Thanks for the comment, Matt.

I think Sandler does the anger thing well and it sounds like it comes from a real place. I didn’t talk about how I do really buy into a lot of his acting because he is usually playing a character pretty similar to himself but the angry or other heavy emotional scenes in even his goofy movies I find actually work well. Even punch drunk love, which was pretty dramatic, or at least non goofy, all the way through showed that off pretty.

I’m glad you like our stuff and we appreciate a response as good as yours

I think the point you make about the stable of actors that Sandler usually works with is one of his greater perceived shortcomings. I think the public perception of that group of actors is essentially that none of them ever seem to wind up in good movies, so they stick together making bad movies. Whether or not this is the case, this is always the perception that I have gleaned from talking to people about his movies.

I agree with your point in general, that the flak he gets is at least a little undeserved and I think it comes from people around my age, who remember being too young when introduced to his comedy stylings and assuming that he would grow with them. As a result, our (or more specifically, my) expectations of what he would go on to do were inflated, and when his comedy movies failed to mature in the same way, the disappointment is what seeps through. There are no shortage of terrible comedy movies every yea, but Sandler seems to take it on the chin worst than most.

As a side note to this incredibly long comment, I have to say that I admire Sandler for never going back to the well with his biggest successes. When his career took the turn it has and the laughs were a little quieter he easily could have made Happy Gilmore 2, but he didn’t. People would have gone to see that movie in droves, and probably been crushed under the weight of their own expectations, but he never did that and I will always respect him for it.

I enjoyed the article and continue to enjoy the podcast, keep up the good work.