Plot: What’s it about?
The sport of golf has come a long way since Happy Gilmore first arrived in 1996. Later that year Tiger Woods would make his professional debut and change the sport forever, making it more popular and almost single handedly transitioning it mainstream. At the same time, Adam Sandler was known for his work on Saturday Night Live and his previous movie, Billy Madison was his only foray as a leading man. Happy Gilmore changed all of that. While not a huge commercial success at the time, the gross was modest enough that it got him noticed and the rest – as they say – is history. Happy Gilmore was a showcase for Sandler’s juvenile humor and no one loved it more than me.
Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) is a down-on-his-luck wannabe hockey player. The only problems are that he can’t skate too well and can’t seem to handle the puck. But he’s got a slapshot that would make Al MacInnis envious (there’s a reference for you puck heads). When he learns that his grandmother’s (Frances Bay) house is set to be sold by the IRS, he’s got to take action. As it turns out his hockey game translates well to golf. After winning the Waterbury Open, he finds himself on the Professional Golf Tour where he intends to use his winnings to bail out his Grandmother. Standing in his way is tour pro Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) who feels that Happy is “…a disgrace to the game.” In his corner, however, is Virginia Bennett (Julie Bowen), the tour’s PR director. Together with her assistance and that of former golf great Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers), Happy can accomplish his goal.
I’ll be the first to admit, as a film critic, that Happy Gilmore isn’t the best movie out there. I personally like it and have seen it countless times. For every classic movie there’s four or five like Happy Gilmore. Adam Sandler has become more commercially successful in his movies, but I really don’t think I’ve laughed harder at his performance than in this movie. Under the surface is the comic performance of Christopher McDonald, someone who’s done drama and comedy and can pull each off very convincingly, his Shooter McGavin is likable yet despicable in the same sense. Sure this movie has its flaws and there’s more product placement than you can shake a stick at (then again, watch a golf tournament on a weekend and count the number of advertisements you see), but that’s that. Suffice it to say that this will probably be the only movie, past or future, that has a fight scene between a game show host (Bob Barker) and a golf player. Couple that with a sociopath nurse (Ben Stiller) and you’ve got one helluva movie on your hands.
Video: How does it look?
I’ve seen Happy Gilmore on every format imaginable: VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, HD-DVD and now, finally, Blu-ray. There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the 1.85:1 VC-1 HD transfer looks good. Colors are bold and strong, contrast looks consistent as well. Yes, there are a few spots of some grain and the movie appears a bit soft in a few scenes, but by and large this looks as good as it ever has. This brings me to the bad news…it’s the exact same transfer that appeared on the HD-DVD some five years ago. No new AVC transfer has been made for this Blu-ray edition so while it doesn’t look bad by any means, it could (and should) look better than this. That’s just pure laziness on Universal’s part.
Audio: How does it sound?
Unlike the video, the audio has been given a nice little shot in the arm. The previous Dolby Digital Plus mix has been overhauled with a pretty spiffy sounding DTS HD Master Audio mix. Granted, Happy Gilmore isn’t a movie that will light up your system, but there are some decent spots that let the soundtrack shine. When Happy hits his drive, the trees resonate in the background, the cannon used to accentuate his drive sounds great and the crowd scenes sound good as well. Dialogue is strong and well-centered as well. This is, by far, the best the movie has ever sounded.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Deleted Scenes – Nearly 20 minutes’ worth of these and some feature Ben Stiller’s character of “Hal L.” that can be seen in some televised versions of the film. Why they weren’t included in the final theatrical cut is beyond me, but it’s good to have them nonetheless.
- Outtakes – Essentially that. Just some outtakes set to annoying music.
The Bottom Line
OK. I know. Happy Gilmore isn’t the kind of movie that was made to win awards. Although, ironically, it did. Yes, it was the recipient of the inaugural MTV Movie Award for Best Fight. You can see Happy fight Bob Barker right here. You’re welcome. And, having said that, the movie is just as popular now (if not more so) than it was when originally released. Universal’s Blu-ray is a bit above average (or, should I say “par”) but any true fan will want this in their collection.
