The Paradox of Adam Sandler 2.0
Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
The Paradox of Adam Sandler, Marisa Tomei goes full Miranda, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, and a questionable paradise.
(A previous version of this cover story ran in an edition last year)
Let’s go!
THE PARADOX OF ADAM SANDLER
Adam Sandler is a cultural mecca because his insecurity resonates globally.
Sandler’s honest depiction of characters struggling to get ahead is a through line in his work. From his studio tentpoles:
Warner Bros’ The Wedding Singer (1998)
Sony Pictures’ 50 First Dates (2004)
To his indies:
P.T. Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Safdie brother’s Uncut Gems (2019)
His work has generated over 2 billion viewing hours on Netflix.
But when he was in college at NYU in the mid-80s, he was nervous getting on stage, leaning into playing the guitar during bits to help provide a security blanket.
Even after Sandler achieved his dream of becoming a cast member on SNL (1991-1995), he was still trepidatious about performing on David Letterman, as seen in this anxious laughing video.
Despite finding a home performing iconic skits on SNL with Chris Farley and David Spade (Pepper Boy, Gap Girls at Foodcourt, Adam Sandler on Thanksgiving) by 1995, the network and the critics didn’t think Sandler was funny enough, and he was forced to leave the show:
“My heart was broken, and I was scared. And then you don't like telling anybody, ‘Hey, you know that thing I was doing?’ They said I was no good at it.”