An underrated Adam Sandler movie, Mr. Deeds, has been in the Netflix Top 10 most-watched films list for almost a full week now, proving that subscribers just can’t get enough of the actor, even if it’s via digging through his back catalogue.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the pic, Mr. Deeds follows a benevolent small-town guy who inherits a major stake in a corrupt and evil media conglomerate. At first, his rural morality clashes with the urban values of his fellow businessmen. Slowly but surely, however, Sandler’s character changes the company’s work culture for the better.
The film, which first released in 2002, was directed by Steven Brill and based a script by Robert Riskin, which was in turn based on a short story written by Clarence Budington Kelland. The basic plot should be familiar to all, as country mouse versus city cat remains one of the oldest, most recognizable formats of storytelling known to man.
While not his best effort, Sandler’s performance in the film is certainly decent and on top of that, he’s joined by a very competent cast, including co-stars Winona Ryder and John Turturro. Mr. Deeds isn’t often brought up when talking about the most beloved movies the actor’s ever made, but it’s a perfectly enjoyable outing with a lot of solid laughs and should please those who enjoy Sandler’s typical comedic fare.
It is, however, a far cry from his most recent film, Uncut Gems. Directed by the Safdie brothers, this one stars Adam Sandler in the surprisingly serious role of a manic, gambling-addicted Manhattan-based jeweller under pressure of paying back a vicious loan shark. Although the picture has yet to stand the test of time, it’s sure to go down in history as one of the finest works of the actor’s career.
