Adam Sandler is a name known across generations and genres, known best for his comedic performances on Saturday Night Live and his own Happy Madison pictures. However, even George Clooney agrees the Sandman is more than a funny actor, and his most recent pursuits prove it, particularly Netflix’s Jay Kelly. In no way could Sandler have possibly predicted what his career would grow into and, while he did aspire early on to make serious films, it was his grandmother who had a funny prediction.
Despite creating some of the most beloved movies all time, Adam Sandler has never been recognized on the coveted Oscars stage. Even after he’s traded in his basketball shorts for some more sophisticated slacks, perhaps marking a serious run at the award this year. Recently at an award season round table with THR, Sandler brought up the amusing way his grandma helped manifest dramatic roles for him, and how he ultimately landed one:
I did stand-up and then got on SNL, and I wanted to do what Eddie Murphy did, and started doing movies too. In the back of my head, I was like, ‘It’d be fun to do a serious movie someday’ — my grandma used to say, ‘You’re the next James Caan!’ And then Paul [Thomas Anderson] wrote Punch-Drunk Love for me and kind of invited me into this world.
After thinking about it, I do believe Sandler’s grandma may have been onto something. It seems she read between the SNL impressions and the goofy comedies to see that grandson Adam had great acting chops no matter what genre. It’s what Caan and Sandler hold in common: they are two of the most versatile actors Hollywood has ever seen. Both have proven themselves to be invaluable in the others’ forte with a late career pivot.
The late James Caan was a serious actor who could crush comedic roles, and he did just that with his unforgettable turn in the Will Ferrell holiday classic Elf. Caan even joined Sandler in comedies like That’s My Boy and Bulletproof. Also, Sandler's dramatic chops left audiences stunned by 2019's Uncut Gems. As Sandler notes, Paul Thomas Anderson was the first director who saw the same potential as his grandmother.
Punch-Drunk Love received critical acclaim when it was released in 2002, even earning Sandler a Golden Globe nomination. The secretly sensitive, yet prone to angry outbursts, Barry Egan was unlike any character Sandler had played at the time. While the role has comedic elements at times, it forced Sandler to take on a more serious demeanor due to the film's themes of mental health struggles, loneliness and extortion. I'd argue it's a Sandler film that's not discussed as much nowadays, but it's one that everyone should watch.
Of course, that PTA movie wasn't a one-off, as Sandler is once again proving with his Golden Globe nominated performance in the acclaimed Jay Kelly. Very rarely do you see a film (in which George Clooney is the star)receive as much acclaim for a supporting actor. If anyone deserves it, it is Sandler, whose performance, in tandem with Clooney’s, really is the heart of the film.
Listen, as a Sandler enthusiast, I enjoy all his films, even the really corny ones, but I must admit Sandler's best films are the ones in which he plays more complex characters with emotional depth. I would love to see him pursue this path, now that he has a career where he can pretty much do whatever he wants. So I really hope he gets some recognition this award season for Jay Kelly, which is now streamable for Netflix subscription holders.
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