Sandler’s best, from silly to serious
With Adam Sandler, it’s been a tale of two careers: the goofy comedian of his “Saturday Night Live” and early film days, and the more accomplished thespian of his later years (who can still be goofy when needed).
⬤ But whether or not you prefer man-child Billy Madison to, say, his Czech astronaut in the new Netflix sci-fi drama “Spaceman” (streaming Friday), Sandler has enjoyed a profound evolution as an actor and performer. It’s only a matter of time until he nabs an Oscar nomination (and probably should have at least one by now). Who could have imagined that back when he was singing the Hanukkah song on “SNL”?
⬤ In honor of his latest outing, we’re ranking the Sandman’s 10 best movies:
10. ‘Leo’ (2023)
Apologies to the “Hotel Transylvania” faithful: A 74-year-old fifth-grade pet lizard is the animated role Sandler was born to play. His title character Leo worries about his mortality and hatches an escape plan but instead makes a bunch of young friends in the delightfully weird and subtly touching musical comedy.
⬤ Where to watch: Netflix
9. ‘The Waterboy’ (1998)
As a great man once said, “That’s some high-quality H2O!” Bullied by the football players he keeps hydrated, mother-loving Louisiana college waterboy Bobby Boucher (Sandler) finally snaps and unlocks an aggressive side that makes him a gridiron wunderkind. He can play outside linebacker for our team anytime.
⬤ Where to watch: Hulu
8. ‘The Meyerowitz Stories’ (2017)
Writer/director Noah Baumbach’s dramedy cast Sandler and Ben Stiller as estranged half-brothers who reunite for an art retrospective for their aging sculptor dad (Dustin Hoffman). A lifetime of dysfunction and a health scare ignite a sibling rivalry that gives both Stiller and Sandler plum complex roles to play.
⬤ Where to watch: Netflix
7. ‘Spaceman’ (2024)
In a decidedly dramatic yet still oddball role, Sandler plays a Czech astronaut halfway through a lonely, one-man mission to investigate a cosmic purple cloud near Jupiter. Cracks form in the long-distance relationship with his wife (Carey Mulligan), and he works through his feelings by befriending a mysterious talking alien spider (Paul Dano).
⬤ Where to watch: Netflix
6. ‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah’ (2023)
Sandler takes a backseat to his real family in this delightful coming-of-age comedy. The role of devoted dad suits
him well opposite wife Jackie and daughters Sadie and Sunny, the latter of whom plays a middle schooler looking forward to her bat mitzvah and instead finds a whole heap of girl drama.
⬤ Where to watch: Netflix
5. ‘Funny People’ (2009)
Director Judd Apatow’s darkly funny yet feel-good dramedy casts Sandler in a role he knows well: mega-popular comedian/movie star. When he’s diagnosed with a terminal disease, Sandler’s character befriends a young stand-up (Seth Rogen), reconnects with the love who got away (Leslie Mann) and finds a new lease on life.
⬤ Where to watch: Starz
4. ‘The Wedding Singer’ (1998)
The best of Sandler’s straight-up comedies is a 1980s retro affair packed with style and cool music. A wedding singer (Sandler) hits it off with a reception waitress (Drew Barrymore) and he promises to play her wedding. Of course, they fall in love, but not without some crises of confidence, Reagan-era high jinks and old-lady rapping.
⬤ Where to watch: Apple TV and on demand
3. ‘Hustle’ (2022)
Sandler marries his loves – acting and hoops – as a Philadelphia 76ers basketball scout who discovers a standout streetballer (ex-NBA player Juancho Hernangómez) in Spain and brings him to America. Both help each other out in a rousing narrative chock-full of real-life roundball stars and choice Sandler zingers.
⬤ Where to watch: Netflix 2. ‘Punch-Drunk Love’ (2002)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s romantic dramedy is the first to really toss Sandler in the awards-season mix. The comedian earned a Golden Globe nod as a lonely plunger salesman with rage issues who starts dating his sister’s co-worker (Emily Watson), though an extortion scheme threatens the relationship.
⬤ Where to watch: Pluto TV
1. ‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)
Josh and Benny Safdie’s intricately crafted crime thriller finds Sandler in prime form as a gambling jeweler who wants to make bank off a rare opal. He runs afoul of the wrong people, leading to a stressful final act fueled by a close NBA playoff game.
⬤ Where to watch: Netflix