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to have its characters confront their strange habits in an honest way; when Lucy is told what's happened to her, and realizes that she's missed more than a year's worth of memories, her reaction is startlingly and heartbreakingly believable. As Henry continues to woo Lucy despite the fact that she may never remember him, no matter how many times he sees her, and how many "first dates" he takes her on, the movie comes to have all the simplicity and profundity of a classic fable, mixed with some more modern-day concepts of the power of memory, time, and change. A Sandler work veering a bit into philosophical territory? Absolutely. But, Gilmore fans, don't be afraid – even if you're not going to be won over by the surprisingly complex and fresh storyline, there's still plenty of typical Sandler wackiness (imported by him, as well as by the troupe of friends that make appearances in all his films) in 50 First Dates. On top of that, if you're like me and feel that Drew Barrymore is a beautiful girl whose beauty is all too often underplayed, you'll be thrilled to see that the actress's hair, makeup, and most of her clothes, compliment her enough to make her natural prettiness shine out. Drew glows on screen, so that you can't take your eyes from her. A pretty girl, crude humor, speculations about the life of the mind and the nature of love, and Rob Schneider playing a one-eyed Hawaiian guy: looks like Sandler's found yet another way to evolve, by doing something that's sure to please most audiences. But don’t get me wrong – like The Wedding Singer, another romantic comedy starring Sandler and Barrymore, 50 First Dates isn't a Sandler vehicle. Instead, I'd wager that just about anyone would enjoy this movie immensely, whether they enjoy the comedian or not, or even know who he is. It's a movie that can be enjoyed purely on its own merits, as a sweet, thought-provoking, unconventional, memorable (unless you're Lucy) flick. The DVD's extras are also a mix of comedy and drama. There's a blooper reel that isn't overly funny, though is notable for Barrymore's description of her key perspiration areas. There's a making-of featurette called "The Dating Scene" that's actually pretty well done and informative, plus a making-of doc that originally aired on Comedy Central. Further goodies abound, from music videos (the movie boasts an unusual soundtrack largely comprised of classic 'eighties love songs remade by contemporary musicians like Jason Mraz and 311), to filmographies, but the most interesting thing (besides an amusing short featurette on how to speak Hawaiian pidgin) is the director/actor feature-length commentary. Though Sandler isn't there, Barrymore and director Segal are, and hearing them play off each other is like a comedy in and of itself (in fact, near the end of the end credits, the duo remarks on this, and Segal suggests they do a detective movie together). ...
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