MOVIE NIGHT
50 First Dates (2004)
After the successful 1998 romantic comedy The Wedding Singer, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore are together on the screen again in the heart-warming chick flick 50 First Dates. The combination of this duo and an original and captivating storyline works like magic, resulting in a thoroughly entertaining feel-good film rom-com fans do not want to miss. Thirty-something Henry Roth has it all; he lives on a beautiful Hawaiian island, has a job he loves, and receives more than enough attention from the ladies. He considers his life to be quite perfect, until he meets Lucy Whitmore in a cafe. Henry really enjoys Lucy's company and falls for her. However, when he goes to talk to Lucy the next day, she doesn't seem to remember who he is. Henry discovers Lucy suffers from short-term memory loss and every day she wakes up thinking it's the same day, not remembering anything else that has happened to her. Instead of being scared off, Henry is even more determined to make Lucy fall in love with him. Yet, this turns out to be even more of a task than he expected it to be, and even Henry starts to wonder whether he and Lucy will be able to make it work.
Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler have great chemistry and they work really well together. Just like in The Wedding Singer and the more recent Blended (2014), they manage to play great characters who from the start seem to be meant for each other. In contrast to many other romantic films, this one has quite an original storyline in which one of the main characters suffers from short-term memory loss and is unable to remember anything that has happened to her recently. I loved the storyline and what the writers decided to do with it; it's not just captivating to watch, but also incredibly romantic. The film also has a fantastic soundtrack, including the incredibly fitting Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys. I loved everything about this film and know it'll be one of those I will be watching over and over again. 50 First Dates is a wonderfully heart-warming, funny, and enchanting romantic story with a great cast and a great storyline; quite simply a must-see!
Movie reviewed by Jody Hoekstra