The film follows the namesake failed ice hockey player who seeks to gather enough money to stop the foreclosure of his grandmother's house. Happy discovers a talent for golf and competes in paid tournaments, causing upset in the golf community as he gains a following for his skill and unconventional behavior.
The screenplay was written by Sandler and his writing partner Tim Herlihy, in their second feature collaboration after the previous year's Billy Madison. The film also marks the first of several collaborations between Sandler and Dugan.
Happy Gilmore was released in theaters on February 16, 1996, by Universal Pictures. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film was a commercial success, earning $41.2 million on a $12 million budget, and it won an MTV Movie Award for Best Fight for Sandler and Bob Barker. A sequel is set for release in 2025.
Plot
Happy Gilmore dreams of becoming an ice hockey player, but despite a powerful slapshot learned from his late father, his poor skating skills and short temper limit his professional prospects. One day, Happy learns that his grandmother, who raised him after his father's death, owes the IRS $270,000 in back taxes; she has 90 days to pay off the debt or face foreclosure on her house. Happy sends Grandma to a retirement home until he can figure out a way to pay off the debt; unbeknownst to Happy, the residents are mistreated and forced to work in a sweatshop.
While challenging a pair of movers repossessing his grandfather's old golf clubs, Happy discovers that his unorthodox slapshot-style swing can drive a ball 400 yards. He begins hustling golfers at a driving range, where he meets Chubbs Peterson, a former pro golf star who lost a hand in an alligator attack. Chubbs urges Happy to enter the Waterbury Open, the winner of which will earn an automatic spot on the PGA Tour, as well as a sizable cash reward. Desperate to reclaim his grandmother's house, Happy agrees, and wins the Open. Learning that he needs to supply his own caddy on the tour, Happy hastily hires a homeless man named Otto.
Happy quickly becomes a fan favorite thanks to his extraordinarily long drives and unorthodox antics. Though his driving is incredible, Happy's putting is terrible, and his on-course profane meltdowns and lack of golf etiquette soon draw the ire of tour officials. Citing improved television ratings with a broader spectrum of viewers, higher attendance, and new sponsorship offers, tour public relations head Virginia Venit intervenes on Happy's behalf and promises to help him with his anger. With Virginia's support, Happy improves his performance and behavior, and the two form a romantic connection.
Shooter McGavin, the tour's arrogant presumed favorite, views Happy as a threat, and bribes a heckler named Donald to taunt him at a pro-am event. The heckling causes Happy to play poorly, and a subsequent fistfight with his celebrity partner Bob Barker leads to a $25,000 fine and one-month suspension. Virginia secures Happy a lucrative endorsement deal with Subway to make up for the lost revenue, giving Happy the $270,000 he needs to pay Grandma's taxes. However, he is too late to stop the house from being put up for auction, and Shooter spitefully outbids Happy in an attempt to force him to quit the tour. Virginia encourages Happy not to quit, and he makes a deal with Shooter: if Happy wins the Tour Championship, Shooter will return the house to Grandma, but if Shooter wins, Happy will quit golf.
Knowing he must improve his short game to defeat Shooter, Happy seeks out Chubbs, who helps Happy improve his putting by practicing at a miniature golf course and gifts him with a custom putter in the shape of a hockey stick. As thanks, Happy presents Chubbs with the head of the alligator that took his hand, startling him and causing him to fall out of a nearby window to his death.
Happy is paired with Shooter for the Tour Championship, where he takes an early lead. Desperate to finally win a Championship jacket, Shooter again bribes Donald, who drives a car onto the course and runs over Happy, impairing his long-drive ability and focus. Shooter takes the lead, but Happy, encouraged by Grandma, rallies to tie him.
On the 18th and final hole, Shooter's tee shot lands in the crowd, but, despite having to play the ball off the foot of Happy's imposing ex-boss, Mr. Larson, he manages to save par with a long putt. A television tower damaged by Donald's car falls onto the green and blocks Happy's line to a winning putt. Shooter insists Happy play the ball "as it lies," and, with Chubbs' divine intervention, Happy uses the tower as a Rube Goldberg machine to sink his putt for the win. Enraged, Shooter tries to steal Happy's gold jacket and is chased and beaten by a mob of fans led by Larson. Back at Grandma's house, Happy celebrates with Virginia, Grandma, and Otto. Happy sees a vision of Abraham Lincoln, along with a two-handed Chubbs; having made peace with the alligator, waving to him in the heavens above.
Cast
Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore, a short-tempered aspiring hockey player who discovers a unique talent for golf. Sandler also provided the voice of the Laughing Clown.
