The Wedding Singer

UK Release Date. 5 June 1998
Certification. 12
Running Time. 1 hour 37 mins
Director. Frank Coraci
Cast. Drew Barrymore, Steve Buscemi, Allen Covert, Matthew Glave, Adam Sandler, Christine Taylor.

Rating. 68%

Review.

”When I wrote this song I was listening to The Cure a lot.” Well, of course, I’m going to love The Wedding Singer. 

Frank Coraci's 1998 romantic comedy is a celebration of 1980s culture. The soundtrack features the likes of David Bowie, Elvis Costello, The Cure, New Order, The Smiths and Thompson Twins, as well as cast versions of Culture Club's 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?', Dead Or Alive's 'You Spin Me Round - Like A Record', Madonna's 'Holiday' and Spandau Ballet's 'True.'  

Adam Sandler divides opinion, quite simply, you either love him or hate him. Sandler's early films - Going Overboard, Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore - are juvenile, puerile and inane. However, in The Wedding Singer the crude element of Sandler's humour is tempered in favour of a vulnerable portrayal of Robbie Hart, the eponymous wedding singer. Director Frank Coraci ensures the audience is aware that Robbie Hart is a consummate professional who effortlessly works the room, and Adam Sandler completely imbibes the role.  

Sandler's performance is undoubtedly aided by the presence of an uber-cute Drew Barrymore, as the adorable waitress Julia Sullivan. There’s an innate natural chemistry between the two lead actors. This was the first time Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore were cast together. Unsurprisingly, in an attempt to replicate this successful formula studio executives paired Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore together in two subsequent films - 50 First Dates (2004) and Blended (2014) - with ever-diminishing returns. In The Wedding Singer their characters, Robbie and Julia, are completely at ease with one another right from the beginning - there's none of the sexual sparring associated with old Spencer Tracey-Katharine Hepburn films. Instead, Robbie and Julia's friendship gradually, and gently, blossoms into love and serves as a cautionary tale - Robbie and Julia almost settled for the wrong people before realising there was someone better suited for them out there.

The supporting cast is excellent, if somewhat underemployed. Allen Covert is a perfect foil for Adam Sandler as the womanising chauffeur, Sammy. Director Frank Coraci should be commended for the manner in which the film portrays Robbie's Boy George-loving bandmate, George, played by Alexis Arquette. Christine Taylor elevates a seemingly bit-part role as Holly, Julia's apparently promiscuous cousin, because of her energy, warmth and vivaciousness. But all are upstaged by an uncredited appearance by Steve Buscemi as Dave Veltri, who delivers a quite unforgettable best man speech.

When the film threatens a saccharine-sweet conclusion, Adam Sandler rescues it with a heartwarming rendition of Grow Old With You. As delightful as the song is, the scene wouldn't work half as well without the overwhelming sense of relief, elation and joy Drew Barrymore brings to Julia's reaction. Even a completely over-the-top, albeit immensely enjoyable, cameo appearance from Billy Idol cannot detract from one of the best closing scenes in the romantic comedy genre.

I defy you not to fall for the charms of The Wedding Singer. A film that could perhaps claim to be one of the sweetest romantic comedies of the 1990s? Or should that be the 1980s?