I honestly never know how to feel about Adam Sandler. One minute he’s hamming it up with his best buds in some of the most painful excuses for comedies ever to con their way onto a big screen and the next minute he’s serious and honest and actually – God save us – a good actor. Having subjected us to a spate of simply awful comedies over the past few years, Sandler is returning to more serious fare with The Cobbler, a Walter Mitty-esque drama that will hopefully stretch his acting muscles once more.
The Cobbler tells the story of a shoe repairman who finds himself able to “walk in another man’s shoes,” opening up his lonely existence to new experiences. It’s directed by Thomas McCarthy, the man responsible for Win Win and The Station Agent. In speaking with EW (via The Playlist), McCarthy remarked on Sandler’s “soulful quality.” Here’s what he said about his leading man:
One of the things that makes Adam right for [the role] is that he does handle the various levels of comedy very well. And he transitions really well from comedy to drama. He can make even the smallest, simplest moments funny.
Unfortunately, Sandler’s way of making small and simple moments funny has often meant breaking out his only funny voice, or cutting a fart. But McCarthy’s point is well-taken: Sandler can be funny without going over the top. He can also play soulful, as he proved in Reign Over Me and even Spanglish. While those roles have been fewer (read: non-existent) over the past few years, there’s no reason why Sandler cannot make another high quality film again.
McCarthy has also collected a good group of actors for Sandler to work wit on The Cobbler. The cast list includes Dustin Hoffman, Ellen Barkin, and Steve Buscemi, among others. At the very least we can expect some good entertainment from the back-up players.
We shall have to wait and see if The Cobbler will prove to be Adam Sandler’s redemption. He certainly owes us something for Jack and Jill, don’t you think?
The Cobbler has no release date, but we’ll keep an eye out and let you know.