Donnie MacMillan as young Happy Gilmore
Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin, an arrogant star golfer who despises Happy's lack of etiquette and the main antagonist of the film.
Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit, the pro golf tour public relations director who becomes Happy's romantic interest.
Frances Bay as Grandma Gilmore, Happy's mild-mannered grandmother.
Carl Weathers as Derick "Chubbs" Peterson, a former pro golfer and Happy's coach and mentor. [a]
Allen Covert as Otto, a homeless man who becomes Happy's caddy on the tour and Happy's best friend. [b]
Richard Kiel as Mr. Larson, Happy's intimidating but friendly former boss
Dennis Dugan as Doug Thompson, the commissioner of the pro golf tour
Joe Flaherty as Donald, an unruly fan hired by Shooter to heckle Happy.
Additionally, Ben Stiller is uncredited for his role as abusive orderly Hal. Robert Smigel plays the IRS agent who informs Happy that Grandma is delinquent on taxes, and Will Sasso and Dee Jay Jackson appear as the movers who challenge Happy at golf.
Jared Van Snellenberg portrays Happy Gilmore's caddy at the Waterbury Open and Kevin Nealon plays Gary Potter, an eccentric professional golfer and Happy's partner at the AT&T Open. Professional golfers Lee Trevino and Mark Lye, sportscaster Verne Lundquist, and game show host Bob Barker all play themselves.
Production
Development
Happy Gilmore was directed by Dennis Dugan,[3] and written by Saturday Night Live (SNL) alumni Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler.[4][5] Herlihy and Sandler were roommates in college and wrote stand-up comedy together, before moving on to screenplays.[4] After Sandler was fired from SNL in 1995, he moved on to films.[6] He and Herlihy wrote Billy Madison (1995),[4][5] which proved successful for distributor Universal Pictures. As such, Herlihy and Sandler began a new project. In an office during a brainstorming session, they came up with a high-concept premise for a film about a "hockey player who smacks a 400 yard drive".[5]Judd Apatow performed a script rewrite, although he went uncredited.[7]
The Happy Gilmore character is loosely based on Sandler's childhood friend Kyle McDonough, who played ice hockey and would golf with Sandler as they grew up. Sandler could never hit the ball as far as McDonough, and figured that McDonough's hockey skills gave him an edge.[8] Meanwhile, Chubbs Peterson's missing hand is an in-joke referencing actor Carl Weathers' film Predator (1987), which depicts his character losing his arm.[9] Herlihy and Sandler included any joke that made them laugh and do not remember who came up with which, although Herlihy takes credit for Shooter McGavin's "I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast" line.[5] In a 1994 interview, Sandler cited the golf comedy Caddyshack (1980),[10] a film he and Herlihy bonded over in college,[11] as inspiration.[10]
Former pro golfer Mark Lye served as a consultant on the script,[12] and told Herlihy and Sandler after seeing their initial ideas, "You gotta be crazy. You cannot do a movie like that."[13] According to Lye, the initial drafts featured Happy winning the Masters Tournament: "They had the green jacket. They were desecrating the USGA. Making fun of Augusta National."[13] He suggested that Happy win a fictional tournament, and Herlihy and Sandler changed the jacket's color from green to gold. Lye also disliked the unrealistic nature of early drafts, which depicted Happy repeatedly making 400-yard drives, so he took the crew to a PGA Tour event so they could understand the atmosphere of golf.[12][13] The final script, the one Lye gave approval, was Herlihy and Sandler's fifth draft.[13]
Dugan became attached to direct through Sandler. Years earlier, Dugan had attempted to cast Sandler in one of his films, but the producers did not let him because Sandler was not well-known. "A couple of years later, [Sandler] is big", Dugan said. "I wanted to be hired to direct Happy Gilmore with him. I walk in the room, and he says: 'You're the guy who wanted to give me that part. I don't need to know anything else, I want to work with you.'"[14]Happy Gilmore was produced on a budget of $12 million[9] and filmed entirely at locations in British Columbia. Most scenes taking place at golf courses were filmed at Pitt Meadows at the Swan-e-set Bay Resort & Country Club,[15] while interior shots, such as those in the broadcast booth, took place in an abandoned Vancouver hospital.[16]Arthur Albert served as cinematographer, while Mark Lane was the set decorator.[17]Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh composed the film's soundtrack.[9]
Casting
Christopher McDonald declined the role of Shooter McGavin twice because he was tired of playing villains and wanted to spend more time with his family.[9][18]Kevin Costner was approached but turned it down in favor of another 1996 golf-themed comedy, Tin Cup, while Bruce Campbell lobbied hard for the part.[9] McDonald became interested in the role after winning a round of golf, and decided to take it after he met with Sandler. According to McDonald, Dugan "didn't want to see the Bad Guy 101 again" and gave McDonald the freedom to improvise on set.[18]
According to Lundquist, he filmed his scenes in the abandoned hospital as production wrapped. Sandler's New York University roommate Jack Giarraputo sat next to Lundquist in every shot, as Sandler wanted him to appear in the film. In 2016, Lundquist stated he still gets a monthly $34 check from the Screen Actors Guild for his appearance in the film.[16]
According to Sandler, Ed McMahon was originally hired to do the fight scene instead of Bob Barker, but McMahon changed his mind when he learned about the movie's crude humor and didn't want to lose the fight, so Bob Barker was chosen because Chuck Norris was Barker's neighbor and taught him karate and Sandler rewrote the script to make Barker win the fight.
