Adam Sandler has long been a target of the Razzies, famously sweeping every category at the 32nd Golden Raspberry Awards for Jack and Jill. Almost a decade earlier, in 2003, director Steven Brill's Mr Deeds was nominated for worst remake or sequel. Though it lost to Guy Ritchie's Swept Away, the nomination suggested a dim view of the film's attempt to renovate the original 1936 Mr Deeds Goes to Town by Frank Capra. However, Mr Deeds is an endearing watch, not far removed from Capra's hallowed original.
A Modern Take on a Classic
Like many Capra films about a naive idealist against the machine, Sandler's characters in Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and Big Daddy explore class and wealth divisions. The 2002 Mr Deeds follows the same schematic: Deeds (Sandler) inherits $40 billion and a media empire, leaving his simple small-town life for New York City. He is beset by a greedy CEO (Peter Gallagher) and hounded by tabloid journalist Babe Bennett (Winona Ryder), who poses as a school nurse named Pam Dawson to get close to him.
Restrained Performance and Absurd Humor
Sandler delivers a restrained, well-intentioned performance, his optimism clashing with capitalist exploiters. He hugs housekeepers and befriends the butler (John Turturro). The comedy shines in absurd moments: John McEnroe jumps over a moving car, Babe dropkicks a woman through a table, and Deeds scales a burning building like Spider-Man. The film's heart lies in Pam's sincere reading of Deeds' cheesy greeting card poetry, creating genuine movie magic.
Underrated and Enduring
Mr Deeds turn-of-the-century sentimentality and good-versus-evil dynamics offer a balm. While its themes are simpler than the original, it remains one of Sandler's most underrated lead roles. In 2003, Sandler also starred in Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love, earning a Golden Globe nomination, but Mr Deeds delivers primitive pleasures of crude comic violence. Available to stream on Binge, Foxtel, and Prime Video in Australia, and to buy or rent on Apple TV or Prime Video in the US and UK.
