The Wedding Singer (1998)

I was a huge Adam Sandler fan in the mid 90’s. When I was 10 years old Billy Maddison and Happy Gilmore were the greatest things I had ever seen after Star Wars. Fast forward a few years and The Wedding Singer has just been released on VHS, I had to watch it. I rented it immediately and instantly fell in love with Drew Barrymore, making her my second celebrity crush after the Pink Ranger. It is a hilarious movie, much less crude than Sanders previous outings, and it wasn’t too sappy (at least not for the first half). Somehow Christine Taylor looks almost exactly the same 20 years later.

Opening music is very important to a movie, at least as far as I’m concerned. This is another movie that nails it, in fact the whole soundtrack is amazing and full of 80’s greatness. No song left as much of an impact for me as You Spin Me Round though. One night when I was the guest DJ at a club in China, I played the song 7 times in a row before someone stopped me. If the soundtrack isn’t enough 80’s for you, all the hair has to be.

This movie was a bit of an eye opener for me. It is the first Sandler movie where I realized that he gets all his buddies in all his movies. I didn’t realize wedding singers were a real thing. It was also my first proper introduction to Billy Idol. The first of many rom-coms I would come to love.

Watching the movie again after years and I still loved it and for even more reasons. The first wedding has always been great, even Boy George (Alexis Arquette) was great, but I have a new love for the cook in my older years. Rosie (Ellen Albertini Dow) has got to be the sweetest old lady next to Betty White, and so proud of being a whore. I get hungry every time I see Rosie’s meatballs. Don’t Stop Believin’ on a sting quartet just makes me smile so much it makes Robbie’s wedding disaster even funnier. Cindy and Scott’s Wedding was even better than I remember. Love Stinks is still an amazing song. I had no idea Brian Posehn was one of the mutants at table 9 or that sideburns lady was actually a lady. The bar mitzvah was a little more awkward given todays culture, there is a lot of ass grabbing, and there is no way the scene with Robbie taking a girl’s hands and putting them on his ass would even be filmed let alone make the final cut nowadays. They have got to be the weirdest looking batch of children ever.

It gets a bit sappy for a while after the midway point but still pretty funny here and there. Once we get closer to the end and we arrive at Rossie’s anniversary we are blessed by one of the most fantastic things ever recorded. Rossie sings Rappers Delight, which is exactly what it says, it’s a delight.

I Completely forgot how much I love this movie. The cameos from Jon Lovitz, Steve Buscemi and Billy Idol are so great. Adam Sandler’s songs are hilarious. Sunny (Alan Covert) is awesome as Robbie’s best friend, I love his Thriller outfit.

If you love the 80’s, spark up a joint, sit back and enjoy. That would be the best advice I could give you for watching the Wedding Singer.