Happy Gilmore was a commercial success, ranking number two at the U.S. box office on its debut weekend with $8.5 million in revenue, behind Broken Arrow. The film was made for $12 million and grossed a total of $41.2 million worldwide, with $38.8 million of that at the North American domestic box office.[2][1]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, Happy Gilmore has an approval rating of 62% based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Those who enjoy Adam Sandler's schtick will find plenty to love in this gleefully juvenile take on professional golf; those who don't, however, will find it unfunny and forgettable."[19] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 31 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[20] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[21]
Brian Lowry of Variety wrote, "The general tone nevertheless makes it difficult to elevate the gags beyond an occasional chuckle". Lowry only noted a few scenes he found inspired, including the fight scene with Bob Barker and when Happy attempts to find his "Happy Place" which was described as "Felliniesque".[22]Roger Ebert gave the film one and a half stars out of four, stating that Adam Sandler's character "doesn't have a pleasing personality: He seems angry even when he's not supposed to be, and his habit of pounding everyone he dislikes is tiring in a PG-13 movie". Ebert also noted the film's product placement stating that he "probably missed a few, but I counted Diet Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Subway, Budweiser (in bottles, cans, and Bud-dispensing helmets), Michelob, Visa cards, Bell Atlantic, AT&T, Sizzler, Red Lobster, Wilson, Golf Digest, the ESPN sports network, and Top-Flite golf balls".[23] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a grade "D+" calling it "A one-joke Caddyshack for the blitzed and jaded," although he did praise Sandler's confident performance.[24]
Darren Bignell of Empire wrote: "The real surprise is that it's a lot of fun, with Sandler becoming more personable as the film progresses, and a couple of truly side-splitting scenes."[25]
The "Happy Gilmore swing", featuring a walking or running approach, is often imitated or attempted for fun, including by touring golf professionals.[29] Three-time major champion Pádraig Harrington is particularly well known for his impression and even uses the technique in training.[30] The TV series Sport Science has featured Harrington's "Happy Gilmore swing", demonstrating how it can indeed generate additional distance, though at the cost of accuracy.[31]
Long drive champion and professional golfer Jamie Sadlowski, also a former hockey player who can hit golf balls over 400 yards, has been called "the real-life version of Happy Gilmore".[32]
Lee Trevino regretted his appearance in the film and said he would not have done it if he had known how much swearing there would be in the movie.[33][34]
In 2020, McDonald reprised his role as Shooter in the trailer for the video game PGA Tour 2K21.[35]
Bob Barker fight
The scene with Barker beating up Gilmore increased interest in The Price Is Right among younger demographics, particularly young men. Barker said that someone in the audience asked him about Happy Gilmore almost every day. Barker parodied the Happy Gilmore fight in a 2014 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, where he fought Wyatt Spencer after arguing with him.[36]
The fight scene was also highlighted in special primetime episodes of The Price Is Right, as well as various news articles that announced Barker's death on August 26, 2023, at the age of 99.
Accolades
Bob Barker and Adam Sandler won the MTV Movie Award for Best Fight
In September 2022, Sandler stated that he hoped to eventually make a sequel, saying he had been creating ideas for what a follow-up film would be, while stating the character would be involved in a senior golf tour.[38]
In March 2024, Christopher McDonald stated in an interview that he had been shown a first draft of the script of the sequel by Sandler, reviving speculation of a sequel being made. On May 15, 2024, Netflix confirmed a sequel was in development.[39] Filming began in New Jersey on September 9th, 2024. Travis Kelce is expected to have a cameo in the film.[40]
^Weathers reprises the role in Sandler's 2000 film Little Nicky, despite Little Nicky being produced by New Line Cinema.
^The character is unnamed in the film (although his name is revealed in a deleted scene and is listed in the end credits). Covert reprises the role in Sandler's 2011 film Jack and Jill, despite Jack and Jill being produced by Columbia Pictures.
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