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Original post on xoxoxo e
There was an overwhelming amount of hatred from critics and others on the internet being spewed at Adam Sandler's latest release, Jack and Jill. Many critics seem outraged that the movie exists at all, slamming its plot (or lack thereof), the sight of Sandler in drag, the undercurrent of misogyny (Really? I'll address that in a bit.) What I find the most perplexing is why would anyone be surprised at Jack and Jill. It is exactly what it set out to be. A movie which presents Adam Sandler in a dress. What exactly were critics expecting?
Sandler has always been a populist comedian. Some would call him lazy, but mostly, I think he is plainly uncomfortable onscreen. He is a huge star, but maybe a bit embarrassed about it. He is able to push the envelope in moves produced by others (Punch-Drunk Love, Spanglish), but for the most part he has made comedies (with his company Happy Madison Productions) that like to pit him as an everyman looking for love (The Wedding Singer, Mr. Deeds, 50 First Dates) or just chock-full of hit-or-miss gags (Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, etc.)
Sandler is the rare comedian who, although we know he is a multimillionaire, somehow is still able to connect with his audience and his regular guy, pre-success persona. Does Sandler feel pressured to churn out a product every year or so? Maybe. Grown Ups seemed like he decided to make a movie where he took a bunch of his friends on a vacation. It worked, because for the most part it was fun to go along for the ride.
Sandler has an undeniable sense of loyalty to his circle of friends. He has worked with many of the actors in Jack and Jill before, and you know he will again:
From Saturday Night Live - Norm MacDonald, Dana Carvey, Tim Meadows, David Spade
Nick Swardson (Just Go with It, Bedtime Stories, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Click, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry).
Actor turned director Dennis Dugan (Just Go with It, Grown Ups, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry)
He obviously wants to work with people he likes and he has the money and power to make it happen.
I used to hate Adam Sander movies. I found Big Daddy and Little Nicky especially offensive. My ex-boyfriend would watch and laugh and I felt like I was watching something in another language. I just didn't get it. I liked some of his Saturday Night Live shtick and sing-song singing. But I was more than a tad perplexed when he became such a huge star. He definitely had a demographic and knew how to connect with them.
In more recent years either his demographic changed or I did, because I started catching his movies on cable and liked some of them. Bedtime Stories has some nice bits, especially with goofy Russell Brand. I really like The Wedding Singer - let's face it, he had me at Buscemi (another frequent collaborator). Having a kid has definitely changed how I view Sandler and his movies. My daughter absolutely loves Grown Ups and was bugging me to see Jack and Jill from the first time she saw a preview. I must not be the only parent dragged to the drag comedy. Jack and Jill opened as the #2 movie at the box office, earning $26 million.
Kids and the families they drag along with them have become Sandler's core audience. The humor in his movies is about on par with the silly kid-coms my daughter loves to watch on the Disney channel. When we went to see Jack and Jill this weekend five out of six previews for upcoming family-oriented fare were animated movies. I love me some Miyazaki and Puss in Boots, but there are only so many sassy-voiced animated character films that I can sit through. Live-action movies for kids are becoming more and more rare. This weekend Jack and Jill was the only family film available if you wanted to go to the movies and hadn't already seen Puss in Boots.
So after Sandler decided, "Wouldn't it be funny if I played twins and one of them was a woman ..." what else did he come up with? Well, most critics are correct to point out not that much. There is only the wisp of a plot — clinging, cringe-worthy Jill has always embarrassed her brother, so he
