Sandler offers candid discussion on `Nicky,' future
By JUDE SEYMOUR
Scene Movie Critic
SPECIAL FEATURE
CHICAGO
When Adam Sandler strolls through the entranceway of the pressroom, he lets out a "hey hey hey!" to the college crowd of 50 that is eagerly anticipating him. With an accompanying giggle from the attendees, he completely wipes away his flat and unfunny 84-minute performance in "Little Nicky."
Adam Sandler, as proven by his platinum selling CDs, has clearly mastered humor in a rehearsed act. What was in question, though, was whether or not his performance in "Nicky" reflected the "real life" Sandler: had he lost his comic touch? Over the next hour, the answer became certain: absolutely not.
Sandler, accompanied by his longtime friend and collaborator, Allen Covert (who plays Todd in the film) answers questions about his new movie, his past successes and his promising future. Covert and Sandler bounce questions and jokes off each other back to the audience, displaying their real life personas as laid back and inviting.
Sandler recalls how he chased his only interest in life: "When I was in college, I really wanted to be a comedian. I wasn't really interested in writing," Sandler quips. "The best thing we did [at NYU] was to encourage each other to take chances. I started doing stuff that I thought was funny. When I was first on stage, no one laughed. My family was like, `Wow, they hate your guts.'"
Sandler's big break was as a cast member and writer on "Saturday Night Live" from 1991 to 1995. After 1995, his move into full-length movies was natural, as was the case with past "SNL" cast members. He received a lot of support from his friends on show, and has repaid their loyalty with recurring roles in his movies.
Some cast members, like Ellen Cleghorne, he cast in "Nicky" because he had "lost contact with her for a couple of years, and we're really good friends." Others, like Rob Schneider, he has enticed with memories of earlier successes. "I told Rob," Sandler joked, "that I remembered when I heard the biggest laughs on set, for `The Waterboy,' when Rob was doing, `You can do it!' And we were at his father's funeral, and Rob leaned in and said, `Do you still have that hat?'"
Sandler and Covert both acknowledge the debt that they owe to earlier great comedies like "Caddyshack," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and Woody Allen's movies. Sandler is "really thrilled" to hear that many college students consider his movies to be the great comedies of their generation.
As for making more "great" comedies in the future, Sandler is unsure of where his plans are taking him. "P.T. Anderson wants me to look over a script and work for him," Sandler nonchalantly remarks about working with the director of "Magnolia." "Quentin [Tarantino] has something for me lined up for the spring too so I've got all of these options." It must be tough for Sandler: after raking in $25 million for both "Big Daddy" and "Little Nicky," working with two accomplished directors like Anderson and Tarantino might not seem as glamorous.
If he decides not to pursue either of those scripts, Sandler has a couple things lined up: a comedy tour and the creation of Shnorff.com, an Internet humorist project he and Covert are working on.
In talking to Sandler after the question and answer session, he is both approachable and friendly. He's interested in Notre Dame football, and says he would "definitely consider" a stop at Notre Dame if his comedy tour starts again. Hopefully, there is much more in store for such warm and funny individuals as Adam Sandler and Allen Covert.
All Scene Stories for Thursday, November 9, 2000
