writer who appeared on the show occasionally. However, his appearances were so popular (ie: Operaman, Canteen Boy) that his status soon changed to that of a regular player. During the early 90s, he was by far the most popular and entertaining cast member and the one credited with keeping the show going, despite falling ratings and criticism that SNL had passed its prime.

Sandler began releasing audio tapes of his comedy routines and they were very successful. His first, They’re all gonna laugh at you! earned a Grammy nomination and spent over 100 weeks on Billboard charts. Although dismissed by many as tasteless, they were a huge success.

After a series of disappointing big screen roles, Sandler finally had some luck. He co-scripted the movie “Billy Madison” and starred in it as a young man forced to repeat grades 1 through 12 in six months in order to earn his inheritance. The film was widely accepted and did fairly well.

Sandler soon quit SNL in order to concentrate on movies. Happy Gilmore provided the break he needed. A surprise success (due largely to a fight sequence with Bob Barker), the film made people take notice of Adam Sandler. The Wedding Singer proved that Happy Gilmore was not a fluke, and The Waterboy shocked even the last people when it opened to the tune of 39 million dollars in its first weekend.

“Big Daddy” was Adams next big hit. He started making it even before “The Waterboy”. The original title was “Guy Gets Kid”, but was given a major rewrite by Tim Herlihy to more fit Adam’s strengths. To sum it up, the movie is About Adam Sandler becoming an instant Father to a 5 year old. In the long version, it would be: One day, a 5 year old boy shows up on the doorstep of the apartment Sonny (Adam) shares with roommate and friend who is out of the country on business. Adam finds out that it is his friend’s son and has to take care of the kid temporarily. Not having much experience, he teaches Julian (the kid) how to act like him, which means everything from tripping in-line skaters to skipping much needed baths. He then meets a girl with the help of Julian and they live happily ever after yata, yata, yata?