That's My Boy

Adam Sandler is at a point in his career where he could release the next Citizen Kane or Casablanca and critics and viewers alike would write it off before they even saw it. That’s My Boy is not one of those. It actually falls pretty far away from the classics on the cinematic spectrum, but it is a comedy that the target demographics would enjoy. Plus the general plot fits with Sandler’s earlier films that made him famous. Sandler plays Donny Berger, who as a teenager fathers a son (Andy Samberg) with his middle school teacher. He then raises the son as a single parent. After a long estrangement, Donny shows up right before his son’s wedding and creates some awkward situations (because he’s trashy).

It works out much better having two separate actors playing the two main roles in the film. I’m looking at you Jack and Jill. Samberg plays the straight man for most of the film, which works well, but it would be nice to have him more involved on the front end of the jokes. For the most part, those jokes are fairly raunchy and funny. The Adam Sandler host of actors makes their allotted cameos, but using Samberg, Will Forte and other more relevant players gives That’s My Boy a fresher feel than the recent maligned Sandler movies.

What amazes me with Sandler is how he can act like an idiot with a bad fake Boston accent for a whole movie, but at the end the audience feels for his character. Was I crying for Donny Berger? No, but Sandler movies always end with a message. Hidden between the wedding clichés, pervy jokes and retro pop culture references, there is actually a story here. But those who would enjoy That’s My Boy aren’t really looking for an intellectual experience.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.