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!

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THE PARADOX OF ADAM SANDLER

Spaceman. Netflix.

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)

• Disney’s ​Waterboy​ (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.”