- Sweetie, you're sort of dating him.
- Sorry I'm not better looking.

I got scared at the start of 50 First Dates. After a great expository intro it starts out with some bad slapstick involving one of the side characters, and then an unfortunate incident with a walrus. Things get better for a bit, but then they introduce Lucy (Drew Barrymore) and explain her condition. At the point the movie is downright tragic. I felt horrible for her and her family (note that I actually felt in an Adam Sandler comedy, I was surprised.)

But then it turned it all around and become a good, sweet, and funny movie. And since the film brought us into the tragedy of Lucy's life when everything works out in the end (if you think that's a spoiler you have problems) there's an emotional payoff there too. This is the key that Anger Management missed, in order to have a good emotional payoff when everything works out in the end you have to get the audience to care for and feel for the characters when things aren't going so well. As an example I even teared up a bit in this film (I'm a softy though.)

Adam Sandler really hit his stride with this one. This movie has broad appeal, doesn't rely on dumb humor (but has some) and is touching. Plus I have to give a special comedy award for Sean Astin. He plays a geeky body builder with a lisp, which is silly but also quirckily funny.

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