Why are we still surprised when Adam Sandler gives a credible performance in a decent movie? I think it’s because those of us over a certain age, remember the over-the-top, kinda stupid SNL characters that made Sandler famous as a very young comedian starting 32 years ago.
Canteen Boy? Opera Man? Were these good early predictors that the schlubby, childlike, Sandler would one day be worth more money than God (about half a billion dollars) and go on to receive critical acclaim for a handful of films that have given him the kind of respectability reserved for “trained actors?”
No, not really. But here we are.
Sandler’s latest film in his five picture deal with Netflix is called ‘Hustle,’ in which he plays an NBA talent scout, scouring neighborhood pickup games around the world in search of the next big NBA superstar.
It’s not a showy role: when he’s funny, it’s with a quietly dropped quip, not a raspy-voiced Sandler screaming about breakfast service being over at McDonalds. Like his most lauded performances (Punch Drunk Love, Uncut Gems) Sandler pulls back, gets comfortable in his character’s skin, plays with an undercurrent of pathos. In other words, he plays an authentic human being. A guy you might know in real life.
As for the film itself, ‘Hustle’ follows the Rocky Template (and he even says “Rocky” out loud – on those same streets of Philadelphia). Sandler finds a phenomenal player in Spain, who he brings to the US in hope of getting his employers, the Philadelphia 76ers, to sign him to a contract. For a guy who’s seen everything and everyone, his enthusiasm for this Spanish player (Juancho Hernangómez) gets his, and our, hopes up.
I won’t spoil the plot, which has somewhat predictable ups and downs, relative to the genre, not to mention a few too many montages featuring fast cuts of the player crushing it, or failing, or running up hills with increasingly better times on Sandler’s stopwatch, etc. You’ve seen that before.
What kept me watching was the humanity – Sandler’s wife (the great Queen Latifah) and daughter are crucial to that end. And you know what? This movie features dozens of real life players and coached and, to a man, their performances are naturalistic and professional.
The film was a good watch. A mood-lifter and, to go back to the beginning: a reason to apologize to the actor who has committed many cinematic atrocities, but always found redemption when he trusted himself to dial down the shtick and go for character.
Hustle is now streaming on Netflix | 3 out of 4 Stars | 2 hours | Language\
Sidebar: I have interviewed Sandler several times over twenty-five years. He is a mensch- one of the truly nice guys. Some stars travel with a posse, Sandler gives jobs to his buddies who knew him when he was a nobody. I mean, what would Allen Covert’s career have looked like without Sandler’s loyalty to an old buddy? And that’s just one example. I have never seen him dressed in anything other than gym shorts or workout pants and ill-fitting jerseys or t-shirts. Once I gently noted that I thought millionaires would dress differently. His genuine reply was, “what do you think a millionaire should dress like?” I guess the answer is “anyway he wants.”
My daughter was once helping his wife and daughter at a funky vintage clothing store where she worked in West Hollywood. She said when he finally walked into the store to nudge them along into making a purchase; he was exactly like every other Dad who’d finally gotten tired of waiting outside and getting the show on the road. No pretense – no expectation of being recognized. Just a guy being a dad/husband.
The point is he’s always the same guy-very refreshing in Hollywood. And although his batting average for selecting top drawer scripts is notoriously low, we should say, “sorry, bro, for judging you by the worst movies instead of your best work.”
He’s earned that.
